James Keene Foundation
The James Keene Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, New York. Its 2024 filing describes grants to tax-exempt organizations for the purpose of furthering religious outreach.
James Keene Foundation at a glance
In short: James Keene Foundation gave $579K across 17 grants in 2024 (avg $34K), mostly in New York. 13% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $579,295
- +73.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 17
- -19.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $34,076
- +113.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,101
- Total assets
- $1,113,497
- -55.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (2 of 16, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (54% 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 James Keene 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: 210 West 101St Street Apt 9L, New York, NY 10025
Phone: (212) 580-8039
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who James Keene Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Chabad of Sunset Strip ($260K). Together the top 10 received $575K.
Grant Size Distribution
61 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 50 grants of 61 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 54% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 45% to California, and 1% to New Jersey. Michigan accounted for 0% as reported in the state distribution.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Is James Keene Foundation open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 16 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $131K; repeat grants $23K. How we count
Medians: $131K first-time, $2K repeat.
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 $271K (2020) to $579K (2024). In 2024 it made 17 grants totaling $579K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chabad of Sunset Strip West Hollywood, CA | Support of religious outreach | $260,000 |
| Chabad of Washington Heights New York, NY | Support of religious outreach | $130,180 |
| Chabad of Long Island City Long Island City, NY | Support of religious outreach | $130,000 |
| Chabad Mitzvah Workshops New York, NY | Support of religious outreach | $36,140 |
| Mishkan Moshe Long Branch, NJ | Support of religious outreach | $6,500 |
| Educational Institute Oholei Torah Brooklyn, NY | Support of religious outreach | $4,000 |
| Beis Levi Yitzchok Brooklyn, NY | Support of religious outreach | $3,174 |
| Congregation Ohel Nosson Brooklyn, NY | Support of religious outreach | $2,500 |
| Various New York, NY | Support of religious outreach | $2,101 |
| Chabadorg Brooklyn, NY | Support of religious outreach | $1,500 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,113,497 | $353,882 | $609,289 | $579,295 | 17 | $579,295 | $419,900 |
| 2023 | $2,523,308 | $416,487 | $364,653 | $334,694 | 21 | $334,694 | $410,604 |
| 2022 | $2,617,126 | $425,825 | $479,346 | $451,120 | 13 | $451,120 | $404,603 |
| 2021 | $2,784,695 | $190,000 | $360,640 | $360,140 | 6 | $360,140 | $767,583 |
| 2020 | $2,187,752 | $-1,136,133 | $272,035 | $270,620 | 4 | — | $80,000 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation states that it provides grants to further religious outreach. Its 2024 grants include support for religious outreach to Chabad organizations and other religious organizations. One recipient, Yad Ezra, describes its own mission as providing supplemental kosher food products and other necessities to needy Jewish families in its community.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 17 grants totaling $579,295. Grant amounts ranged from $200 to $260,000, with a median of $2,101. Its filing separately states that it provided grants to 16 tax-exempt organizations.
The largest reported grants included $260,000 to Chabad of Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California; $130,180 to Chabad of Washington Heights in New York; $130,000 to Chabad of Long Island City in New York; and $36,140 to Chabad Mitzvah Workshops in New York. Yad Ezra in Berkley, Michigan, received $500.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Maurice Kirschenbaum, Bella Pliskin, Avrohom Kirschenbaum, and Mordechai Kirschenbaum as directors.
James Keene Foundation's 2024 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Avrohom Kirschenbaum
Director
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bella Pliskin
Director
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Maurice Kirschenbaum
Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mordechai Kirschenbaum
Director
On filings since 2020
3 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.
Frequently asked questions about James Keene Foundation
How much does James Keene Foundation give each year?
James Keene Foundation gave $579K across 17 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $335K across 21 grants.
What is James Keene Foundation's typical grant size?
James Keene Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,101, and its average grant was $34,076, across 17 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from James Keene Foundation that year got $131K on average.
Where does James Keene Foundation give grants?
James Keene Foundation gives mostly in New York: 54% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (45%). The most frequent recipient cities were Brooklyn, NY (8 grants) and New York, NY (4 grants).
Does James Keene Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on James Keene Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support of religious outreach" (17 grants).
Who are James Keene Foundation's largest grantees?
James Keene Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Chabad of Sunset Strip ($260,000), Chabad of Washington Heights ($130,180) and Chabad of Long Island City ($130,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 90% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is James Keene Foundation?
James Keene Foundation reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $354K.
What does James Keene Foundation fund?
The foundation states that it provides grants to further religious outreach. Its 2024 grants include support for religious outreach to Chabad organizations and other religious organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from James Keene 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 James Keene Foundation's EIN?
James Keene Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3377892. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does James Keene 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). James Keene Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/james-keene-foundation-morg_62ae6194adb14c6e81e05c6c0f522b95
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133377892_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{James Keene Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/james-keene-foundation-morg_62ae6194adb14c6e81e05c6c0f522b95},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 James Keene 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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