Joseph N Gorson Foundation
The Joseph N Gorson Foundation is a private foundation based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its 2025 filing reports 13 charitable grants totaling $35,000, primarily to organizations in Pennsylvania.
Joseph N Gorson Foundation at a glance
In short: Joseph N Gorson Foundation gave $35K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 23% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $35,000
- -12.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- -18.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,692
- +7.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $464,311
- +3.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (3 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (80% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Joseph N Gorson Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2401 Pennsylvania Avenue Apt 14B-24, Philadelphia, PA 19130
Phone: (610) 527-3564
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Joseph N Gorson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Jewish Federation ($7K). Together the top 10 received $32K.
Grant Size Distribution
57 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 57 grants of 57 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 80% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania. The remaining grant dollars were distributed among recipients in New York (11%), Massachusetts (3%), Ohio (3%), and Tennessee (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Joseph N Gorson Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 13 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 69% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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 $18K (2021) to $40K (2024). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $35K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish Federation Philadelphia, PA | Charitable Donation | $7,000 |
| HAR Zion Temple Narberth, PA | Charitable Donation | $5,000 |
| Congregation Beth El NER Tamid Broomall, PA | Charitable Donation | $5,000 |
| Philabundance Philadelphia, PA | Charitable Donation | $3,500 |
| Jewish National Fund Rockville, NY | Charitable Donation | $3,000 |
| American Jewish Committee Philadelphia, PA | Charitable Donation | $2,500 |
| Jewish Relief Agency Bala Cynwyd, PA | Charitable Donation | $2,000 |
| JFCS of Greater Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA | Charitable Donation | $2,000 |
| American Heart Association Waltham, MA | Charitable Donation | $1,000 |
| Rettssyndromeorg Cincinnati, OH | Charitable Donation | $1,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $464,311 | $52,119 | $36,495 | $35,000 | 13 | $35,000 | $52,119 | $2,053 |
| 2024 | $448,686 | $47,425 | $42,475 | $40,000 | 16 | $40,000 | $47,425 | $26,176 |
| 2023 | $443,736 | $39,346 | $41,813 | $40,000 | 12 | $40,000 | $39,346 | $1,393 |
| 2022 | $446,203 | $54,821 | $37,896 | $36,500 | 10 | $36,500 | $54,821 | $1,164 |
| 2021 | $429,278 | $27,799 | $19,521 | $18,000 | 6 | — | $27,799 | $25,243 |
| 2020 | $421,000 | $25,297 | $26,299 | $25,000 | 9 | — | $25,297 | $1,075 |
| 2019 | $422,002 | $32,411 | $31,111 | $29,950 | 12 | — | $32,411 | $790 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Joseph N Gorson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Philabundance says its mission is to drive hunger from communities and end hunger; Jewish Relief Agency describes work addressing community needs through food distribution and other programs; and Laurel House says it supports people impacted by domestic violence. Jewish National Fund-USA describes work supporting the land of Israel and its people across several program areas.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $35,000 through 13 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $7,000, with a median of $2,000. Notable grants included $7,000 to Jewish Federation in Philadelphia, $5,000 each to Har Zion Temple and Congregation Beth El Ner Tamid, and $3,500 to Philabundance.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lynne Cohen as chairman and Janice W Gorson as trustee.
Joseph N Gorson Foundation is led by Lynne Cohen, Chairman on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lynne Cohen
Chairman
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Janice W. Gorson
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Murray S. Gorson (2019) — Chairman
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 Joseph N Gorson Foundation
How much does Joseph N Gorson Foundation give each year?
Joseph N Gorson Foundation gave $35K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $40K across 16 grants.
What is Joseph N Gorson Foundation's typical grant size?
Joseph N Gorson Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $2,692, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Joseph N Gorson Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Joseph N Gorson Foundation give grants?
Joseph N Gorson Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 80% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (4 grants).
Does Joseph N Gorson Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Joseph N Gorson Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable Donation" (13 grants).
Who are Joseph N Gorson Foundation's largest grantees?
Joseph N Gorson Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Jewish Federation ($7,000), HAR Zion Temple ($5,000) and Congregation Beth El NER Tamid ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 49% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Joseph N Gorson Foundation?
Joseph N Gorson Foundation reported $464K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $35K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Joseph N Gorson Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its grants went to organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Joseph N Gorson Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Joseph N Gorson Foundation's EIN?
Joseph N Gorson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-6297463. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Joseph N Gorson 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 13, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 24, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 7, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 27, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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