Senser Foundation
The Senser Foundation is a private foundation based in Highland Park, Illinois. It partners with organizations in the U.S. and Israel and describes its vision as a world where all people are recognized as having merit and deserving equal respect.
Senser Foundation at a glance
In short: Senser Foundation gave $416K across 18 grants in 2024 (avg $23K), top state New York. 33% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $416,400
- -33.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 18
- +5.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $23,133
- -37.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $23,383
- +160.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (6 of 18, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (34% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Senser 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: 55 S Deere Park Drive, Highland Park, IL 60035
Phone: (847) 778-6590
Website: https://senserfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Senser Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was America Gives ($120K). Together the top 10 received $351K.
Grant Size Distribution
101 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 77 grants of 101 (76%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says it partners with organizations in the U.S. and Israel. In 2024, recipient-state shares of grant dollars were New York 34%, Illinois 31%, Florida 10%, Pennsylvania 10%, and the District of Columbia 9%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Senser Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 18 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $29K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $35K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 61% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 36% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2024). 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 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $416K (2024) to $689K (2020). In 2024 it made 18 grants totaling $416K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| America Gives New York, NY | Promote and facilitate philanthropy in the us and israel | $120,000 |
| Bright Star Community Outreach Chicago, IL | Empower Residents to Share in Community Building | $50,000 |
| Fuente Latina Miami, FL | Provide educational programs and events to spanish language speakers regarding the middle east | $40,000 |
| Moving Traditions Elkins Park, PA | Inspire youth to to a life of jewish commitment and learning | $40,000 |
| Jewish Women International Washington, DC | Empower women and girls to thrive in healthy relationships | $30,000 |
| Red Tent Fund Arlington, VA | Provide access to womens' healthcare guided by jewish values | $30,000 |
| Bnai Abraham-Zion Congregation (Glasser Preschool) Oak Park, IL | Promote Preschool Education | $11,000 |
| Camp Young Judaea Midwest Chicago, IL | Support General Operations | $10,000 |
| Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago Chicago, IL | Community Funds/Trusts and Federated Giving Program | $10,000 |
| Little Village Environmental Justice Organization Chicago, IL | Environmental Justice | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Senser Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $23,383 | $621,504 | $607,115 | $416,400 | 18 | $605,365 | — | $675 |
| 2023 | $8,994 | $692,505 | $714,943 | $629,000 | 17 | $713,166 | — | $967 |
| 2022 | $31,432 | $672,008 | $781,675 | $675,000 | 21 | $780,062 | — | $2,591 |
| 2021 | $141,099 | $22,709 | $741,475 | $647,000 | 23 | $729,087 | $20,821 | $21,085 |
| 2020 | $859,865 | $1,244,846 | $737,268 | $689,138 | 22 | — | $734,397 | $34,246 |
| 2019 | $352,287 | $48,170 | $569,945 | $524,655 | 16 | — | $28,382 | $37,248 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Senser Foundation reported a distributable amount of $675 for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation grounds its vision in the Jewish ideal of “B’tzelem Elohim” (“in the image of God”) and says it believes diverse, liberal, and democratic values must flourish. Its stated areas of interest are women’s rights, security, and empowerment; liberal and democratic values; social and religious diversity in Israel; strengthening marginalized communities; next-generation engagement with Jewish peoplehood; and organizations responding to the situation in Israel following the events of October 2023.
The foundation also describes organizational capacity building through digital transformation as a central part of its philanthropic approach. Its Lean Digital Transformation Model, developed with Philtech and Marom Group, is intended to help nonprofits use technology to improve internal productivity and organizational outcomes. The foundation says it has worked with more than 30 nonprofit organizations through the model since 2021 and is inviting organizations to join its sixth cohort.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of grantee work. Bright Star Community Outreach describes its mission as empowering residents to build community through pooled resources and partnerships, including work in community engagement, economic development, education, and family support. Neighbors for Environmental Justice says it works to promote community action for environmental health and a just transition. Camp Young Judaea Midwest describes its mission as helping Jewish children of diverse backgrounds thrive in a community connected to Israel and Judaism. These are the grantees’ own descriptions of their work.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 18 grants totaling $416,400. Awards ranged from $5,000 to $120,000, with a median grant of $10,000.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $120,000 to America Gives to promote and facilitate philanthropy in the U.S. and Israel; $50,000 to Bright Star Community Outreach for community building; $40,000 to Fuente Latina for educational programs and events for Spanish-language speakers about the Middle East; and $40,000 to Moving Traditions to inspire youth toward Jewish commitment and learning. Other notable awards included $30,000 each to Jewish Women International and the Red Tent Fund, for work related to women and girls’ well-being and access to women’s health care, respectively.
Additional 2024 grants included $11,000 to B’nai Abraham-Zion Congregation (Glasser Preschool) for preschool education, and $10,000 each to Camp Young Judaea Midwest, Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, Neighbors for Environmental Justice, and PEF Israel Endowment Funds.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jerrold Senser as trustee.
Senser Foundation is led by Jerrold Senser, Trustee on every filing since 2019 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jerrold Senser
Trustee
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Naomi Senser (2021) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 Senser Foundation
How much does Senser Foundation give each year?
Senser Foundation gave $416K across 18 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $629K across 17 grants.
What is Senser Foundation's typical grant size?
Senser Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $23,133, across 18 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Senser Foundation that year got $29K on average.
Where does Senser Foundation give grants?
Senser Foundation's top state is New York, with 34% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Illinois (31%) and Florida (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (9 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Senser Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 6% of Senser Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 18) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Senser Foundation's largest grantees?
Senser Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include America Gives ($120,000), Bright Star Community Outreach ($50,000) and Fuente Latina ($40,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Senser Foundation?
Senser Foundation reported $23K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $605K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $675 (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Senser Foundation fund?
The foundation grounds its vision in the Jewish ideal of “B’tzelem Elohim” (“in the image of God”) and says it believes diverse, liberal, and democratic values must flourish. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Senser 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 Senser Foundation's EIN?
Senser Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-7611461. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Does Senser 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 7, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 20, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 22, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 27, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 5, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work Senser Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Senser Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Senser Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/senser-foundation-morg_1ae1c13e04bc40e38b41365116c6d1d0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_367611461_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Senser Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/senser-foundation-morg_1ae1c13e04bc40e38b41365116c6d1d0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Senser 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.
Senser Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?