J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation
The J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation is a private foundation based in Portland, Maine. Its 2025 filing lists grants to charitable organizations working in areas including Jewish education and community life, campus issues, and support for injured veterans.
J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation at a glance
In short: J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation gave $2.0M across 47 grants in 2025 (avg $43K), top state New York. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,007,500
- -1.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 47
- +17.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $42,713
- -16.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $52,290,935
- +72.0% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- New York (49% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 135, Portland, ME 04101
Phone: (207) 773-7934
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Louis D Brandeis Center Inc ($225K). Together the top 10 received $1.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
97 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 62 grants of 97 (64%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in New York (49%) and Washington, DC (22%), followed by Washington state (9%), Ohio (5%), and Georgia (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 47 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation gives
- 33% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 96% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $345K (2019) to $2.2M (2022). In 2025 it made 47 grants totaling $2.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Louis D Brandeis Center Inc Washington, DC | General Support | $225,000 |
| Cyber Education Center New York, NY | Genearl Support | $155,000 |
| Foundation for Jewish Camp Inc New York, NY | Genearl Support | $125,000 |
| Prizmah Center for Jewish Day Schools New York, NY | General Support | $125,000 |
| American Friends of Ogen Inc University Heights, OH | General Support | $100,000 |
| Brothers for Life Seattle, WA | General Support | $100,000 |
| Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life Washington, DC | General Support | $100,000 |
| Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America New York, NY | General Support | $100,000 |
| Youth Renewal Fund-Darca Odem School New York, NY | General Support | $100,000 |
| Jewish Kids Group Foundation Inc Atlanta, GA | General Support | $75,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $52,290,935 | $22,514,343 | $2,023,453 | $2,007,500 | 47 | $2,007,500 | $19,120,078 | $2,089,367 |
| 2024 | $30,409,524 | $9,123,257 | $2,066,919 | $2,039,925 | 40 | $2,039,925 | $1,368,668 | $1,765,755 |
| 2023 | $27,092,607 | $2,321,440 | $1,546,482 | $1,534,400 | 3 | $1,536,904 | $2,311,862 | $1,512,209 |
| 2022 | $25,306,261 | $-7,590,090 | $2,448,189 | $2,150,182 | 3 | $2,158,580 | $136,370 | $1,541,650 |
| 2021 | $35,802,012 | $15,841,083 | $989,483 | $1,638,735 | 4 | $984,021 | $10,755,621 | $2,150,535 |
| 2020 | $23,673,420 | $5,393,482 | $773,514 | $750,000 | 1 | — | $419,163 | $1,132,710 |
| 2019 | $19,656,478 | $8,389,274 | $500,368 | $344,759 | 3 | — | $2,611,036 | $703,696 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.1M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2025 grantees include organizations with varied missions. The Louis D. Brandeis Center says it conducts research, education, and public-interest legal advocacy regarding antisemitism. PRIZMAH says it works with Jewish day schools and yeshivas to strengthen talent, financial vitality, and educational excellence. Foundation for Jewish Camp describes its mission as growing, supporting, and strengthening the Jewish camp movement.
Other 2025 grantees include Hillel, which says it aims to enrich the lives of Jewish college and university students; Brothers for Life, which describes providing education, mentoring, social services, and financial aid to injured combat veterans; and Jewish Kids Group Foundation, which says it runs supplementary schools focused on Jewish learning, identity, and friendships.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 47 grants totaling $2,007,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $225,000, with a median of $25,000. The largest awards included $225,000 to The Louis D. Brandeis Center Inc.; $155,000 to Cyber Education Center; $125,000 each to Foundation for Jewish Camp Inc. and PRIZMAH Center for Jewish Day Schools; and $100,000 each to American Friends of Ogen Inc., Brothers for Life, Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, and Youth Renewal Fund-Darca Odem School. The largest grants were generally listed for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Foster Stewart is listed as a trustee on the 2025 filing.
J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation is led by Foster Stewart, Trustee on every filing since 2019 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Foster Stewart
Trustee
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
$6K (2019) → $0 (2025)
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 2022 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2022 filing was $6K, to Foster Stewart (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation
How much does J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation give each year?
J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation gave $2.0M across 47 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.0M across 40 grants.
What is J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation's typical grant size?
J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $42,713, across 47 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation give grants?
J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation's top state is New York, with 49% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (22%) and Washington (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (21 grants), Washington, DC (6 grants) and Seattle, WA (3 grants).
Does J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 96% of J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (45 of 47) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation's largest grantees?
J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Louis D Brandeis Center Inc ($225,000), Brothers for Life ($175,000 across 3 grants) and Cyber Education Center ($155,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation?
J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation reported $52.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation fund?
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2025 grantees include organizations with varied missions. The Louis D. Brandeis Center says it conducts research, education, and public-interest legal advocacy regarding antisemitism. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation's EIN?
J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-4175987. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 7, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Browse active grant opportunities in J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/j-blair-and-tena-frank-foundation-morg_a6eb4cd83f0e4dc1a786bdae02a8d493
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_814175987_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{J Blair \& Tena Frank Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/j-blair-and-tena-frank-foundation-morg_a6eb4cd83f0e4dc1a786bdae02a8d493},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 J Blair & Tena Frank Foundation'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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