Shamash Fund
Shamash Fund is a private foundation based in New York, New York. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations including Jewish communal and educational organizations, an international relief organization, and organizations working on criminal justice and education.
Shamash Fund at a glance
In short: Shamash Fund gave $207K across 15 grants in 2024 (avg $14K), mostly in New York. 0% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $206,500
- +33.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 15
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $13,767
- +33.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $2,688,768
- +1.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 15, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (78% 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 Shamash Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Its filing says to submit a written request, with no specific format; it lists no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- None listed.
- Deadline
- None listed.
- Contact
Application contact: Zeke Vanderhoek
Mailing address: 267 W 124Th Street Apt 4B, New York, NY 10027
Phone: (646) 662-6747
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Shamash Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Jewish Communal Fund ($115K). Together the top 10 received $199K.
Grant Size Distribution
44 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 41 grants of 44 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 78% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York. The filing also lists 12% for recipients whose state is unspecified, 3% for Louisiana, 2% for New Hampshire, and 2% for California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Shamash Fund open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 0 of 15 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. How we count
- 87% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 116% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2022–2024). 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 2022 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $155K (2023) to $207K (2024). In 2024 it made 15 grants totaling $207K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish Communal Fund New York, NY | General Support | $115,000 |
| Jewish Agency for Israel New York, NY | NONE | $25,000 |
| International Committee for Red Cro | General Support | $25,000 |
| Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies New York, NY | General Support | $7,500 |
| American Jewish World Service Etna, NH | General Support | $5,000 |
| Teach for America New York, NY | General Support | $5,000 |
| Bnai Jeshurun New York, NY | General Support | $5,000 |
| Innocence Project New Orleans New Orleans, LA | General Support | $5,000 |
| The New Israel Fund Philadelphia, PA | General Support | $3,000 |
| So CA Education Fund Los Angeles, CA | General Support | $3,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Shamash Fund?
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 | $2,688,768 | $285,059 | $252,422 | $206,500 | 15 | $207,880 | $240,517 | $178,578 |
| 2023 | $2,656,132 | $264,828 | $191,758 | $155,000 | 15 | $156,357 | $229,427 | $157,118 |
| 2022 | $2,583,062 | $20,085 | $224,161 | $184,000 | 14 | $185,196 | $28,626 | $167,132 |
| 2021 | $2,787,138 | $202,713 | $43,360 | — | — | $1,598 | $160,951 | $177,599 |
| 2020 | $2,627,700 | $116,271 | $31,579 | — | — | — | $85,217 | $161,067 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Shamash Fund reported a distributable amount of $179K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is stated. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. Among the grantees, Innocence Project New Orleans says it works to free people it describes as innocent or unjustly sentenced and to address systemic causes of wrongful convictions. Teach for America says its mission is to find, develop, and support leaders to teach underserved students.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $206,500 through 15 grants. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $115,000, with a median grant of $5,000. Its largest listed grants were $115,000 to Jewish Communal Fund, $25,000 to Jewish Agency for Israel, and $25,000 to the International Committee for the Red Cross. Other listed awards included $7,500 to Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies and $5,000 each to American Jewish World Service, Teach for America, B’nai Jeshurun, and Innocence Project New Orleans.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Ezekiel Vanderhoek as president and Stephanie Green as secretary.
Shamash Fund is led by Ezekiel Vanderhoek, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ezekiel Vanderhoek
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephanie Green
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Shamash Fund
How much does Shamash Fund give each year?
Shamash Fund gave $207K across 15 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $155K across 15 grants.
What is Shamash Fund's typical grant size?
Shamash Fund's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $13,767, across 15 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Shamash Fund give grants?
Shamash Fund gives mostly in New York: 78% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (6 grants).
Does Shamash Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 93% of Shamash Fund's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (14 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Shamash Fund's largest grantees?
Shamash Fund's largest 2024 grantees include Jewish Communal Fund ($115,000), Jewish Agency for Israel ($25,000) and International Committee for Red Cro ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 80% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Shamash Fund?
Shamash Fund reported $2.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $208K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $179K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Shamash Fund fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is stated. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. Among the grantees, Innocence Project New Orleans says it works to free people it describes as innocent or unjustly sentenced and to address systemic causes of wrongful convictions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Shamash Fund?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Shamash Fund's EIN?
Shamash Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-1432061. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Shamash Fund 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Shamash Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/shamash-fund-morg_21b842ffd51b4b9dac548f0d681cc008
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_271432061_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Shamash Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/shamash-fund-morg_21b842ffd51b4b9dac548f0d681cc008},
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 Shamash Fund'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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