Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life is a public charity based in Washington, DC. Hillel International says the movement serves nearly 200,000 Jewish students each year at more than 850 colleges and universities worldwide, supporting Jewish campus life, learning, leadership, and community.
Key facts about Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
In short: Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life gave $11.6M across 165 grants in 2025 (avg $71K), top state New York. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 52-1844823
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $11,649,453
- Grants made (2025)
- 165
- Average grant
- $70,603
- Median grant
- $49,930
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (24 of 165, 2025)
- Total assets
- $76,015,282
- Primary geography
- New York (18% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$76.0M
+9.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$11.6M
+9.4% YoY
Grant Count
165
+10.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$71K
-0.5% YoY
Is Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 24 of 165 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $30K; repeat grants $77K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $55K repeat.
- 81% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+14%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
Hillel’s mission is to enrich the lives of Jewish students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world. Its website describes work in Jewish learning, holiday and Shabbat celebrations, arts and culture, relationships with Israel, student wellness and leadership, and building understanding among diverse groups.
The organization’s 2024 filing describes programs that organize immersive trips for young Jewish adults, provide Israel education and engagement and support campuses facing crises, develop Israel-focused student leaders, and help local Hillels recruit, retain, and train staff. The filing also describes fundraising for international Hillel affiliates and a measurement program used by participating Hillels to assess student outcomes and inform their work.
In 2025, Hillel’s grants included program grants to campus Hillels. Among the grantees described in their own filings, Schilit Hillel at UF says it enriches Jewish students’ lives and inspires commitment to Jewish life, learning, and Israel. Queens Hillel says its mission is to enrich Jewish students’ lives so they may enrich the Jewish people and the world. North Carolina Hillel says it empowers students to pursue their Jewish journeys through strong communities and transformative experiences.
Grantmaking
Hillel reported 165 grants totaling $11,649,453 in 2025. Awards ranged from $5,070 to $397,500, with a median of $49,930. The largest listed grants were $397,500 to Hillel-Univ of Florida in Gainesville, $328,234 to Hillel of San Diego, and $300,625 to Hillel-CUNY Queens College. These and the other listed largest awards were designated as program grants.
Hillel’s website also describes scholarships for Jewish students attending or preparing to attend four-year colleges or graduate school in the United States or Canada. Scholarship funds are paid directly to students’ colleges or universities for tuition and fees. Applicants must identify as Jewish, be in good academic standing, and have a GPA of at least 2.5; awards are merit-based, and immediate family members of Hillel International or campus officers, directors, employees, and major contributors are ineligible. The website states that applications open January 22, 2026.
The website lists the Jerusalem Unity Prize for Young Leadership, a $5,000 award for an individual student or student group whose work advances Jewish unity on campus. Its stated award ceremony is on Unity Day, June 1. The Springboard Fellowship is a two-year, jointly funded program that places fellows at local Hillels; its salary and benefits support the fellows’ work and is not described as a grant for outside applicants. The Hillel International Writers Program is a yearlong opportunity for Jewish undergraduate students to develop journalism and storytelling skills.
Open Grants
5 open opportunities from Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
Ask Big Questions Campus Hillel Grants
Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
Amount
$1,500
Deadline
Deadline not published
Hillel International Writers Program
Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
HillelWell Microgrants
Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Hillel International says it serves students at more than 850 colleges and universities around the world. Its 2024 filing describes international affiliates in Europe, South America, and Russia, as well as programs and campus connections in North America. In 2025, grant dollars were concentrated in New York (18%), California (13%), Florida (10%), Massachusetts (9%), and Pennsylvania (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 165 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $7.4M (2019) to $13.7M (2021). In 2025 it made 165 grants totaling $11.6M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Hillel-Univ of Florida ($398K). Together the top 10 received $2.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
736 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 364 grants of 736 (49%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hillel-Univ of Florida Gainesville, FL | Program Grant | $397,500 |
| Hillel of San Diego La Jolla, CA | Program Grant | $328,234 |
| Hillel-CUNY Queens College Flushing, NY | Program Grant | $300,625 |
| Hillel-Baruch College New York, NY | Program Grant | $241,833 |
| Hillel-NC Chapel Hill, NC | Program Grant | $241,396 |
| Hillel 818 Northridge, CA | Program Grant | $219,900 |
| Hillel-Rutgers University New Brunswick, NJ | Program Grant | $214,465 |
| Hillel-Univ of Central Florida Oviedo, FL | Program Grant | $206,836 |
| Hillel-Univ of CA Davis Davis, CA | Program Grant | $202,429 |
| Hillel-Boston University Boston, MA | Program Grant | $202,099 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $76,015,282 | $72,798,273 | $69,512,747 | $11,649,453 |
| 2024 | $69,398,102 | $73,217,039 | $65,786,735 | $10,646,136 |
| 2023 | $59,051,644 | $64,053,823 | $61,438,103 | $9,781,090 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $76,015,282 | $69,398,102 | $59,051,644 |
| Revenue | $72,798,273 | $73,217,039 | $64,053,823 |
| Expenses | $69,512,747 | $65,786,735 | $61,438,103 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,224,244 | $1,117,925 | $987,460 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 20, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 27, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 17, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 30, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 19, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lee Dranikoff as chair, Abby Doft and Estee Portnoy as vice chairs, Skip Vichness as past chair, Doug Berman as treasurer, and Adam Lehman as president and CEO. It also lists Bruce Sholk, Charles Cohen, David Rittberg, and Hilda Applbaum as members.
Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life is led by Adam Lehman, President & CEO since 2020 (on filings since 2019); 10 of 26 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Adam Lehman
President & CEO
COO → President & CEO, 2020
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$426K (2019) → $699K (2025)
Lee Dranikoff
Chair
Member → Chair, 2023
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shira Koch Epstein
Exc Director of Ctr for Rabbinic
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$234K (2024) → $240K (2025)
Mark Rotenberg
Vice President of University Initiatives
Vice President & Israel Engage → Vice President of University Initiatives, 2021
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$253K (2019) → $329K (2025)
Sam Klein
Chief Financial Officer
CFO → Chief Financial Officer, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$47K (2019) → $266K (2025)
Tim Cohen
Senior Vice President of Leadership Giving
Senior Vice President → Senior Vice President of Leadership Giving, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$312K (2019) → $332K (2025)
Benjamin Berger
Vice President Jewish Education
Vice President & Jewish Education → Vice President Jewish Education, 2021
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$218K (2020) → $231K (2025)
Dan Smokler
Chief Innovation Officer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$248K (2020) → $237K (2025)
Sara Fried
Chief External Affairs Officer
Senior Vice President - Advancement → Chief Advancement Officer, 2021
Chief Advancement Officer → Chief External Affairs Officer, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$183K (2020) → $335K (2025)
Shari Merrill
Chief Operating Officer
COO → Chief Operating Officer, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$131K (2023) → $340K (2025)
Graham Noah Hoffman
Chief Stragety Officer
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$259K (2024) → $275K (2025)
Bruce Sholk
Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Rittberg
Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Estee Portnoy
Vice Chair
Member → Vice Chair, 2023
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hilda Applbaum
Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Skip Vichness
Past Chair
Chair → Immediate Past Chair, 2023
Immediate Past Chair → Past Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tina Price
Member
Chair → Immediate Past Chair, 2020
Immediate Past Chair → Member, 2023
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Abby Doft
Vice Chair
Member → Vice Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Doug Berman
Treasurer
Member → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jack Azagury
Member
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Charles Cohen
Member
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Laurie Blitzer
Member
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tamar Remz
Member
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jon Newman
Member
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Wilkins
Member
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rena Kopelman
Member
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (36)
- Former: David Yaffe (2019–2024) — Member
- Former: Sidney Perynoy (2019–2024) — Member
- Former: Debbie Yunker Kail (2021–2024) — Member
- Former: Gali Polichuk (2023–2024) — Member
- Former: Samantha Brody (2023–2024) — Member
- Former: Jennifer Zwilling (2019–2023) — Chief Stragety Officer
- Former: Shira Koch Epstien (2021–2023) — Executive Director Ctr for Rabbinic Innovation
- Former: Deborah Kallick (2019–2022) — Vice Chair
- Former: Gary Shamis (2019–2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Jordyn Zimmerman (2019–2022) — Member
- Former: Michelle Kravetz (2019–2022) — Chief Experience Officer
- Former: Cheryl Aronson (2022) — Vice President Israel Engagement
- Former: Jessica Yeroshalmi (2022) — Member
- Former: Jordan Robinson (2022) — Member
- Former: Aryeh Furst (2019–2021) — CFO
- Former: Shira Hutt (2019–2021) — Chief Development Officer
- Former: Jason Benkendorf (2020–2021) — Member
- Former: Ben Lefkowitz (2021) — Member
- Former: Jade Gordon (2021) — Member
- Former: Talia Lefkowitz (2021) — Member
- Former: Eric Fingerhut (2019–2020) — President
- Former: Jennifer Chestnut (2019–2020) — Campus Supporting Director
- Former: Larry Moses (2019–2020) — Member
- Former: Meredith Burak (2019–2020) — Member
- Former: Michele Slifka (2019–2020) — Member
- Former: David Kulp (2020) — Member
- Former: Jacqueline Ulin Levey (2020) — Member
- Former: Allan Silber (2019) — Member
- Former: Avi C Friedman (2019) — Chief Development Officer
- Former: Carol Smokler (2019) — Member
- Former: Hall Ossman (2019) — Chief Campus Officer
- Former: Jackie Levey (2019) — Member
- Former: Jake Rubin (2019) — Member
- Former: John Lowenstein (2019) — Member
- Former: Ruthie Charendoff (2019) — Member
- Former: Tracy Turoff (2019) — Vice President & General Counsel
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $699K, to Adam Lehman (President & CEO). 10 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 800 8Th Street Nw, Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 449-6520
Website: https://hillel.org
Frequently asked questions about Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
How much does Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life give each year?
Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life gave $11.6M across 165 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $10.6M across 150 grants.
What is Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life's typical grant size?
Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life's median grant in 2025 was $49,930, and its average grant was $70,603, across 165 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life that year got $30K on average.
Where does Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life give grants?
Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life's top state is New York, with 18% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were California (13%) and Florida (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (7 grants), Philadelphia, PA (4 grants), Chicago, IL (4 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (3 grants).
Does Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 165 grants with a stated purpose on Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Grant" (165 grants).
Who are Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life's largest grantees?
Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life's largest 2025 grantees include Hillel-Univ of Florida ($397,500), Hillel of San Diego ($328,234) and Hillel-CUNY Queens College ($300,625), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 9% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life?
Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life reported $76.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $72.8M.
What does Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life fund?
Hillel’s mission is to enrich the lives of Jewish students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life?
Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check hillel.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life's EIN?
Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1844823. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
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