Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc
The Jewish Federation of the Berkshires is a public charity based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It supports people in need and Jewish community life locally, in Israel, and around the world through community programs, services, and grants to other organizations.
Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc at a glance
In short: Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc gave $562K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $47K), mostly in New York. 58% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $562,349
- +48.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- +50.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $46,862
- -0.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $13,500
- Total assets
- $5,384,509
- +8.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 58% first-time grantees (7 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (68% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 196 South Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
Phone: (413) 442-4360
Website: https://jewishberkshires.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Jewish Federations of North America ($370K). Together the top 10 received $547K.
Grant Size Distribution
43 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 37 grants of 43 (86%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Federation describes work supporting Jews in the Berkshires, Israel, and around the world. In its 2025 filing, 68% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 24% to Massachusetts, 6% to New Jersey, and 2% to California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc open to new grantees?
58%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 12 grantees (58%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $94K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $32K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $247K (2021) to $582K (2023). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $562K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish Federations of North America New York, NY | Assist Needy Jews an | $369,683 |
| Hevreh of Southern Berkshire Great Barrington, MA | Promote Jewish Educa | $37,000 |
| Bereisheet Inc Englewood Cliffs, NJ | Support Camp Scholar | $35,000 |
| Congregation Knesset Israel Pittsfield, MA | Promote Jewish Educa | $32,000 |
| Congregation Beth Israel North Adams, MA | Promote Jewish Educa | $18,000 |
| Hillel at Umass Amherst Amherst, MA | Support Jewish Ident | $15,000 |
| Changemakers for Good LLC Pittsfield, MA | Support Education | $12,000 |
| American Friends of Meir Panim Brooklyn, NY | Help Needy Jews | $10,000 |
| Jewish Federation of Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Support La Wildfire | $10,000 |
| Camp Halfmoon-Kimamam Monterey, MA | Support Jewish Camp | $8,333 |
Ready to take the next step with Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,384,509 | $2,211,675 | $2,073,861 | $562,349 | 12 | $80,686 |
| 2024 | $4,964,825 | $2,103,840 | $1,591,757 | $378,238 | 8 | $67,668 |
| 2023 | $4,023,374 | $1,717,686 | $1,747,099 | $581,848 | 8 | $10,541 |
| 2022 | $3,721,913 | $1,469,513 | $1,497,034 | $430,115 | 10 | $-35,201 |
| 2021 | $4,101,307 | $1,974,772 | $1,129,576 | $246,625 | 5 | $614,813 |
| 2020 | $3,475,171 | $1,224,669 | $1,115,966 | $280,395 | 7 | $-38,366 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Federation’s stated mission is to care for those in need and nurture and sustain the Jewish community locally, in Israel, and around the world, now and for future generations. Its stated areas of work include local social services, emergency assistance, Jewish programming, community relations, volunteer programs, and support for older adults. It also describes allocating funds to organizations working in Israel and overseas.
The Federation’s website describes local services such as kosher meals for older adults and homebound people, a community social worker, senior programming, food assistance, emergency assistance grants, and a volunteer network. Its 2025 filing reports that, during 2024, it produced 126 educational, cultural, family, and holiday programs with more than 6,600 attendees, engaged more than 200 volunteers, and awarded camp and Israel travel scholarships to cover 40 children and teens.
Its 2025 grants included support for Jewish education, camp, and Jewish identity, as well as a large grant to Jewish Federations of North America. Among the grantees, Bereisheet Inc. describes its own mission as fostering education and cultural understanding through programs exploring Israeli and Jewish culture, innovation, and creativity. American Friends of Meir Panim describes its mission as addressing poverty through food and social-service programs for people in need.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Federation reported 12 grants totaling $562,349. Grant amounts ranged from $7,000 to $369,683, with a median grant of $13,500. The largest grant was $369,683 to Jewish Federations of North America, for a purpose described in the filing as “assist needy Jews an…” Other notable grants included $37,000 to Hevreh of Southern Berkshire and $32,000 to Congregation Knesset Israel for purposes described as promoting Jewish education; $35,000 to Bereisheet Inc. to support camp scholarships; and $15,000 to Hillel at UMass Amherst to support Jewish identity.
The Federation’s website reported that its Allocations Committee recommended $452,200 in allocations for 2024, drawn from the annual campaign, endowment funds, donor-directed gifts, and other sources. It stated that those allocations were separate from $329,000 raised and allocated through its Israel crisis relief campaign after October 7. The filing separately reports $378,238 in grants for 2024.
The Federation’s website has pages titled “Allocation Grants Online Submission Form” and “Submit a proposal for a Jewish Women’s Foundation grant.” The available information does not specify application requirements, restrictions, or deadlines.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing include Arlene Schiff, president; Natalie Matus, Judy Usow, and Elisa Spungen Bildner, vice presidents; Josh Cutler, treasurer; and Stephanie Ilberg Lamm, secretary. The filing also lists Elisa Schindler-Frankel and directors Ann Falchuk, Kathy Fraker, and Ken Fishman.
Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc is led by Arlene Schiff, President since 2023 (on filings since 2022); 1 of 27 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Arlene Schiff
President
Director → President, 2023
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gail Orenstein
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jane Glaser
Director
Vice President → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathy Fraker
Director
Vice President → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Wasserman
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stuart Masters
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tom Sawyer
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Audrey Weiner
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leslie Kozupsky
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy Blumkin
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Beryl Jolly
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hank Maimin
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jen Sacon
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Liz Miller
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca Cook-Dubin
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ann Falchuk
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Weiner
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ken Fishman
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jodie Gordon
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Reznik
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dara Kaufman
Executive Di
Executive Director → Executive Di, 2021
On filings since 2020
45 hrs/week
$123K (2020) → $168K (2025)
Elisa Schindler-Frankel
Immediate Pa
Vice President → President, 2021
President → Immediate Pa, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elisa Spungen Bildner
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Judy Usow
Vice President
Treasurer → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Natalie Matus
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephanie Ilberg Lamm
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Josh Cutler
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (19)
- Former: Jane Karlin (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Richard Slutzky (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Bob Sandor (2023) — Director
- Former: Rabbi Barbara Cohen (2023) — Director
- Former: Ellen Heffan (2020–2022) — Director · Filing note: Thru June 2022
- Former: Jennifer Sacon (2020–2022) — Vice President
- Former: Joshua Bloom (2020–2022) — Vice President · Filing note: Thru June 2022
- Former: Judith Cook (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Leonard Schiller (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Michael Ury (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Arielle Pink (2022) — Director · Filing note: Thru June 2022
- Former: Rabbi Seth Wax (2022) — Director
- Former: Anne Schnesel (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Ed Udel (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Jeffrey Siegel (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Norman Michaels (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Sandi Rubin (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Seth Wax (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Amy Lindner-Lesser (2020) — President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $168K, to Dara Kaufman (Executive Di).
Frequently asked questions about Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc
How much does Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc give each year?
Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc gave $562K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $378K across 8 grants.
What is Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc's typical grant size?
Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc's median grant in 2025 was $13,500, and its average grant was $46,862, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc that year got $13K on average.
Where does Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc give grants?
Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc gives mostly in New York: 68% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (24%) and New Jersey (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Great Barrington, MA (2 grants) and Pittsfield, MA (2 grants).
Does Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Promote Jewish Educa" (3 grants).
Who are Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc's largest grantees?
Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Jewish Federations of North America ($369,683), Hevreh of Southern Berkshire ($37,000) and Bereisheet Inc ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 79% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc?
Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc reported $5.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.2M.
What does Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc fund?
The Federation’s stated mission is to care for those in need and nurture and sustain the Jewish community locally, in Israel, and around the world, now and for future generations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc?
Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check jewishberkshires.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc's EIN?
Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-2131409. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 21, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 28, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 2, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 2, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 26, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 26, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/jewish-federation-of-the-berkshires-inc-morg_f70b038927d942eda326ba6901bcaf69
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_042131409_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/jewish-federation-of-the-berkshires-inc-morg_f70b038927d942eda326ba6901bcaf69},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. 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 Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc'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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