The Gottesman Fund
The Gottesman Fund is a private family foundation established in 1965 by David S. Gottesman, an early investor in Berkshire Hathaway. Based in New York, NY, with additional offices in Washington, DC, the foundation is one of the nation's most significant private family foundations. The organization holds 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and is managed by members of the Gottesman family.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.4B
+13.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$83.8M
+127.7% YoY
Grant Count
99
+8.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$846K
+109.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Gottesman Fund is dedicated to three core missions:
- Enhancing and perpetuating Jewish life in the United States
- Supporting cultural, medical, scientific, and educational institutions in the United States
- Improving the quality of life for Israel's inhabitants
Primary funding focus areas include education, arts, creative writing, historic buildings, journalism, human services, and philanthropy.
Grantmaking
The fund does not provide public phone, email, or website contact information. Success rate and decision timeline are not publicly disclosed. The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis.
Grant Range
s & Activity:**
Average Grant
amount: $404,368
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking is primarily concentrated in New York and New Jersey, though it maintains national reach for Jewish causes and supports organizations and initiatives in Israel.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2024):
- Total assets: $1.436 billion
- Total revenues: $252.9 million
- Total expenses: $87.2 million
- Total liabilities: $0
Historical Context: Following a major infusion in 2023, the fund's endowment grew five-fold to approximately $1.3 billion, dramatically expanding its grantmaking capacity from approximately $24 million in 2021 to nearly $84 million in 2024.
Tax-Exempt Status: Tax-exempt since October 1965 (EIN: 52-6061469)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,436,620,157 | $1,270,914,132 | $264,170,808 |
| Revenue | $252,896,422 | $1,044,524,963 | $-2,596,565 |
| Expenses | $87,190,398 | $37,781,637 | $27,073,697 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $85,711,080 | $37,596,287 | $25,779,427 |
| Net Investment Income | $126,867,492 | $14,970,338 | $1,582,971 |
| Distributable Amount | $76,707,159 | $39,143,637 | $22,569,985 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Diane Eidman - Director (as of 2024)
The foundation is led by Ruth Gottesman, David's widow and professor emerita at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| RUTH L GOTTESMAN | CO-PRESIDENT | 3 | — |
| ROBERT W GOTTESMAN | TREASURER | 3 | — |
| ALICE R GOTTESMAN | CHAIRPERSON | 3 | — |
| WILLIAM L GOTTESMAN | CO-PRESIDENT | 3 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has been active in supporting Jewish educational and cultural initiatives. Recent grant announcements include:
Foundation for Jewish Camp Announces New $15 Million ...A $15 million grant to the Foundation for Jewish Camp for capital expansion projects at Jewish camps
FJC Awards Additional $4.5M to Camps for Capital ...Additional $4.5 million awarded to camps for capital expansion through the Foundation for Jewish Camp partnership
FJC Awards Additional $4.5M to Camps for Capital ...A $25 million gift to Yeshiva University to support stem cell and epigenomic research and clinical skills training at the medical school
Gottesmans Give $25 Million to Support Stem Cell and Epigenomic ResearchRuth Gottesman made headlines in 2024 with a historic $1 billion personal donation to Albert Einstein College of Medicine to provide free medical school tuition in perpetuity.
Einstein College of Medicine Gets $500,000 Gift for Library - Jewish TelegraphicRelated Funders
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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