Minneapolis Jewish Federation
Minneapolis Jewish Federation is a nonprofit federated fundraising organization established in 1930 and tax-exempt since March 1943. Based in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area (with offices listed in both Minneapolis and Minnetonka, Minnesota), the organization has served the Jewish community for over 90 years. The Federation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with approximately 50 employees and functions as both a community fundraiser and grantmaking entity.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$243.6M
+23.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$12.8M
+41.1% YoY
Grant Count
152
+33.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$84K
+5.9% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Federation's vision is a Jewish community that is empowered, engaged, and inspired to realize its full potential.
The organization's core beliefs center on:
- Ensuring no child goes to bed hungry
- Enabling every senior to live with dignity
- Protecting Jews worldwide from persecution
- Building vibrant, inclusive, and supportive Jewish communities in Minneapolis and across the world
- Passing down Jewish traditions from generation to generation
The Federation promotes a culture of philanthropy, leverages resources to meet local and global Jewish needs, and facilitates community planning to ensure a thriving and secure future. Primary program areas include:
- Nurturing and educating children
- Maintaining and strengthening family life
- Providing comfort and care to the elderly
- Reinforcing and sustaining connection to the worldwide Jewish community
- Supporting beneficiary agencies in developing new programs and improving existing ones
- Directing emergency support to Israel
Grantmaking
The Minneapolis Jewish Federation operates as a grantmaking organization through multiple mechanisms:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Federation primarily serves the Minneapolis Jewish community while also supporting national and international Jewish communities, with particular emphasis on Israel.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
2023 Financial Data:
- Total revenues: $39,806,854
- Total expenses: $40,213,883
- Total assets: $196,720,132
Organization Status:
- Operates a donor-advised fund
- Reported conflict of interest transactions on Schedule L
- Maintains strong financial accountability (97% rating score)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $243,634,365 | $196,720,132 | $176,390,864 |
| Revenue | $45,129,168 | $39,806,854 | $44,053,725 |
| Expenses | $26,842,065 | $40,213,883 | $20,522,803 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $11,101,396 | $4,688,679 | $28,605,850 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
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 2024
Grant Size Distribution
239 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
9 open opportunities from Minneapolis Jewish Federation
Education Microgrants
MINNEAPOLIS JEWISH FEDERATION
Amount
$1,250 - $10,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Joshua Scholarship Fund - Camp Moshava Scholarship
MINNEAPOLIS JEWISH FEDERATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Joshua Scholarship Fund - Yeshiva Scholarship
MINNEAPOLIS JEWISH FEDERATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- James Cohen - Chief Executive Officer
- Heather Ring - Chief Development Officer
- Rafina Larsen - Handles gifts of appreciated securities and non-cash assets
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARK APPELBAUM | PRESIDENT | 20 | — |
| BRAD BIRNBERG | IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| ARIELLE KAUFMAN | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| JOHN MACDONALD | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| SANDY DONALDSON | ASSISTANT TREASURER | 1 | — |
| ABBI ROSE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| BRITTANY WILLIS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DAN AHLSTROM | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DAN LIEBERMAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DEBBIE STILLMAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DINA BLUMENFIELD | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| GAYLE KAPLAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JUDAH DRUCK | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JUDY WITEBSKY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KEN RASKIN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LAUREN ZABEZHINSKY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MATT HEILICHER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| RABBI MATT GOLDBERG | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| RABBI TZVI KUPFER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| RAFI FORBUSH | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| REBECCA SKELTON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ROBERT YOST | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| RON MANDELBAUM | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ROZ SEGAL | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SETH TOGAL | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| TAYLOR SZTAINER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| TOM FRISHBERG | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| VALERIE KREPS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ZEHORIT HEILICHER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| AARON GOLDSTEIN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JAMES A COHEN | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER | 40 | $453,360 |
| MARTIN K LIPSHUTZ | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 40 | $178,399 |
| STEVEN BAKER | CHIEF PHLANTHROPY OFFICER | 40 | $191,843 |
| SHAI AVNY | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | 40 | $146,364 |
| ALENE SUSSMAN | FOUNDATION DIRECTOR | 40 | $166,154 |
| EILAT HAREL | CHIEF IMPACT OFFICER | 40 | $116,259 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Federation continues active grantmaking and community engagement:
Announced grants for community connection and programming initiatives
Grants Awarded for Community Connection and Programming - St. Paul JewishProvides scholarships supporting Jewish education and Israel experiences
Supports Jewish summer camp accessibility for children in the community
Grants Awarded for Community Connection and Programming - St. Paul JewishMaintains active emergency support initiatives for Israel
Engages in community inclusion programming and initiatives
Grants Awarded for Community Connection and Programming - St. Paul JewishThe organization received a Four-Star rating reflecting a 97% overall score, indicating strong accountability and financial management.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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