Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation
The Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation is a private foundation based in Lawrence, New York. In 2024, it made 55 grants totaling $651,260 to charitable organizations, with grant purposes listed as general.
Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation at a glance
In short: Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation gave $651K across 55 grants in 2024 (avg $12K), mostly in California. 43% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $651,260
- -8.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 55
- +1.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $11,841
- -10.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $27,671,158
- -3.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 43% first-time grantees (23 of 54, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (55% 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 Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Co Richard Penzer 81 Harborview W, Lawrence, NY 11559
Phone: (516) 375-2190
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Eilat Charities ($346K). Together the top 10 received $554K.
Grant Size Distribution
311 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 298 grants of 311 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars by recipient state were reported as 55% to California, 24% to Florida, 10% to New York, 7% to Puerto Rico, and 1% to New Jersey.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 55 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation open to new grantees?
43%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 23 of 54 grantees (43%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $17K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 48% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 76% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 113% 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 $298K (2020) to $712K (2023). In 2024 it made 55 grants totaling $651K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Eilat Charities Los Angeles, CA | General | $345,790 |
| Areyvut Agricultural Jewish Learning Davie, FL | General | $57,940 |
| Chabad of the Puerto Rico Carolina, PR | General | $39,660 |
| The Bass Museum Miami Beach, FL | General | $31,156 |
| Haftr Cedarhurst, NY | General | $29,000 |
| KSPACE Miami Aventura, FL | General | $15,000 |
| Locusts Projects Miami, FL | General | $13,926 |
| Artists 4 Israel Los Angeles, CA | General | $8,400 |
| National Association of Chevra Kadisha Richmond Hill, NY | General | $7,000 |
| Faena Arts Miami Beach, FL | General | $6,109 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $27,671,158 | $634,954 | $1,659,268 | $651,260 | 55 | $1,552,561 | $599,530 | $1,377,338 |
| 2023 | $28,651,832 | $866,750 | $1,755,295 | $712,334 | 54 | $1,631,515 | $636,430 | $1,447,527 |
| 2022 | $29,370,580 | $2,162,064 | $1,714,695 | $697,613 | 55 | $1,608,945 | — | $1,407,874 |
| 2021 | $28,877,487 | $2,542,228 | $1,458,003 | $369,191 | 66 | $1,340,004 | — | $1,689,664 |
| 2020 | $27,830,690 | $3,104,393 | $1,552,318 | $298,287 | 81 | — | $79,757 | $1,265,769 |
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 September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas including community development, arts and culture, education, nature conservation, food access, and services for people with developmental abilities.
For example, Eilat Charities says its mission is to strengthen the community of Eilat in Israel. Faena Arts describes its work as commissioning and producing public arts projects, while Zoo Miami Foundation says it works to inspire people to preserve nature. Urban Oasis Project describes its mission as making fresh, healthy food accessible in underserved areas of Miami-Dade County.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 55 grants totaling $651,260. Grants ranged from $180 to $345,790, with a median of $2,000. The largest listed grants were $345,790 to Eilat Charities, $57,940 to Areyvut Agricultural Jewish Learning, $39,660 to Chabad of the Puerto Rico, $31,156 to The Bass Museum, and $29,000 to HAFTR. Each was listed with the purpose “general.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Richard Penzer as president and director; Ariel Penzer and Jacob Penzer as vice presidents and directors; Jacki Penzer as vice president, secretary, and director; and Michael Penzer as vice president and treasurer.
Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation is led by Richard Penzer, President & Director on every filing since 2020; 4 of 5 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Richard Penzer
President & Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$419K (2020) → $221K (2024)
Ariel Penzer
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$91K (2020) → $104K (2024)
Jacki Penzer
Vice President, Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$258K (2020) → $255K (2024)
Jacob Penzer
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
18 hrs/week
$98K (2020) → $42K (2024)
Michael Penzer
Vice President, Treasurer & Ass'
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $255K, to Jacki Penzer (Vice Pres /Secretary /Dire). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation
How much does Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation give each year?
Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation gave $651K across 55 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $712K across 54 grants.
What is Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation's typical grant size?
Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $11,841, across 55 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation give grants?
Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation gives mostly in California: 55% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Florida (24%) and New York (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Miami, FL (12 grants), New York, NY (5 grants), Los Angeles, CA (3 grants) and Miami Beach, FL (3 grants).
Does Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (55 of 55) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation's largest grantees?
Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Eilat Charities ($345,790), Areyvut Agricultural Jewish Learning ($57,940) and Chabad of the Puerto Rico ($39,660), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 68% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation?
Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation reported $27.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas including community development, arts and culture, education, nature conservation, food access, and services for people with developmental abilities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation?
The foundation 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 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.
Does Jacob and Anita Penzer 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
(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). Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/jacob-and-anita-penzer-foundation-morg_bb629c274d4f46a6a4be5fcadf13e273
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_650710609_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Jacob and Anita Penzer Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/jacob-and-anita-penzer-foundation-morg_bb629c274d4f46a6a4be5fcadf13e273},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 Jacob and Anita Penzer 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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