Jewish Foundation of Memphis
The Jewish Foundation of Memphis is a public charity based in Memphis, Tennessee. Chartered in 1995, it encourages charitable giving, supports partner-agency endowment development, and works to build and sustain a vibrant Jewish community.
Jewish Foundation of Memphis at a glance
In short: Jewish Foundation of Memphis gave $8.2M across 126 grants in 2025 (avg $65K), mostly in Tennessee. 25% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $8,225,044
- -30.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 126
- -10.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $65,278
- -22.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $17,265
- Total assets
- $111,018,101
- +10.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (32 of 126, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (77% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Jewish Foundation of Memphis
- Contact
Mailing address: 6560 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38138
Phone: (901) 374-0400
Website: https://jewishfoundationofmemphis.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Jewish Foundation of Memphis funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Memphis Jewish Federation ($1.5M). Together the top 10 received $5.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
571 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 453 grants of 571 (79%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant-dollar distribution was concentrated in Tennessee (77%), followed by New York (13%), Georgia (2%), California (1%), and Florida (1%). The Foundation also reports that, from June 1995 through June 2022, 63% of its grants went to Jewish organizations in Memphis.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 126 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Jewish Foundation of Memphis open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 32 of 126 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $40K; repeat grants $74K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $19K repeat.
- 66% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−3%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $5.5M (2021) to $11.8M (2024). In 2025 it made 126 grants totaling $8.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Memphis Jewish Federation Germantown, TN | Community Development | $1,481,594 |
| Temple Israel Memphis, TN | Religious | $1,122,907 |
| Union for Reform Judaism New York, NY | For Exempt Purpose | $576,133 |
| JFS of Memphis Jewish Community Center Memphis, TN | Health / Welfare | $415,939 |
| Baron Hirsch Congregation Memphis, TN | Religious | $342,987 |
| Margolin Hebrew Academycyos Memphis, TN | Education - Religious | $280,297 |
| Bornblum Jewish Community School Memphis, TN | Education - Religious | $256,177 |
| AHS of Greater Memphis Foundation Inc Memphis, TN | For Exempt Purpose | $250,000 |
| Memphis Jewish Community Center Germantown, TN | Community Development | $194,300 |
| Beth Sholom Synagogue Memphis, TN | Religious | $179,548 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $111,018,101 | $16,498,454 | $12,936,984 | $8,225,044 | 126 | $3,503,185 |
| 2024 | $100,733,725 | $16,429,527 | $15,237,930 | $11,833,152 | 141 | $2,313,942 |
| 2023 | $84,790,168 | $15,538,711 | $10,286,852 | $8,953,373 | 94 | $2,067,882 |
| 2022 | $74,764,660 | $22,059,555 | $10,026,168 | $8,475,873 | 121 | $1,752,132 |
| 2021 | $73,386,968 | $19,619,043 | $6,410,165 | $5,483,995 | 89 | $1,743,279 |
| 2020 | $50,927,505 | $10,702,035 | $7,191,210 | $5,789,267 | 80 | $951,946 |
| 2019 | $46,039,103 | $6,841,623 | $6,915,133 | $6,003,585 | 77 | $1,204,543 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation states that its mission is to encourage charitable giving, support partner-agency endowment development, and build and sustain a vibrant Jewish community. Its 2024 filing describes its program as allocations to member organizations that are qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Foundation also says it helps partner organizations build capacity and develop a culture of legacy giving.
Its 2025 grants included support for religious organizations, education, health and welfare, and community development. Grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range: Memphis Jewish Federation says it raises and allocates funds for Jewish activities and promotes good relations among Jewish and broader communities; Memphis Jewish Community Center describes its mission as connecting, engaging, and strengthening Jewish Memphis. Other recipients describe work in healthcare services, education, and student scholarships.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation reported 126 grants totaling $8,225,044. Grants ranged from $5,007 to $1,481,594, with a median of $17,265.
The largest reported grants included $1,481,594 to Memphis Jewish Federation for community development; $1,122,907 to Temple Israel for religious purposes; $576,133 to Union for Reform Judaism for exempt purposes; $415,939 to JFS of Memphis Jewish Community Center for health and welfare; and $342,987 to Baron Hirsch Congregation for religious purposes. Other notable grants included $280,297 to Margolin Hebrew Academy-CYOS and $256,177 to Bornblum Jewish Community School, both for religious education.
For individuals and families, the Foundation offers donor-advised funds with a $5,000 minimum initial gift; donors may make grant recommendations online. The Foundation also describes agency funds through which local nonprofits retain ownership of endowment funds while using the Foundation’s investment platform. Its website does not specify an application process for outside grant requests.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Laura Linder as president and CEO; Pace Cooper as chair; Jason Salomon as past chair; Cindy Finestone as secretary; Lawson Arney as vice chair of finance; and Elkan Scheidt as vice chair of investment. Directors listed were Aileen Cooper, Rick Fogelman, Elliot Kiersky, and Reed Landau.
Jewish Foundation of Memphis is led by Laura Linder, President & CEO since 2023 (on filings since 2019); none of the 14 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Laura Linder
President & CEO
President → President & CEO, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Pace Cooper
Chair
Secretary → Secretary & Chair Elect, 2024
Secretary & Chair Elect → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anthony Morrison
Director
Chairman → Immd Past Ch, 2022
Immd Past Ch → Director, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Aileen Cooper
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Reed Landau
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rick Fogelman
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wendy Rotter
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Wallace
Director
Chair Appoin → Chair Appointee, 2023
Chair Appointee → Director, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elliot Kiersky
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Benjamin Wachtel
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jason Salomon
Past Chair
Treasurer → Chair, 2022
Chair → Past Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elkan Scheidt
Vice Chair Investment
Director → Vice Chair I, 2022
Vice Chair I → Vice Chair Investment, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lawson Arney
Vice Chair Finance
Vice Chair F → Vice Chair Finance, 2023
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cindy Finestone
Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (12)
- Former: Ron Lazarov (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Laurie Meskin (2024) — Chair Appointee
- Former: Irvin Serenco (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Jerry Sklar (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Stanley Bilsky (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: David Greenberg (2019–2021) — Vice Chair L
- Former: Irvin Skopp (2019–2021) — Chair Appoin
- Former: Michael Kaplan (2021) — Counsel
- Former: Charles Jalenak (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Hal Fogelman (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Rudi Scheidt Sr. (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Terri Mendelson (2019–2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Jewish Foundation of Memphis
How much does Jewish Foundation of Memphis give each year?
Jewish Foundation of Memphis gave $8.2M across 126 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $11.8M across 141 grants.
What is Jewish Foundation of Memphis's typical grant size?
Jewish Foundation of Memphis's median grant in 2025 was $17,265, and its average grant was $65,278, across 126 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Jewish Foundation of Memphis that year got $40K on average.
Where does Jewish Foundation of Memphis give grants?
Jewish Foundation of Memphis gives mostly in Tennessee: 77% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Memphis, TN (55 grants), New York, NY (16 grants), Atlanta, GA (4 grants) and Germantown, TN (3 grants).
Who are Jewish Foundation of Memphis's largest grantees?
Jewish Foundation of Memphis's largest 2025 grantees include Memphis Jewish Federation ($1,481,594), Temple Israel ($1,122,907) and Union for Reform Judaism ($576,133), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Jewish Foundation of Memphis?
Jewish Foundation of Memphis reported $111.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $16.5M.
What does Jewish Foundation of Memphis fund?
The Foundation states that its mission is to encourage charitable giving, support partner-agency endowment development, and build and sustain a vibrant Jewish community. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Jewish Foundation of Memphis?
Jewish Foundation of Memphis has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check jewishfoundationofmemphis.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Jewish Foundation of Memphis's EIN?
Jewish Foundation of Memphis's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 62-1618399. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 14, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Jewish Foundation of Memphis's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Jewish Foundation of Memphis funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/jewish-foundation-of-memphis-morg_93f9efdfbc8543f8ac4dd8ec6a185a3e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_621618399_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Jewish Foundation of Memphis funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/jewish-foundation-of-memphis-morg_93f9efdfbc8543f8ac4dd8ec6a185a3e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Foundation of Memphis'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.
Jewish Foundation of Memphis down — hundreds of funders to go?