Minneapolis Jewish Federation
Minneapolis Jewish Federation is a public charity based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, formed in 1930. It raises and distributes funds to support Jewish organizations and address local and global Jewish needs through community fundraising, directed campaigns, and donor-advised grantmaking through the Minnesota Jewish Community Foundation.
Minneapolis Jewish Federation at a glance
In short: Minneapolis Jewish Federation gave $12.8M across 152 grants in 2024 (avg $84K), mostly in Minnesota. 38% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $12,815,626
- +41.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 152
- +33.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $84,313
- +5.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $22,382
- Total assets
- $243,634,365
- +23.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (58 of 152, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (81% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Minneapolis Jewish Federation
- Contact
Mailing address: 4330 South Cedar Lake Road, Minneapolis, MN 55416
Phone: (952) 593-2600
Website: https://jewishminneapolis.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
9 open opportunities from Minneapolis Jewish Federation
Education Microgrants
Minneapolis Jewish Federation
Amount
$1,250 - $10,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Joshua Scholarship Fund - Camp Moshava Scholarship
Minneapolis Jewish Federation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Joshua Scholarship Fund - Yeshiva Scholarship
Minneapolis Jewish Federation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Minneapolis Jewish Federation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Jewish Community Relations Council MN & Dakotas ($2.4M). Together the top 10 received $7.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
522 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 360 grants of 522 (69%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Federation describes its work as serving the Minneapolis area as well as national and international communities. In 2024, 81% of its grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota, 7% to New York, 3% to Washington, D.C., and 2% each to Illinois and California. Its filing also describes specified funding for recipient organizations in Israel and the former Soviet Union, without reporting specific dollar amounts by region.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 152 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Minneapolis Jewish Federation open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 58 of 152 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $54K; repeat grants $103K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $31K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $4.8M (2022) to $19.0M (2021). In 2024 it made 152 grants totaling $12.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish Community Relations Council MN & Dakotas Minneapolis, MN | Security | $2,351,470 |
| Jewish Family & Childrens Svc - Operating Golden Valley, MN | General Operating Support | $1,490,717 |
| Minnesota JCC St. Paul, MN | General Operating Support | $792,389 |
| Smith Jewish Academy - SJA St Louis Park, MN | General Operating Support | $561,356 |
| Beth El Synagogue St Louis Park, MN | General Operating Support | $461,241 |
| Torah Academy of Minneapolis St Louis Park, MN | General Operating Support | $397,153 |
| Temple Israel Minneapolis, MN | General Operating Support | $389,889 |
| Minnesota Hillel Minneapolis, MN | General Operating Support | $375,839 |
| Talmud Torah of Minneapolis St Louis Park, MN | General Operating Support | $277,598 |
| Sha'arim Golden Valley, MN | General Operating Support | $245,392 |
Ready to take the next step with Minneapolis Jewish Federation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $243,634,365 | $45,129,168 | $26,842,065 | $12,815,626 | 152 | $11,101,396 |
| 2023 | $196,720,132 | $39,806,854 | $40,213,883 | $9,079,757 | 114 | $4,688,679 |
| 2022 | $176,390,864 | $44,053,725 | $20,522,803 | $4,817,300 | 39 | $28,605,850 |
| 2021 | $195,630,681 | $22,381,825 | $27,960,141 | $19,018,044 | 115 | $5,913,176 |
| 2020 | $182,716,700 | $31,189,376 | $24,935,213 | $15,227,245 | 102 | $2,939,606 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Federation’s stated mission is to promote a culture of philanthropy, leverage resources to meet local and global Jewish needs, and facilitate community planning to ensure a thriving and secure future. Its website describes community-impact work that includes annual unrestricted grants, metrics-based grantmaking, and responses to opportunities and crises.
The Federation’s 2024 grantees included organizations serving different community needs. Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis describes its mission as providing essential services to people of all ages and backgrounds to support healthy relationships and respond to need. The Minnesota Jewish Community Center says it provides inclusive programs in areas including arts, culture, education, fitness, early childhood, day camp, and social services. Other recipients included Minnesota Hillel, which describes its mission as enriching students’ lives so they may enrich the Jewish community and the world, and Sha’arim, which provides Jewish education to children with learning disabilities and special needs in the Minneapolis area.
The Federation also offers needs-based scholarships for Israel travel, education, camp tuition, and law school expenses. These are scholarships for individual recipients, rather than grants to outside organizations.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Federation reported 152 grants totaling $12,815,626. Grant amounts ranged from $5,023 to $2,351,470, with a median grant of $22,382.
The largest reported grants included $2,351,470 to the Jewish Community Relations Council MN & Dakotas for security; $1,490,717 to Jewish Family & Children’s Service for general operating support; $792,389 to the Minnesota JCC for general operating support; and $561,356 to Smith Jewish Academy for general operating support. Other major recipients included Beth El Synagogue ($461,241), Torah Academy of Minneapolis ($397,153), Temple Israel ($389,889), Minnesota Hillel ($375,839), and Talmud Torah of Minneapolis ($277,598), all for general operating support. The Federation’s filing says it primarily uses Jewish Federations of North America to make grants to organizations outside the United States, with due diligence performed by that organization.
For annual Community Campaign allocations, the Federation says its Community Impact Steering Committee and four allocation committees review requests from Jewish organizations and make funding recommendations to the Board. The four areas are Jewish Identity & Engagement, Jewish Education, Caring Community (Human & Social Services), and Israel & Overseas. The Federation describes base allocations as unrestricted support. Its Impact Focused Funding pilot lets donors direct a portion of a Community Campaign gift toward selected community priorities; the stated minimum contribution is $100, and the Federation asks that the directed portion not exceed 10% of the donor’s annual Community Campaign gift.
A separate Rimon Art Project Support Grants opportunity supports Minnesota-based projects exploring Jewish themes through artistic development or production, community planning and collaboration, research or administrative assistance, or marketing and outreach. The stated maximum request is 50% of total project cost, up to $3,000. Funding is for project-specific expenses, not ongoing operating expenses. Eligible applicants listed include individual artists, informal or unincorporated arts groups, Jewish agencies and synagogues, and nonprofit arts and non-arts groups. Out-of-state applicants must collaborate with a Minnesota artist or institution and realize the project in Minnesota.
The Federation’s website also lists needs-based scholarships for individual applicants, including Israel travel, camp, and law school scholarships. The Minnesota Jewish Community Foundation lists scholarships for eligible Minnesota residents studying at specified religious Zionist institutions in Israel or attending Camp Moshava Wild Rose in Wisconsin.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The officers and directors listed on the 2024 filing were Mark Appelbaum, president; Brad Birnberg, immediate past president; Arielle Kaufman, secretary; John MacDonald, treasurer; Sandy Donaldson, assistant treasurer; and directors Abbi Rose, Brittany Willis, Dan Ahlstrom, Dan Lieberman, and Debbie Stillman.
Minneapolis Jewish Federation is led by James A. Cohen, Chief Executive Officer on every filing since 2020; 6 of 36 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
James A. Cohen
Chief Executive Officer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$310K (2020) → $453K (2024)
Mark Appelbaum
President
Director → Chair & The Jewish Community Building Corporation, 2022
Chair & The Jewish Community Building Corporation → President, 2023
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alene Sussman
Foundation Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$145K (2020) → $166K (2024)
Brittany Willis
Director
Director → Chair & Young Adult, 2022
Chair & Young Adult → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Debbie Stillman
Director
Member-At-Large → Chair & Advancement Steering Committee, 2023
Chair & Advancement Steering Committee → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dina Blumenfield
Director
Director → Member-At-Large, 2022
Member-At-Large → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rafi Forbush
Director
Director → Member-At-Large, 2022
Member-At-Large → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ron Mandelbaum
Director
Member-At-Large → Chair & Governance Committee, 2023
Chair & Governance Committee → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Valerie Kreps
Director
Director → Member-At-Large, 2022
Member-At-Large → Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ken Raskin
Director
Chair, Minnesota Jewish Community Foundation & Llc → Director, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lauren Zabezhinsky
Director
Member-At-Large → Director, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Yost
Director
Chair & Community Campaign Committee → Chair & Community Impact Steering Committee, 2023
Chair & Community Impact Steering Committee → Director, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Aaron Goldstein
Director
Vice President & Overseas Affairs → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Abbi Rose
Director
Member-At-Large → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dan Ahlstrom
Director
Partner Agency Executive Representative → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dan Lieberman
Director
Chair & The Jewish Community Building Corporation → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gayle Kaplan
Director
Member-At-Large → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Judah Druck
Director
Member-At-Large → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Judy Witebsky
Director
Chair & Women's Philanthropy → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matt Heilicher
Director
Co-Chair & Community Campaign Committee → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rabbi Matt Goldberg
Director
Rabbinic Representative → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rabbi Tzvi Kupfer
Director
Member-At-Large → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca Skelton
Director
Member-At-Large → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Roz Segal
Director
Partner Agency President Representative → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Seth Togal
Director
Member-At-Large → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Taylor Sztainer
Director
Member-At-Large → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tom Frishberg
Director
Member-At-Large → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Zehorit Heilicher
Director
Co-Chair & Community Campaign Committee → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Martin K. Lipshutz
Chief Financial Officer
COO & CFO → Chief Financial Officer, 2022
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$160K (2020) → $178K (2024)
Steven Baker
Chief Phlanthropy Officer
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$152K (2022) → $192K (2024)
Shai Avny
Chief Operating Officer
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$34K (2023) → $146K (2024)
Eilat Harel
Chief Impact Officer
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$116K (2024)
Arielle Kaufman
Secretary
Director → Chair & Marketing, 2022
Chair & Marketing → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sandy Donaldson
Assistant Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brad Birnberg
Immediate Past President
President → Immediate Past President, 2023
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Macdonald
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (47)
- Former: David Segal (2020–2023) — Treasurer, Finance & Audit Committees
- Former: Gabrielle Parish (2020–2023) — Chair & Community Impact Steering Com
- Former: Greg Arenson (2020–2023) — Chair & Governance Committee
- Former: Howard Zack (2020–2023) — Member-At-Large
- Former: Jacy Grais (2020–2023) — Vice President & Overseas Affairs
- Former: Jennifer Lewin (2020–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Linda Fiterman (2020–2023) — Member-At-Large
- Former: Rita Kelner (2020–2023) — President & Women's Philanthropy
- Former: Susan Yost (2020–2023) — Chair & Community Campaign Committee
- Former: Todd Leonard (2020–2023) — Immediate Past President
- Former: Stephen Monto (2021–2023) — Member-At-Large
- Former: Barbara Harris (2022–2023) — Co-Chair Women's Philanthropy
- Former: Brad Frank (2022–2023) — Member-At-Large
- Former: Jodi Moremi (2022–2023) — Representative
- Former: Kris Macdonald (2022–2023) — Chair & Development Steering Committee
- Former: Marni Tselos (2022–2023) — Member-At-Large
- Former: Rabbi David Locketz (2022–2023) — Rabbinic Representative
- Former: Robyn Schein (2022–2023) — Partner Agency Executive Representative
- Former: Deborah Altshuler (2022) — Member-At-Large
- Former: Steve Leventhal (2022) — Member-At-Large
- Former: Andrew Parker (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Bradley Birnberg (2020–2021) — President Elect
- Former: Brian Lipschultz (2020–2021) — Director-Outgoing
- Former: Chana Shagalow (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Daniel Lieberman (2020–2021) — Director-Outgoing
- Former: Debra Rappaport (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Heather Ring (2020–2021) — Chief Development Officer-Outgoing
- Former: Howard Milstein (2020–2021) — Director-Outgoing
- Former: Jonathan Halper (2020–2021) — Director-Outgoing
- Former: Kenneth Raskin (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Kristine Macdonald (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Lev Buslovich (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Michael Barry (2020–2021) — Director-Outgoing
- Former: Rick Linsk (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Sandy Sondell (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Steven Machov (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Stuart Goldenberg (2020–2021) — Director-Outgoing
- Former: Alyssa Golob (2021) — Development Officer
- Former: Bradley Frank (2021) — Director
- Former: Andrew Wieberdink (2020) — Director
- Former: David Parish (2020) — Director
- Former: Debbie Goldenberg (2020) — Director
- Former: Dori Weinstein (2020) — Director
- Former: Mark Adelman (2020) — Director
- Former: Max Davis (2020) — Director
- Former: Rory Zamansky (2020) — Director
- Former: Steven Hunegs (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $453K, to James a Cohen (Chief Executive Officer). 6 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Minneapolis Jewish Federation
How much does Minneapolis Jewish Federation give each year?
Minneapolis Jewish Federation gave $12.8M across 152 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $9.1M across 114 grants.
What is Minneapolis Jewish Federation's typical grant size?
Minneapolis Jewish Federation's median grant in 2024 was $22,382, and its average grant was $84,313, across 152 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Minneapolis Jewish Federation that year got $54K on average.
Where does Minneapolis Jewish Federation give grants?
Minneapolis Jewish Federation gives mostly in Minnesota: 81% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Minneapolis, MN (32 grants), New York, NY (16 grants), St Louis Park, MN (13 grants) and St. Paul, MN (13 grants).
Does Minneapolis Jewish Federation give general operating support?
Yes: 99% of Minneapolis Jewish Federation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (151 of 152) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Who are Minneapolis Jewish Federation's largest grantees?
Minneapolis Jewish Federation's largest 2024 grantees include Jewish Community Relations Council MN & Dakotas ($2,351,470), Jewish Family & Childrens Svc - Operating ($1,490,717) and Minnesota JCC ($792,389), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Minneapolis Jewish Federation?
Minneapolis Jewish Federation reported $243.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $45.1M.
What does Minneapolis Jewish Federation fund?
The Federation’s stated mission is to promote a culture of philanthropy, leverage resources to meet local and global Jewish needs, and facilitate community planning to ensure a thriving and secure future. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Minneapolis Jewish Federation?
Minneapolis Jewish Federation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check jewishminneapolis.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Minneapolis Jewish Federation's EIN?
Minneapolis Jewish Federation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-0693866. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Minneapolis Jewish Federation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Minneapolis Jewish Federation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/minneapolis-jewish-federation-morg_ff83790aa8fa41b39bb0dac3240f9cff
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_410693866_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Minneapolis Jewish Federation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/minneapolis-jewish-federation-morg_ff83790aa8fa41b39bb0dac3240f9cff},
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 Minneapolis Jewish Federation'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.
Minneapolis Jewish Federation down — hundreds of funders to go?