Julius & Ray Charlestein Foundation

PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA EIN: 23-2310090

The Julius and Ray Charlestein Foundation is a corporate foundation based in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. Established in 1985, it operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with no employees, generating resources through dividends, interest, and gains from the sale of assets.

Financial Overview

From 2023 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$336K

-36.8% YoY

Annual Giving

$287K

-32.4% YoY

Grant Count

-55.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$17K

+51.0% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Julius & Ray Charlestein Foundation reported a distributable amount of $45K for 2023 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation primarily supports programs in the following areas:

Jewish faith and community
Higher education
Youth initiatives
STEAM programs
Culture and community

Grantmaking

The foundation accepts applications.

Grant Range

s:**

Average Grant

amount: $11,700

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Pennsylvania, New York, and Florida.

Grant Distribution by State

Pennsylvania $1.6M (92%)

New York $89K (5%)

Florida $19K (1%)

Missouri $10K (1%)

California $9K (1%)

Maryland $3K (0%)

District of Columbia $1K (0%)

New Jersey $500 (0%)

States

California District of Columbia Florida Maryland Missouri New Jersey New York Pennsylvania

Cities

AmblerBala CynwydBethesdaBoca RatonBrickBryn MawrFlushingHenkintownHonesdaleJenkintownKirksvilleMelrose ParkMerion StationMonseyNew YorkNorristownNorth WalesNorwoodPamonaPenn Valley

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Most Recent (2023):

Total assets: $336,459
Total revenues: $135,099
Total expenses: $288,814
Total giving: $287,200

Prior Year (2022):

Total assets: $532,200
Total giving: $407,000
Giving rate: 76.4% of assets

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2023	2022	2021
Total Assets	$336,459	$532,174	$824,473
Revenue	$135,099	$185,729	$182,705
Expenses	$288,814	$586,028	$453,981
Qualifying Distributions	$287,200	$425,150	—
Net Investment Income	$45,073	$125,716	$182,694
Distributable Amount	$45,489	$62,745	$78,422

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2023

Grant Size Distribution

141 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2023 grants, the largest include Als Association ($157,000), American Friends Hebrew University ($25,000), Germantown Jewish Center ($20,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ALS ASSOCIATION AMBLER, PA	TO SUPPORT ALS TREATMENT & RESEARCH	$157,000
AMERICAN FRIENDS HEBREW UNIVERSITY NEW YORK, NY	TO SUPPORT HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM CONTINUES TO BE ISRAEL'S FOREMOST INSTITUTION OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND RESEARCH	$25,000
CHABAD OF THE MAINLINE MERION STATION, PA	TO SUPPORT JEWISH LEARNING AND COMMUNITY	$2,500
GERMANTOWN JEWISH CENTER PHILADELPHIA, PA	TO SUPPORT JEWISH FAITH & COMMUNITY	$20,000
HILLEL OF UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA PHILADELPHIA, PA	TO SUPPORT JEWISH COMMUNITY & HIGHER EDUCATION	$1,200
ISRAEL GUIDE DOG WARRINGTON, PA	TO SUPPORT CARE & IMROVEMENT OF QUALITY OF LIFE FOR BLIND & VISUALLY IMPAIRED ISRAELIS	$2,700
KATZ YESHIVA HIGH SCHOOL OF SOUTH FLORIDA BOCA RATON, FL	TO SUPPORT HIGHER EDUCATION	$2,500
KIDS SMILE NORWOOD, PA	TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO DENTAL CARE FOR DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN	$1,600
MASORTI FOUNDATION FOR CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM NEW YORK, NY	TO SUPPORT THE MASORTI JUDAISM FAITH & COMMUNITY	$6,000
MEOR FOUNDATION MONSEY, NY	TO SUPPORT JEWISH COMMUNITY	$2,500

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Ellyn Phillips – Executive Director
Gary Charlestein – Secretary/Treasurer

Compensation Overview

From 2023 IRS filing

From 2023 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
ELLYN PHILLIPS	EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR	5	$35,000
GARY CHARLESTEIN	SECRETARY/TREASURER	—	—

Contact Information

Address: PO Box 4500 Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462-4500

EIN: 23-2310090

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Julius & Ray Charlestein Foundation fund?

The foundation primarily supports programs in the following areas: • Jewish faith and community • Higher education • Youth initiatives • STEAM programs • Culture and community

How do I apply for a grant from Julius & Ray Charlestein Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Made 38 grants in 2023 • Made 36 grants in recent years • Made 32 grants in 2022 **Grant Sizes:** • Typical award range: $300–$157,000 • Median grant amount: $3,500–$4,000 • Average grant amount: $11,700 **Recent Grants (2023):** • American Friends of Hebrew University: $25,000 (to support Hebrew University of Jerusalem) • Germantown Jewish Centre: $20,000 (to support Jewish faith and community) • Philadelphia Museum of Art: (amount listed but cut off in source) **Other No…

Where does Julius & Ray Charlestein Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Pennsylvania, New York, and Florida.

What size grants does Julius & Ray Charlestein Foundation award?

In 2023, Julius & Ray Charlestein Foundation awarded 17 grants totaling $287K — an average of about $17K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Julius & Ray Charlestein Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2023, Julius & Ray Charlestein Foundation reported a distributable amount of $45K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Julius & Ray Charlestein Foundation's EIN?

Julius & Ray Charlestein Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-2310090. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2023.