The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation
The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation is a public charity based in San Francisco, California. Its stated purpose is to support the charitable, educational, and religious purposes of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties.
The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation at a glance
In short: The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation gave $5.1M across 39 grants in 2025 (avg $131K), mostly in California. 8% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $5,124,823
- +2.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 39
- -66.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $131,406
- +210.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $133,172
- -98.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (3 of 37, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (68% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation
- Next open deadline
- March 31, 2027 (College Scholarship Program)
- Contact
Mailing address: 121 Steuart Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: (415) 512-6276
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
7 open opportunities from The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation
College Scholarship Program
The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Expected ~March
Based on past cycles
DAF & Supporting Foundation Grants
The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Federation-Directed Grants
The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Jewish Community Center of the East Bay ($2.7M across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $4.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
597 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 433 grants of 597 (73%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grants went primarily to recipients in California, which received 68% of grant dollars, and New York, which received 21%. Recipients in Washington, DC received 5%, Nevada recipients 3%, and Texas recipients 1%. The filing also describes the foundation’s grants as advancing the supported Federation’s mission to address issues facing the Jewish community.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 39 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 37 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $45K; repeat grants $147K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $50K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.5M (2019) to $11.7M (2021). In 2025 it made 39 grants totaling $5.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish Community Center of the East Bay Berkeley, CA | Capital Campaign | $2,500,000 |
| Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund New York, NY | General Support | $409,288 |
| Jewish Community Center of the East Bay Berkeley, CA | General Purposes | $200,000 |
| Center for Reproductive Rights New York, NY | General Purposes | $190,000 |
| Protect Democracy Project Washington, DC | General Support | $150,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Northern California Concord, CA | General Purposes | $140,000 |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc New York, NY | Israel Religious Action Center (Irac) | $134,611 |
| Anti-Defamation League New York, NY | General Support | $125,000 |
| California Homebuilding Foundation Sacramento, CA | Unrestricted Funds Towards the Bita Program | $108,874 |
| Jewish Community Federation San Francisco, CA | General Support | $106,400 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $133,172 | $177,620 | $5,197,594 | $5,124,823 | 39 | $177,620 |
| 2024 | $6,496,707 | $4,456,493 | $5,585,849 | $4,999,838 | 118 | $4,456,493 |
| 2023 | $11,971,761 | $2,828,354 | $5,282,399 | $4,654,128 | 119 | $1,210,575 |
| 2022 | $13,733,272 | $2,849,697 | $4,739,674 | $4,144,500 | 116 | $849,697 |
| 2021 | $22,908,068 | $7,466,234 | $12,114,895 | $11,742,791 | 205 | $1,971,942 |
| 2020 | $19,321,931 | $1,750,329 | $4,147,210 | $3,570,676 | 145 | $1,750,329 |
| 2019 | $22,861,356 | $4,784,749 | $2,882,436 | $2,486,220 | 111 | $804,543 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to operate for charitable, educational, or religious purposes by conducting or supporting activities for the benefit of, or to carry out the purposes of, the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties. The filing says it makes grants to other publicly supported 501(c)(3) organizations.
The 2025 grantees include organizations working in Jewish community services, civil rights, reproductive rights, democracy, health care, and antisemitism. For example, the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay describes its mission as strengthening the Jewish and general community through traditional, cultural, recreational, and social services in a welcoming Jewish environment. Lambda Legal describes its work as advancing civil rights for LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV through litigation, education, and public policy. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 39 grants totaling $5,124,823. Grant amounts ranged from $6,000 to $2,500,000, with a median of $50,000.
The largest listed award was $2,500,000 to the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay for a capital campaign. Other notable grants included $409,288 to Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund for general support; $200,000 to the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay for general purposes; $190,000 to the Center for Reproductive Rights for general purposes; and $150,000 to Protect Democracy Project for general support. The foundation also awarded $140,000 to Planned Parenthood Northern California for general purposes and $125,000 to the Anti-Defamation League for general support.
The filing says the foundation requests that grantees use funds in accordance with the grant request and budget, return funds not spent for the stated purpose, and provide reports when appropriate.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jennifer Chaiken as president and director; Julie Chaiken and Dana Chaiken as vice presidents and directors; Ivor Silver as director and treasurer; and Lisa Tabak as director and secretary. It also lists Joy Sisisky, Rebecca Randall, Tanya Shadoan, and Nicolas Elsishans (through March 7, 2025) as assistant treasurers.
The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation is led by Jennifer Chaiken, Director & President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 8 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jennifer Chaiken
Director & President
Director & Vice President → Director & President From May 8th, 2023
Director & President From May 8th → Director & President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dana Chaiken
Vice President & Director
Vice President → Vice President & Director From May 8th, 2023
Vice President & Director From May 8th → Vice President & Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ivor Silver
Director & Treasurer
Treasurer → Director & Treasurer, 2020
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julie Chaiken
Vice President & Director
Vice President → Vice President & Director From May 8th, 2023
Vice President & Director From May 8th → Vice President & Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Tabak
Director & Secretary
Director, Assistant Treasurer & Assistant Secretaty → Director, Assistant Treasurer & Assistant, 2021
Director, Assistant Treasurer & Assistant → Director & Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joy Sisisky
Assistant Treasurer
Assistant Treasurer From June 9th → Assistant Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca Randall
Assistant Treasurer
Assistant Treasurer From Jan 18th → Assistant Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tanya Shadoan
Assistant Treasurer
Assistant Treasurer From June 9th → Assistant Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (7)
- Former: Nicolas Elsishans (2023–2025) — Assistant Treasurer · Filing note: Thru 30725
- Former: Amy R. Friedkin (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Eileen Ruby (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Donald Chaiken (2019–2023) — Director & President to May 8th
- Former: Brian Kataoka (2023) — Assistant Treasurer From Jan 18th to June 9th
- Former: Ami Nahshon (2019) — Director - to Dec
- Former: Jen Chaiken (2019) — Vice President
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation
How much does The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation give each year?
The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation gave $5.1M across 39 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $5.0M across 118 grants.
What is The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation's typical grant size?
The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $131,406, across 39 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation that year got $45K on average.
Where does The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation give grants?
The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation gives mostly in California: 68% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (21%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (9 grants), San Francisco, CA (5 grants), Berkeley, CA (4 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 62% of The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (24 of 39) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation's largest grantees?
The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Jewish Community Center of the East Bay ($2,700,000 across 2 grants), Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund ($409,288) and Center for Reproductive Rights ($190,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation?
The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation reported $133K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $178K.
What does The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to operate for charitable, educational, or religious purposes by conducting or supporting activities for the benefit of, or to carry out the purposes of, the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation?
The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation's EIN?
The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1585703. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 14, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 10, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 9, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-donald-and-carole-chaiken-foundation-morg_9d92f1af638b43df96e6c100de72899a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_311585703_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-donald-and-carole-chaiken-foundation-morg_9d92f1af638b43df96e6c100de72899a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-09. 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 Donald and Carole Chaiken 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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