Houston Jewish Community Foundation
The Houston Jewish Community Foundation (HJCF) is a 501(c)(3) community foundation established in 1985 and headquartered in Houston, Texas. The organization operates as a philanthropic intermediary that partners with individuals, families, and organizations to support and strengthen the greater Houston community. HJCF administers funds donated by individuals and organizations for the benefit of the Greater Houston community, both locally and nationally.
Key facts about Houston Jewish Community Foundation
- EIN
- 76-0187329
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $23,695,872
- Grants made (2024)
- 248
- Average grant
- $95,548
- Median grant
- $15,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 40% first-time grantees (99 of 246, 2024)
- Total assets
- $260,698,520
- Primary geography
- Texas (78% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Who Houston Jewish Community Foundation funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Houston Jewish Community Foundation's 248 itemized 2024 grants were Texas (78%) and New York (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (81 grants), New York, NY (30 grants), Austin, TX (16 grants) and Washington, DC (11 grants). 100% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
Is Houston Jewish Community Foundation open to new grantees?
40%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 99 of 246 grantees (40%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $39K; repeat grants $135K. How we count
Medians: $11K first-time, $19K repeat.
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with Houston Jewish Community Foundation
- How to evaluate Houston Jewish Community Foundation as a funder
Our grant prospecting guide: read the 990-PF, check fit, and decide whether to apply.
- Draft an LOI to Houston Jewish Community Foundation with AI
AI grant writing that drafts from your organization’s own materials, in your voice.
- Track this opportunity in a free grant tracker
A free Google Sheets or Excel template for deadlines, award terms, and reports due.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$260.7M
+17.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$23.7M
+48.8% YoY
Grant Count
248
+2.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$96K
+44.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The mission of the Houston Jewish Community Foundation is to reflect the collective charitable hearts of donors by advising on, receiving, administering, distributing and efficiently serving as stewards of funds designated for the present and future benefit of qualified charitable organizations. The Foundation promotes the practice of tzedakah (righteousness, charity) and the pursuit of tikkun olam (repairing the world) by serving as a central resource and advocate for charitable giving.
The Foundation envisions the continuation of a thriving and vibrant Jewish community in Houston and Texas. As a primary, trusted, and expert resource for philanthropy, HJCF engages, educates, inspires, and serves generations of donors. The organization empowers donors to convert generous ideas into deliberate action, address community needs through strategic and high-impact grantmaking, and provide creative philanthropic planning expertise to individuals, families, and community institutions.
Primary funding areas include Education, Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking, and Human Services.
Grantmaking
HJCF facilitates grantmaking through donor-advised funds, allowing donors to direct the distribution of funds to qualified charitable organizations. The Foundation operates a donor-advised fund structure where donors/fundholders may select from various strategic investment pools.
Ready to take the next step with Houston Jewish Community Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
HJCF primarily serves the Greater Houston community and Texas, though the Foundation also supports charitable organizations nationally and internationally. Recent grantmaking data indicates funding activity in Texas, New York, and California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 248 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets:
- $260,698,520 (2024)
- $222,000,000 (2023)
- Over $325,000,000 (per organizational materials)
Annual Giving & Revenue:
- Total giving: $31,100,662 (2024)
- Total revenues: $33,365,368 (2024)
- Total expenses: $32,736,661 (2024)
- Revenue: $35,200,000 (2023)
- Expenses: $29,400,000 (2023)
Liabilities:
- $74,500,000 (2023)
Staffing:
- 6 employees (2024)
- 2 employees (per organizational materials)
The funds are professionally managed by Fiducient Advisors (previously DiMeo Schneider) to ensure donors receive the greatest benefit from their charitable contributions. An Investment Committee oversees prudent management of the funds.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $260,698,520 | $222,086,626 | $202,144,299 |
| Revenue | $33,365,368 | $35,186,276 | $32,520,347 |
| Expenses | $32,736,661 | $29,412,350 | $22,203,974 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $4,168,762 | $7,153,781 | $4,105,667 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
1,055 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Houston Jewish Community Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Houston Jewish Family Foundation ($5,021,118 across 2 grants), Jewish Federation of Greater Houston ($4,533,096), Emery-Weiner Center for Jewish Education ($1,345,177).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Jewish Family Foundation Houston, TX | General Support | $5,000,000 |
| Jewish Federation of Greater Houston Houston, TX | General Support | $4,533,096 |
| Emery-Weiner Center for Jewish Education Houston, TX | General Support | $1,345,177 |
| Joan & Stanford Alexander Jewish Family Service Houston, TX | General Support | $1,203,590 |
| Congregation Emanu El Houston, TX | General Support | $805,881 |
| Congregation Beth Israel Houston, TX | General Support | $735,699 |
| Friends of IDF Texas Chapter New York, NY | General Support | $479,762 |
| Jewish Federations of North America New York, NY | General Support | $478,280 |
| American Society for Technion New York, NY | General Support | $410,100 |
| Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Ctr Houston, TX | General Support | $378,115 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Ms. Roberta Herman is listed as a principal officer of the organization.
The Foundation benefits from the experience and dedication of local community members, including lawyers, accountants, bankers, estate planners, financial planners, investment advisors, tax counselors, trust officers, and life insurance experts who provide expert counsel through the Professional Advisory Steering Committee and various other committees.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis Kalmans | Chair | 5 | — |
| Jacob Leon | Vice Chair, Secretary | 3 | — |
| Angela Odensky | Treasurer | 5 | — |
| David Aaronson | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Brad Brookner | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Brian Cororve | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jennifer Costa | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jason Feldman | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Audrey Fersten | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Les Fox | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Emily Freedman | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Courtney Garson | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jeffrey Gilbert | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Dan Gordon | Non-voting Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jason Gordon | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Leah Gross | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jay Kaplan | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Joy Kaplan | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Mark Katz | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Mark Laskin | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Mike Levy | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Alan Orkin | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Esther Polland | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jody Proler | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Mark Rauch | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Ann Baker Ronn | Non-voting Trustee | 1 | — |
| Rob Shoss | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Rick Stein | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Tracy Stein | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Kevin Steinhart | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Eugene Tunitsky | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Haya Varon | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Roberta Herman-Dietrich | Executive Director | 50 | $141,992 |
| Paul Weaver | CFO | 50 | $121,211 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Foundation has been actively engaged in supporting Israel-related causes. Following the October 2023 crisis in Israel, HJCF worked with donors and fundholders to support Israel through partnerships with the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston and numerous local, national, and international organizations.
Federation awards $198,000 in 2025 Local Impact Fund Grants - Jewish FederationThe Foundation celebrated its 40th anniversary, marking significant growth and maturation as a true community foundation managing substantial assets and administering funds for the benefit of the Greater Houston community.
Grants for Organizations - Houston Jewish Community FoundationSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Houston Jewish Community Foundation fund?
The mission of the Houston Jewish Community Foundation is to reflect the collective charitable hearts of donors by advising on, receiving, administering, distributing and efficiently serving as stewards of funds designated for the present and future benefit of qualified charitable organizations. The Foundation promotes the practice of tzedakah (righteousness, charity) and the pursuit of tikkun olam (repairing the world) by serving as a central resource and advocate for charitable giving. The Fo…
How do I apply for a grant from Houston Jewish Community Foundation?
HJCF facilitates grantmaking through donor-advised funds, allowing donors to direct the distribution of funds to qualified charitable organizations. The Foundation operates a donor-advised fund structure where donors/fundholders may select from various strategic investment pools. Recent grant activity demonstrates significant philanthropic impact. In response to the crisis in Israel beginning October 2023, HJCF coordinated recommendations totaling $1,688,100 (October 13, 2023) and $2,192,024 (O…
Where does Houston Jewish Community Foundation make grants?
HJCF primarily serves the Greater Houston community and Texas, though the Foundation also supports charitable organizations nationally and internationally. Recent grantmaking data indicates funding activity in Texas, New York, and California.
What size grants does Houston Jewish Community Foundation award?
In 2024, Houston Jewish Community Foundation awarded 248 grants totaling $23.7M — an average of about $96K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Houston Jewish Community Foundation's EIN?
Houston Jewish Community Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 76-0187329. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Houston Jewish Community Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Greater Houston Community Foundation
Houston, TX
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
1,724
Total Given
$232.3M
Shell USA Company Foundation
Houston, TX
Assets
$52.3M
Grants
4,650
Total Given
$16.0M
Texas Instruments Foundation
Dallas, TX
Assets
$73.0M
Grants
4,484
Total Given
$22.6M
Communities Foundation of Texas Inc
Dallas, TX
Assets
$1.2B
Grants
2,209
Total Given
$209.2M
Celanese Foundation
Irving, TX
Assets
—
Grants
1,423
Total Given
$1.8M
Once Upon a Time Foundation
Fort Worth, TX
Assets
$276.7M
Grants
1,039
Total Given
$10.7M
Baker Hughes Foundation
Houston, TX
Assets
$2.2M
Grants
990
Total Given
$3.2M
BNSF Railway Foundation
Fort Worth, TX
Assets
$1.7M
Grants
920
Total Given
$6.1M
Community Foundation of North Texas (Tax
Fort Worth, TX
Assets
$544.9M
Grants
872
Total Given
$41.3M
The Houston Food Bank
Houston, TX
Assets
$156.8M
Grants
866
Total Given
$282.6M
Jpmorgan Chase Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$1.2B
Grants
10,334
Total Given
$202.5M
The Pfizer Foundation Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$255.3M
Grants
9,306
Total Given
$23.2M
More Funders in Texas
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.