The Panama Street Fund

Foundation · Grantmaker PHILADELPHIA, PA EIN: 20-1877195

The Panama Street Fund is a private foundation based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The organization holds 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and was established in 2005 according to IRS records.

Key facts about The Panama Street Fund

EIN: 20-1877195
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $215,306
Grants made (2024): 20
Average grant: $10,765
Median grant: $6,500
New grantees (estimate): 15% first-time grantees (3 of 20, 2024)
Total assets: $913,136
Primary geography: Pennsylvania (71% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals: No

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated June 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.

Who The Panama Street Fund funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Panama Street Fund's 20 itemized 2024 grants were Pennsylvania (71%), New York (15%) and Massachusetts (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (14 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants). 85% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Unresrticted" (3 grants).

Is The Panama Street Fund open to new grantees?

15%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 3 of 20 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $12K. How we count

Medians: $2K first-time, $10K repeat.

80% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Giving fell 52% from 2021 to 2024. Method
In 2024 it paid out 385% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Next steps with The Panama Street Fund

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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$913K

-12.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$215K

-43.8% YoY

Grant Count

-33.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$11K

-15.6% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Panama Street Fund reported a distributable amount of $56K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's grant-making priorities focus on:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services
COVID-19 relief and disaster preparedness
Public health
Health disparities
Food pantries and food security

Grantmaking

Grant Range

$7,000

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in:

Pennsylvania
New York
New Jersey

Grant Distribution by State

Pennsylvania $153K (71%)

New York $33K (15%)

Massachusetts $20K (9%)

District of Columbia $10K (5%)

New Jersey $80 (0%)

Share of all 20 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

States

Arizona California District of Columbia Massachusetts North Carolina New Jersey New York Ohio Pennsylvania Texas

Cities

PhiladelphiaNew YorkWashingtonBostonCedarhurstBala CynwdBala CynwydBuffaloChapel HillCherry HillClevelandEl PasoJamaica PlainJenkintownMcallenMonseyNarbethpaNew BrunswickNogalesPhialdelphia

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Giving:

Total assets: $913,136 (most recent filing)
Total assets reported elsewhere: $1,000,000
Annual giving: $215,306–$382,000
Giving rate: 36.7% of assets

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$913,136	$1,039,160	$1,362,844
Revenue	$100,028	$60,365	$-40,759
Expenses	$226,052	$384,049	$285,884
Qualifying Distributions	$215,306	$382,810	$283,499
Net Investment Income	$50,911	$62,555	$29,495
Distributable Amount	$55,940	$65,035	$83,742

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

March 1, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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

139 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Jewish Family Childrens Services ($50,000), Philabundance ($25,300), American Jewish World Service ($20,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
JEWISH FAMILY CHILDRENS SERVICES PHILADELPHIA, PA	UNRESTRICTED	$50,000
PHILABUNDANCE PHILADELPHIA, PA	UNRESTRICTED	$25,300
AMERICAN JEWISH WORLD SERVICE NEW YORK, NY	UNRESTRICTED	$20,000
PARTNERS IN HEALTH BOSTON, MA	UNRESTRICTED	$20,000
PROJECT HOME PHILADELPHIA, PA	UNRESTRICTED	$20,000
CHABAD OF NW PHILADELPHIA PHILADELPHIA, PA	UNRESTRICTED	$17,000
MAGEE REHABILITATION HOSPITAL PHILADELPHIA, PA	UNRESTRICTED	$10,000
NEW ISRAEL FUND WASHINGTON, DC	UNRESTRICTED	$10,000
AMERICA GIVES NEW YORK, NY	UNRESTRICTED	$10,000
AHAVAS TORAH CONGREGATION PHILADELPHIA, PA	UNRESTRICTED	$7,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.

From 2024 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Barabara Jaffe	President	—	—
Howard Langer	Secretary	—	—

Contact Information

Address: 1717 Arch Street, Suite 4020 Philadelphia, PA 19103-2739

EIN: 20-1877195

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Panama Street Fund fund?

The foundation's grant-making priorities focus on: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • COVID-19 relief and disaster preparedness • Public health • Health disparities • Food pantries and food security

How do I apply for a grant from The Panama Street Fund?

**Grant Characteristics:** • Typical award range: $25,000–$100,000 • Median grant size: $7,000 • Grant range observed: $1,000–$100,000 • Application policy: Invite-only (does not accept unsolicited applications) **Recent Activity:** • Made 22 grants in 2023 • Total giving in 2023: $382,000 • Total giving reported: $215,306 (based on most recent IRS Form 990 filing from 2024)

Where does The Panama Street Fund make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • Pennsylvania • New York • New Jersey

What size grants does The Panama Street Fund award?

In 2024, The Panama Street Fund awarded 20 grants totaling $215K — an average of about $11K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Panama Street Fund required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Panama Street Fund reported a distributable amount of $56K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.