Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation

LAWRENCE, NY EIN: 65-0710609

The Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation is a private foundation established in Florida in 1997 and currently based in Lawrence, New York. The foundation operates as an independent grantmaking organization with a focus on general grants across multiple sectors.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$27.7M

-3.4% YoY

Annual Giving

$651K

-8.6% YoY

Grant Count

+1.9% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$12K

-10.2% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.4M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation primarily funds general grants with a focus on education, philanthropy, voluntarism and grantmaking, and human services. Notable grantees include Brandeis University, Chabad of the Five Towns, Gardens Jewish Experience, and the Bass Museum of Art.

Grantmaking

The foundation awards general grants to nonprofit organizations.

Grant Types

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on Florida, New York, and New Jersey.

Grant Distribution by State

Florida $877K (34%)

California $847K (33%)

New York $611K (24%)

New Jersey $122K (5%)

PR $45K (2%)

Arizona $20K (1%)

Connecticut $18K (1%)

Georgia $6K (0%)

+14 more states

States

Alabama Arizona California Connecticut District of Columbia Florida Georgia Iowa Illinois Indiana Massachusetts Maryland New Jersey New York Oklahoma Pennsylvania Pr Tennessee Utah Virginia Washington

Cities

AlexandriaArlingtonArlington HeightsAstoriaAtlantaAventuraBostonBound BrookBrooklynCaldwellCarolinaCartersvilleCedarhurstCliftonCoral GablesCoral SpringsCoronaCoroncDania BeachDavie

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Revenue (2023):

Total assets: $28,651,832
Total revenues: $866,750
Total expenses: $1,755,295

Assets (2024):

Total assets: $27,671,158

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$27,671,158	$28,651,832	$29,370,580
Revenue	$634,954	$866,750	$2,162,064
Expenses	$1,659,268	$1,755,295	$1,714,695
Qualifying Distributions	$1,552,561	$1,631,515	$1,608,945
Net Investment Income	$599,530	$636,430	—
Distributable Amount	$1,377,338	$1,447,527	$1,407,874

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

250 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Eilat Charities ($345,790), Areyvut Agricultural Jewish Learning ($57,940), Chabad of the Puerto Rico ($39,660).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
2022 ACT SOCIETY	GENERAL	$5,000
AGUDAH OF WEST LAWRENCE FAR ROCKAWAY, NY	GENERAL	$1,800
AISH KODESH WOODMERE, NY	GENERAL	$2,500
AGUDAH OF FIVE TOWNS CEDARHURST, NY	GENERAL	$5,000
ALEPH BETA NEW YORK CITY, NY	GENERAL	$180
ANGELS FOR HUMANITY NEW YORK, NY	GENERAL	$350
AISH GLOBAL INC CLIFTON, NJ	GENERAL	$1,000
ANN STORCK CENTER INC FORT LAUDERDALE, FL	GENERAL	$1,235
AREYVUT AGRICULTURAL JEWISH LEARNING DAVIE, FL	GENERAL	$57,940
ARTISTS 4 ISRAEL LOS ANGELES, CA	GENERAL	$8,400

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Board & Staff:

Richard Penzer – President/Director (40 hours/week, $221,000 compensation)
Jacki Penzer – Vice President, Secretary, and Director (40 hours/week, $255,000 compensation)
Jacob Penzer – Vice President and Director (18 hours/week, $42,000 compensation)
Ariel Penzer – Vice President and Director (10 hours/week, $104,000 compensation)
Michael Penzer – Vice President and Treasurer (4 hours/week, no compensation listed)
Elie Hecht – Attorney (40 hours/week, $144,000 compensation)

The foundation employs 5 staff members.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
ARIEL PENZER	VICE PRES / DIRECTOR	10	$103,500
RICHARD PENZER	PRESIDENT / DIRECTOR	40	$220,996
JACKI PENZER	VICE PRES /SECRETARY /DIRE	40	$255,000
JACOB PENZER	VICE PRES / DIRECTOR	18	$42,262
MICHAEL PENZER	VICE PRES /TREASURER/ ASS'	4	—

Contact Information

Address: 81 Harborview West Lawrence, NY 11559

Phone: 516-375-2190

EIN: 65-0710609

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation fund?

How do I apply for a grant from Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Made 133 grants in 2023 • Total giving of $651,260 (2024 data) • Typical award range: $36–$345,790 • Median grant amount: $2,000 • Recent grants include $32,932 to Chabad of the Five Towns, $30,000 to Gardens Jewish Experience, and $27,485 to Bass Museum of Art (all 2023) **Grant Types:** The foundation awards general grants to nonprofit organizations.

Where does Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation make grants?

The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on Florida, New York, and New Jersey.

What size grants does Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation award?

In 2024, Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation awarded 55 grants totaling $651K — an average of about $12K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.4M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation's EIN?

Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 65-0710609. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.