Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation
The Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation is a private foundation based in Cleveland, Ohio. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including schools, synagogues, and community organizations; it states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation at a glance
In short: Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation gave $71K across 74 grants in 2025 (avg $957.27), mostly in Ohio. 19% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $70,838
- -2.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 74
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $957
- -2.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $109
- Total assets
- $397,032
- -2.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (14 of 74, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (81% 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 Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2720 Van Aken Boulevard 200, Cleveland, OH 44120-2276
Phone: (216) 921-5663
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Fuchs Mizrachi Schools ($24K). Together the top 10 received $60K.
Grant Size Distribution
373 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 373 grants of 373 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 81% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio, 11% to Colorado, 5% to New York, and 1% to the District of Columbia. Pennsylvania accounted for 0% of grant dollars. The listed grants also include recipients in Cleveland-area communities, Denver, and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 74 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 14 of 74 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $201; repeat grants $1K. How we count
Medians: $100 first-time, $129 repeat.
- 77% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+12%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 376% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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 $34K (2021) to $78K (2023). In 2025 it made 74 grants totaling $71K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fuchs Mizrachi Schools Beachwood, OH | Educational Programs | $24,290 |
| Green Road Synagogue Beachwood, OH | General Operating Support | $17,200 |
| Denver Academy of Torah Denver, CO | General Operating Support | $8,000 |
| Bikur Cholim of Cleveland Cleveland Heights, OH | General Operating Support | $4,000 |
| Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies North America Inc New York, NY | General Operating Support | $1,500 |
| Jewish Family Service Association of Cleveland Pepper Pike, OH | General Operating Support | $1,350 |
| Lakeview Community Mikvah University Heights, OH | General Operating Support | $1,000 |
| Park Synagogue Cleveland Heights, OH | General Operating Support | $1,000 |
| The Negev Foundation Cleveland, OH | General Operating Support | $1,000 |
| University Circle Inc Cleveland, OH | General Operating Support | $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 | $397,032 | $67,168 | $76,129 | $70,838 | 74 | $70,838 | $23,132 | $18,859 |
| 2024 | $405,993 | $138,136 | $77,025 | $72,741 | 74 | $72,741 | $23,412 | $18,906 |
| 2023 | $344,882 | $73,781 | $82,408 | $77,816 | 72 | $77,816 | $26,523 | $16,437 |
| 2022 | $353,509 | $62,357 | $65,076 | $63,358 | 89 | $63,358 | $20,269 | $16,937 |
| 2021 | $356,228 | $65,886 | $40,289 | $34,003 | 64 | $34,003 | $32,372 | $16,576 |
| 2020 | $330,631 | $25,915 | $49,597 | $46,786 | 59 | — | $10,910 | $11,973 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation reported a distributable amount of $19K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants include educational programs and general operating support. The grantees’ descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported: Fuchs Mizrachi Schools says it educates children in the Orthodox Jewish religious Zionist tradition, while Denver Academy of Torah describes its work as providing kindergarten-through-high-school education. Bikur Cholim of Cleveland describes itself as a Jewish community resource promoting health and well-being through support, education, and advocacy. Other grantees describe work in Jewish learning, agriculture in arid regions, and cultural, educational, medical, and public spaces.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 74 grants totaling $70,838. Grants ranged from $35 to $24,290, with a median of $109. The largest awards included $24,290 to Fuchs Mizrachi Schools for educational programs, $17,200 to Green Road Synagogue for general operating support, and $8,000 to Denver Academy of Torah for general operating support. Other notable grants included $4,000 to Bikur Cholim of Cleveland and $1,500 to Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies North America, both for general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joseph Shafran and Marla Shafran as trustees.
Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joseph Shafran
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marla Shafran
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation
How much does Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation give each year?
Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation gave $71K across 74 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $73K across 74 grants.
What is Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation's typical grant size?
Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $109, and its average grant was $957, across 74 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation that year got $201 on average.
Where does Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation give grants?
Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 81% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Colorado (11%) and New York (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cleveland, OH (16 grants), New York, NY (14 grants), Cleveland Heights, OH (8 grants) and Beachwood, OH (7 grants).
Does Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 99% of Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (73 of 74) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation's largest grantees?
Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Fuchs Mizrachi Schools ($24,290), Green Road Synagogue ($17,200) and Denver Academy of Torah ($8,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 70% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation?
Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation reported $397K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $71K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $19K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation fund?
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants include educational programs and general operating support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation?
The foundation 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 Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation's EIN?
Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 34-1613094. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Marla & Joseph Shafran 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 24, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/marla-and-joseph-shafran-foundation-morg_34fcd2e4eccd4f54aac97d63c2375cfb
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_341613094_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Marla \& Joseph Shafran Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/marla-and-joseph-shafran-foundation-morg_34fcd2e4eccd4f54aac97d63c2375cfb},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Marla & Joseph Shafran Foundation'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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