National Center to Encourage
The National Center to Encourage Judaism (NCEJ) is a private foundation based in Kensington, Maryland. It funds programs worldwide that welcome people who are new to Judaism, including interfaith couples, people interested in conversion, and others exploring involvement in the Jewish community.
Key facts about National Center to Encourage
In short: National Center to Encourage gave $426K across 37 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), top state New York. 59% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 52-1194529
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $425,748
- Grants made (2025)
- 37
- Average grant
- $11,507
- Median grant
- $5,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 59% first-time grantees (22 of 37, 2025)
- Total assets
- $2,975,443
- Primary geography
- New York (38% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The website provides a grant application and accepts applications throughout the year. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- None listed on the 2025 filing.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$3.0M
+10.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$426K
+12.1% YoY
Grant Count
37
-7.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$12K
+21.2% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, National Center to Encourage reported a distributable amount of $383K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is National Center to Encourage open to new grantees?
59%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 22 of 37 grantees (59%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $19K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 38% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 58% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 132% of 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
NCEJ’s stated objective is to help Judaism grow by encouraging conversion and helping people in interfaith marriages see the benefits of raising their children as Jews. It also aims to help people build meaningful Jewish homes, promote programs to wider audiences, and connect people exploring Judaism with local Jewish communities.
The foundation funds programs with an educational component, including introductions to Jewish beliefs and traditions, conversion classes, holiday programming, Israel engagement, and interfaith or intercultural engagement. Programs may be single events or multi-session offerings, and may use traditional classes or experiential learning.
NCEJ says it gives grants to synagogues, federations and JCCs, national Jewish organizations, and other Jewish nonprofits. It supports programs for the public rather than those geared only to an institution’s members or solely to a Jewish audience. Its supported organizations include American Jewish University, which describes its own mission as advancing and elevating the Jewish journey through scholarship, teaching, engaged conversation, and outreach.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, NCEJ reported 37 grants totaling $425,748. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $62,900, with a median of $5,000. Reported purposes for the largest awards were “general.” These included $62,900 to Union for Reform Judaism, $45,248 to Various Synagogues, $36,200 to Sutton Place Synagogue NYC, $30,000 each to the Institute for Southern Jewish Life and Joint Distribution Comm, and $28,000 to Hillels Int. Other notable awards included $25,000 each to Mishkan Chicago and Israel Reform Movement, and $12,000 to American Jewish University.
Review Cycle
None listed on the 2025 filing.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
NCEJ says it funds programs worldwide, including projects in Israel, Europe, and Canada, as well as programs across the United States. In 2025, the largest reported shares of grant dollars by recipient state were New York (38%), Maryland (11%), Mississippi (7%), and the District of Columbia (7%); another 12% was listed with the state as “?”.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 37 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $178K (2020) to $426K (2025). In 2025 it made 37 grants totaling $426K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Union Reform Judaism ($63K). Together the top 10 received $315K.
Grant Size Distribution
178 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 173 grants of 178 (97%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Union Reform Judaism New York, NY | General | $62,900 |
| Various Synagogues All in Uscanada, MD | General | $45,248 |
| Sutton Place Synagogue NYC New York, NY | General | $36,200 |
| Institute for Southern Jewish Life Jackson, MS | General | $30,000 |
| Joint Distribution Comm New York, NY | General | $30,000 |
| Hillels Int Washington, DC | General | $28,000 |
| Mishkan Chicago Chicago, IL | General | $25,000 |
| Israel Reform Movement New York, NY | General | $25,000 |
| Keneseth Israel Congregation Allentown, PA | General | $16,800 |
| New London Synagogue | General | $16,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,975,443 | $793,463 | $504,988 | $425,748 |
| 2024 | $2,687,177 | $313,142 | $478,635 | $379,780 |
| 2023 | $2,865,827 | $248,149 | $393,730 | $310,117 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,975,443 | $2,687,177 | $2,865,827 |
| Revenue | $793,463 | $313,142 | $248,149 |
| Expenses | $504,988 | $478,635 | $393,730 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $504,988 | $478,635 | $393,730 |
| Net Investment Income | $154,611 | $148,372 | $145,741 |
| Distributable Amount | $382,927 | $344,370 | $290,091 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 15, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 10, 2024)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Ellen Gerecht as president. NCEJ’s website identifies her as executive director.
National Center to Encourage is led by Ellen Gerecht, President on every filing since 2019 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ellen Gerecht
President
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
$9K (2020) → $41K (2025)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $41K, to Ellen Gerecht (President).
Contact
Application contact: Ellen Gerecht
Mailing address: PO Box 125, Kensington, MD 20895
Phone: (301) 802-4254
Email: www.ncejudaism.org
Website: https://www.ncejudaism.org
Frequently asked questions about National Center to Encourage
How much does National Center to Encourage give each year?
National Center to Encourage gave $426K across 37 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $380K across 40 grants.
What is National Center to Encourage's typical grant size?
National Center to Encourage's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $11,507, across 37 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from National Center to Encourage that year got $7K on average.
Where does National Center to Encourage give grants?
National Center to Encourage's top state is New York, with 38% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Maryland (11%) and Mississippi (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (4 grants) and Philadelphia, PA (2 grants).
Does National Center to Encourage give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of National Center to Encourage's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (37 of 37) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are National Center to Encourage's largest grantees?
National Center to Encourage's largest 2025 grantees include Union Reform Judaism ($62,900), Various Synagogues ($45,248) and Sutton Place Synagogue NYC ($36,200), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is National Center to Encourage?
National Center to Encourage reported $3.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $505K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $383K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does National Center to Encourage fund?
NCEJ’s stated objective is to help Judaism grow by encouraging conversion and helping people in interfaith marriages see the benefits of raising their children as Jews. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from National Center to Encourage?
The website provides a grant application and accepts applications throughout the year. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is National Center to Encourage's EIN?
National Center to Encourage's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1194529. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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