The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation
The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation is a private foundation based in Towson, Maryland. Its 2025 filing lists grants to charitable organizations, primarily in Maryland, with additional grants in New York and Michigan.
The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation at a glance
In short: The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation gave $76K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Maryland. 17% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $75,840
- +8.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- +9.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,297
- -1.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $261,169
- -10.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (4 of 23, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (77% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation
- 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 for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 409 Washington Avenue Suite 900, Towson, MD 21204
Phone: (410) 494-0100
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Congreg Shomrei Mishmeres Hakodesh ($11K). Together the top 10 received $64K.
Grant Size Distribution
106 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 106 grants of 106 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 77% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland, 18% to recipients in New York, and 5% to recipients in Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 23 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $750 first-time, $2K repeat.
- 78% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−8%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 122% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $63K (2020) to $82K (2022). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $76K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Congreg Shomrei Mishmeres Hakodesh Baltimore, MD | Operations | $11,400 |
| Bais Yaakov School for Girls Owings Mills, MD | Operations | $11,000 |
| Talmudical Academy of Baltimore Baltimore, MD | Operations | $10,000 |
| American Friends of Yeshiva D'Mir Brooklyn, NY | Operations | $8,300 |
| Keren Uforatzto Inc Brooklyn, NY | Operations | $5,000 |
| Congregation Shomrei Emunah Baltimore, MD | Operations | $4,500 |
| NER Israel Rabbinical College Baltimore, MD | Operations | $4,100 |
| Yeshiva Beth Yehudah Southfield, MI | Operations | $4,000 |
| Nat'l Conference of Synagogue Youth Baltimore, MD | Operations | $3,300 |
| Congregation Derech Chaim Inc Baltimore, MD | Operations | $2,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $261,169 | $49,798 | $80,040 | $75,840 | 23 | $75,840 | $46,298 | $62,032 |
| 2024 | $291,411 | $60,019 | $74,778 | $70,130 | 21 | $70,130 | $56,519 | $58,070 |
| 2023 | $306,170 | $75,102 | $82,210 | $78,410 | 20 | $78,410 | $71,902 | $51,491 |
| 2022 | $313,278 | $56,868 | $86,633 | $82,340 | 22 | $82,340 | $53,868 | $67,894 |
| 2021 | $343,043 | $69,169 | $69,050 | $66,350 | 20 | $66,350 | $66,469 | $74,078 |
| 2020 | $342,924 | $42,821 | $65,555 | $62,955 | 20 | — | $40,221 | $55,235 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation reported a distributable amount of $62K for 2025 — 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 provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including congregations, schools, and other organizations. Among the grantees described in their own statements, American Friends of Yeshiva D’Mir said it primarily raises funds for distribution to Israeli institutions of higher learning; Keren Uforatzto said it facilitates Jewish community activities and charitable works; Menucha said it addresses the needs of families with children with developmental disabilities; and Mesorah Baltimore said it educates Jewish women in Judaic principles.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 23 grants totaling $75,840. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $11,400, with a median of $1,500.
The largest listed grants included $11,400 to Congregation Shomrei Mishmeres Hakodesh, $11,000 to Bais Yaakov School for Girls, and $10,000 to Talmudical Academy of Baltimore. Other notable grants were $8,300 to American Friends of Yeshiva D’Mir, $5,000 to Keren Uforatzto, $4,500 to Congregation Shomrei Emunah, and $4,100 to Ner Israel Rabbinical College. The listed grant purposes were operations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Herman Berlin as president and treasurer, Sherry Berlin as vice president and secretary, and Louis F. Friedman as assistant secretary and treasurer.
The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation is led by Herman Berlin, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Herman Berlin
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Louis F. Friedman
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sherry Berlin
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation
How much does The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation give each year?
The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation gave $76K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $70K across 21 grants.
What is The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation's typical grant size?
The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $3,297, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation give grants?
The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation gives mostly in Maryland: 77% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (18%) and Michigan (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Baltimore, MD (18 grants) and Brooklyn, NY (2 grants).
Does The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Operations" (23 grants).
Who are The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation's largest grantees?
The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Congreg Shomrei Mishmeres Hakodesh ($11,400), Bais Yaakov School for Girls ($11,000) and Talmudical Academy of Baltimore ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 43% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation?
The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation reported $261K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $76K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $62K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including congregations, schools, and other organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation's EIN?
The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1948488. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Alvin & Rose Berlin 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 2020 (received by the IRS April 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 8, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 7, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 10, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 20, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Alvin & Rose Berlin Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-alvin-and-rose-berlin-foundation-morg_bb98908e3f384f6a85130ed247495850
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_521948488_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Alvin \& Rose Berlin Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-alvin-and-rose-berlin-foundation-morg_bb98908e3f384f6a85130ed247495850},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. 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 The Alvin & Rose Berlin 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.
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