The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation
The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Washington, DC. It makes grants to charitable organizations; its 2025 filing lists grants for general programs, including awards to congregations, schools, and other organizations.
Key facts about The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation
In short: The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation gave $95K across 38 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), top state District of Columbia. 66% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 52-1557778
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $94,704
- Grants made (2025)
- 38
- Average grant
- $2,492
- Median grant
- $826
- New grantees (estimate)
- 66% first-time grantees (25 of 38, 2025)
- Total assets
- $450,986
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (47% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$451K
-7.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$95K
+1.3% YoY
Grant Count
38
-37.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2K
+62.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $32K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
66%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 25 of 38 grantees (66%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $732 first-time, $900 repeat.
- 32% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 54% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 302% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filings do not state a mission. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, the National Ramah Commission describes its work as coordinating and strengthening the religious, educational, programmatic, health, and safety pillars of the Ramah camping movement. Kinneret Day School says it aims to educate students to contribute to the Jewish community and become citizens of the world. Feeding America describes its mission as ensuring equitable access to nutritious food.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 38 grants totaling $94,704. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $30,484, with a median of $826. Among its largest grants were $30,484 to Adas Israel Congregation, $11,000 to Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School, and $10,000 each to Ner Tamid and the National Ramah Commission. These grants were listed for general programs.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went primarily to recipients in DC (47%), Maryland (24%), and New York (19%). Smaller shares went to California (3%) and Massachusetts (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 38 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $10K (2020) to $204K (2022). In 2025 it made 38 grants totaling $95K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Adas Israel Cong ($30K). Together the top 10 received $77K.
Grant Size Distribution
209 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 207 grants of 209 (99%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Adas Israel Cong Washington, DC | General Programs | $30,484 |
| Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School Washington, DC | General Programs | $11,000 |
| Ner Tamid Baltimore, MD | General Programs | $10,000 |
| National Ramah Commission New York, NY | General Programs | $10,000 |
| Woodside Synagogue Ahav Torah Silver Spring, MD | General Programs | $5,000 |
| Bnai Israel Congregation Rockville, MD | General Programs | $3,971 |
| Central Fund of Israel Cederhurst, NY | General Programs | $2,172 |
| Jewish Collab of Orange County Tusin, CA | General Programs | $1,800 |
| Edlav DCJCC Washington, DC | General Programs | $1,460 |
| Hebrew Institute of Riverdale Bronx, NY | General Programs | $1,240 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grants | Total grant dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 38 | $94,704 |
| 2024 | 61 | $93,513 |
| 2023 | 39 | $90,240 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $450,986 | $485,820 | $473,712 |
| Revenue | $75,080 | $91,077 | $5,220 |
| Expenses | $98,361 | $96,913 | $93,662 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $95,604 | $95,013 | $91,727 |
| Net Investment Income | $71,780 | $89,451 | $7,397 |
| Distributable Amount | $31,630 | $32,408 | $30,934 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 2, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 12, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists m bruce lewis as president, Sandy Roskes as vice president, and Bill Levenson as secretary and treasurer.
The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation is led by m bruce lewis, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
m bruce lewis
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sandy Roskes
Vice President
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bill Levenson
Secretary Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Wade Zev Lewis (2020–2024) — Secretary Treasurer
- Former: Mark Berch (2020–2022) — Vice President
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 3001 Veazey Ter Nw Apt 306, Washington, DC 20008
Phone: (240) 429-9406
Frequently asked questions about The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation
How much does The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation give each year?
The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation gave $95K across 38 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $94K across 61 grants.
What is The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $826, and its average grant was $2,492, across 38 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation give grants?
The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation's top state is District of Columbia, with 47% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Maryland (24%) and New York (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (9 grants), Washington, DC (5 grants), Baltimore, MD (2 grants) and Silver Spring, MD (2 grants).
Does The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (38 of 38) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Adas Israel Cong ($30,484), Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School ($11,000) and Ner Tamid ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation?
The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation reported $451K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $96K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $32K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filings do not state a mission. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation's EIN?
The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1557778. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The MB Lewis Charitable Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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