Jewish Foundation for Education of Women
The Jewish Foundation for Education of Women (JFEW) is a private foundation based in two individual recipients Founded in 1880, it supports women’s higher education, career readiness, and economic mobility through campus partnerships, scholarships, paid internships, advising, professional development, emergency grants, and research.
Key facts about Jewish Foundation for Education of Women
In short: Jewish Foundation for Education of Women gave $3.2M across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $168K), mostly in New York. 13% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 13-1860415
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,188,421
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- Average grant
- $167,812
- Median grant
- $200,513
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (2 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Total assets
- $84,534,442
- Primary geography
- New York (96% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- JFEW states that it does not accept unsolicited requests. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- The 2024 filing listed November 12, 2024, for the project information form and February 2025 for the full proposal.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$84.5M
+5.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.2M
-0.6% YoY
Grant Count
19
-13.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$168K
+15.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Jewish Foundation for Education of Women reported a distributable amount of $4.0M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Jewish Foundation for Education of Women open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 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 $249K; repeat grants $192K. How we count
Medians: $249K first-time, $219K repeat.
- 88% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+10%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 104% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
JFEW’s mission is to support higher education for women from diverse backgrounds so they can attain a post-secondary degree, career readiness, and economic mobility and security. Its approach combines financial assistance with advising, professional development, internships, and cohort-based community support.
JFEW primarily partners with public institutions to support economic mobility, with most of its an individual recipient partnerships at CUNY and SUNY campuses. It also supports programs at some private institutions and community-based organizations, and a few programs outside an individual recipient State. Its research grants address systemic issues affecting women with financial need, including food and housing insecurity, student parents, single-mother education, student success, and financial aid advising.
For the research opportunity described in its 2024 filing, eligible applicants included individuals or teams affiliated with nonprofit organizations such as colleges and universities, think tanks, research institutes, academic centers, community-based organizations, and research departments of associations or membership organizations. Applicants could be based outside an individual recipient, but their research was to have implications for an individual recipient State college students. Grants had to be issued to a 501(c)(3) organization.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, JFEW reported 19 grants totaling $3,188,421. Grants ranged from $1,200 to $316,416, with a median of $200,513.
Among the largest reported grants were $316,416 to Queens College Foundation, $309,078 to Hunter College Foundation, and $306,308 to an individual recipient City College of Technology Foundation. JFEW listed each of those grants as supporting scholarships for women with financial need. Other large scholarship grants included $294,152 to the Research Foundation of City University of an individual recipient and $259,613 to Yeshiva University for Stern College. A $287,872 payment to Jewish Communal Fund was identified as a qualified distribution to a donor-advised fund.
Review Cycle
The 2024 filing listed November 12, 2024, for the project information form and February 2025 for the full proposal.
How to Apply
JFEW states that it does not accept unsolicited requests. Its 2024 filing described a research-grant process requiring a project information form followed by a full proposal.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
JFEW works across an individual recipient State, with most institutional partnerships at CUNY and SUNY campuses. In 2025, 96% of its grant dollars went to recipients in an individual recipient, 2% to New Jersey, and 2% to Massachusetts. JFEW also reports supporting a few programs outside an individual recipient State.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.9M (2022) to $3.3M (2023). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $3.2M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Queens College Foundation (2023) ($316K). Together the top 10 received $2.6M.
Organizations only. It also paid 4 grants to individuals ($408,858), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
162 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 71 grants of 162 (44%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Queens College Foundation (2023) Flushing, NY | Grants Support Scholarships for Women with Financial Need. | $316,416 |
| Hunter College Foundation (2023) New York, NY | Grants Support Scholarships for Women with Financial Need. | $309,078 |
| 4 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $408,858 |
| Research Foundation of City University of New York (Ace 2022) New York, NY | Grants Support Scholarships for Women with Financial Need. | $294,152 |
| Jewish Communal Fund New York, NY | Qualified Distribution to a Donor Advised Fund. | $287,872 |
| Footsteps (2023) New York, NY | Grants Support Scholarships for Women with Financial Need. | $270,420 |
| Yeshiva University (Stern College 2023) New York, NY | Grants Support Scholarships for Women with Financial Need. | $259,613 |
| Binghamton University Foundation (Heritage 2021) Binghamton, NY | Grants Support Scholarships for Women with Financial Need. | $238,127 |
| Research Foundation of State University of New York (Ace 2024) New York, NY | Grants Support Scholarships for Women with Financial Need. | $203,560 |
| UJA Federation Inc (2021) New York, NY | Grants Support Scholarships for Women with Financial Need. | $200,513 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $84,534,442 | $3,783,269 | $4,419,397 | $3,188,421 |
| 2024 | $80,081,922 | $2,276,919 | $4,293,366 | $3,209,208 |
| 2023 | $73,817,041 | $665,128 | $4,338,883 | $3,312,560 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $84,534,442 | $80,081,922 | $73,817,041 |
| Revenue | $3,783,269 | $2,276,919 | $665,128 |
| Expenses | $4,419,397 | $4,293,366 | $4,338,883 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $4,111,144 | $4,047,163 | $4,142,233 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,324,554 | $1,967,804 | $1,474,489 |
| Distributable Amount | $3,953,844 | $3,642,928 | $4,430,389 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lisa Liman as chair, Judy Mandelbaum as president, Miriam Bader as first vice president, Becky Klein as vice president, and Rebecca Binder as treasurer/secretary. Directors listed include Robyn Cimbol, Phyllis G. Korff, Reeva S. Mager, Jason Tauber, and Ann Tanenbaum.
Jewish Foundation for Education of Women is led by Judy Mandelbaum, President on every filing since 2024; none of the 19 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Judy Mandelbaum
President
On filings since 2024
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Cohen Liman
Chair
President → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ann Tanenbaum
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jason Tauber
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Phyllis G. Korff
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Reeva S. Mager
Director
Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sharon L. Weinberg
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Beth C. Weitzman
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robyn Cimbol
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Becky Tolson
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Grace Bronstein
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julie Appel
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stacey Maman
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peggy Segal
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wendy Cohen
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Yuliya Feldman
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Miriam Bader
First Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2024
Vice President → First Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca Binder
Treasurer & Secretary
Director → Treasurer & Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Becky Klein
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (10)
- Former: Dorothy Denberg (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Jill Weber Smith (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Marcy C. Russo (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Dana Cohen (2021–2023) — Treasurer & Secretary
- Former: David I. Weiner (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Harold J. Levy (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Judith Mandelbaum (2021–2023) — Vice President
- Former: Meredith Gertler (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Rebecca Klein (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Alicia Levine (2022–2023) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Application contact: Stacey Winter Program Director
Mailing address: 545 Fifth Avenue Suite 910, New York, NY 10017
Phone: (212) 288-3931
Website: https://www.jfew.org
Frequently asked questions about Jewish Foundation for Education of Women
How much does Jewish Foundation for Education of Women give each year?
Jewish Foundation for Education of Women gave $3.2M across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $3.2M across 22 grants.
What is Jewish Foundation for Education of Women's typical grant size?
Jewish Foundation for Education of Women's median grant in 2025 was $200,513, and its average grant was $167,812, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Jewish Foundation for Education of Women that year got $249K on average.
Where does Jewish Foundation for Education of Women give grants?
Jewish Foundation for Education of Women gives mostly in New York: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (11 grants).
Does Jewish Foundation for Education of Women give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on Jewish Foundation for Education of Women's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Grants Support Scholarships for Women with Financial Need." (15 grants).
Who are Jewish Foundation for Education of Women's largest grantees?
Jewish Foundation for Education of Women's largest 2025 grantees include Queens College Foundation (2023) ($316,416), Hunter College Foundation (2023) ($309,078) and Research Foundation of City University of New York (Ace 2022) ($294,152), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 4 grants to individuals ($408,858), which are not listed by name. Together they received 29% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Jewish Foundation for Education of Women?
Jewish Foundation for Education of Women reported $84.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Jewish Foundation for Education of Women fund?
JFEW’s mission is to support higher education for women from diverse backgrounds so they can attain a post-secondary degree, career readiness, and economic mobility and security. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Jewish Foundation for Education of Women?
JFEW states that it does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Jewish Foundation for Education of Women's EIN?
Jewish Foundation for Education of Women's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-1860415. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Jewish Foundation for Education of Women 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.
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