Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc
Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Brooklyn, New York. In 2024, it made 55 grants totaling $1,414,684, with listed grant purposes including education, charity, congregation, and special education.
Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc gave $1.4M across 55 grants in 2024 (avg $26K), mostly in New York. 44% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,414,684
- +5.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 55
- +5.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $25,722
- +0.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $8,567
- Total assets
- $14,526,267
- +2.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 44% first-time grantees (24 of 55, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (70% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1551 53 Street, Brooklyn, NY 11219
Phone: (516) 829-4470
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Keren Olam Hatora ($180K). Together the top 10 received $947K.
Grant Size Distribution
345 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 292 grants of 345 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 70% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York and 30% to recipients in New Jersey. No grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania or North Carolina that year.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 55 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
44%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 24 of 55 grantees (44%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $20K; repeat grants $30K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 49% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−3%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 168% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.3M (2023) to $2.0M (2022). In 2024 it made 55 grants totaling $1.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Keren Olam Hatora Lakewood, NJ | Education | $180,000 |
| Yeshiva Meor Eynayim Brooklyn, NY | Education | $146,600 |
| Agudath Israel of America New York, NY | Charity | $115,500 |
| BMG Lakewood, NJ | Education | $115,000 |
| Yeshiva Mir Yerushalayim Brooklyn, NY | Education | $96,000 |
| The Donors Fund Lakewood, NJ | Charity | $75,450 |
| Mikvah Yisroel Brooklyn, NY | Charity | $68,000 |
| Cong Shomer Shabbos Brooklyn, NY | Congregation | $50,000 |
| Sara Broker Hacnosas Kallah New York, NY | Charity | $50,000 |
| Yeshiva Livnas Hasapir Brooklyn, NY | Special Education | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $14,526,267 | $1,470,941 | $1,420,584 | $1,414,684 | 55 | $1,414,684 | $1,470,941 | $842,945 |
| 2023 | $14,197,305 | $1,172,357 | $1,341,703 | $1,335,743 | 52 | $1,335,743 | $667,357 | $773,524 |
| 2022 | $14,082,432 | $1,060,401 | $1,963,214 | $1,957,799 | 64 | $1,957,799 | $1,060,401 | $798,181 |
| 2021 | $14,855,966 | $3,388,893 | $1,455,510 | $1,451,382 | 75 | $1,451,382 | $2,400,128 | $777,401 |
| 2020 | $12,778,339 | $1,574,314 | $1,354,697 | $1,350,917 | 99 | — | $1,487,810 | $633,221 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $843K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for educational organizations and charitable and congregational purposes. Among its grantees, Agudath Israel of America describes its work as addressing social challenges through community-service projects in education, human services, and social action. The OJC Fund says it maintains a donor-advised fund and provides services to fundholders. American Friends of Refuah Vchaim says it assists and supports people who are needy, sick, disabled, or have special needs, and their families.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 55 grants totaling $1,414,684. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $180,000, with a median of $8,567.
Its largest 2024 grants included $180,000 to Keren Olam Hatora for education; $146,600 to Yeshiva Meor Eynayim for education; $115,500 to Agudath Israel of America for charity; $115,000 to BMG for education; and $96,000 to Yeshiva Mir Yerushalayim for education. Other listed grants included $75,450 to The Donors Fund, $68,000 to Mikvah Yisroel, and $50,000 each to Cong Shomer Shabbos, Sara Broker Hacnosas Kallah, and Yeshiva Livnas Hasapir.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Erwin Zafir and Ruth Zafir as directors.
Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Erwin Zafir
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Ruth Zafir
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc
How much does Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc give each year?
Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc gave $1.4M across 55 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.3M across 52 grants.
What is Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $8,567, and its average grant was $25,722, across 55 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc that year got $20K on average.
Where does Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc give grants?
Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New Jersey (30%). The most frequent recipient cities were Brooklyn, NY (39 grants), Lakewood, NJ (9 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 55 grants with a stated purpose on Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charity" (28 grants), "Education" (16 grants) and "Congregation" (9 grants).
Who are Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Keren Olam Hatora ($180,000), Yeshiva Meor Eynayim ($146,600) and Agudath Israel of America ($115,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc?
Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc reported $14.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $843K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for educational organizations and charitable and congregational purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc's EIN?
Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 11-3135109. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/erwin-and-ruth-zafir-foundation-inc-morg_f54bd7c17d994104acb071389077ffa4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_113135109_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Erwin \& Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/erwin-and-ruth-zafir-foundation-inc-morg_f54bd7c17d994104acb071389077ffa4},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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