The Righteous Persons Foundation
The Righteous Persons Foundation (RPF) is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. Its website says Steven Spielberg established it after directing Schindler’s List, and that he and Kate Capshaw have contributed additional funds over time. The foundation says it has made more than $160 million in grants to date.
The Righteous Persons Foundation at a glance
In short: The Righteous Persons Foundation gave $8.9M across 30 grants in 2024 (avg $297K), mostly in California. 22% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $8,900,000
- +147.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 30
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $296,667
- +147.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $100,000
- Total assets
- $36,549
- -53.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (6 of 27, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (65% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Righteous Persons Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
RPF accepts unsolicited requests through letters of inquiry (LOIs), typically twice a year, in spring and fall. It invites selected LOI applicants to submit full proposals. LOIs should be 2–3 pages and include the organization’s mission, activities, and history; a project description, objectives, issues, and target population, if applicable; the amount requested; and a responsible contact person. Applicants should attach a project and organizational budget, a list of secured and potential project funding, and documentation of 501(c)(3) status. Fiscal-sponsor applicants must also provide the sponsor’s tax-exempt letter and confirmation of its agreement to serve as sponsor. The foundation says it can fund only 501(c)(3) organizations, including projects applying through a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor.
- Review Cycle
- LOIs are typically accepted in spring and fall. The website says to check back in fall for information about the next LOI process; it does not provide a specific deadline.
- Deadline
- LOIs are typically accepted in spring and fall.
- Contact
Application contact: See Email Address
Mailing address: 400 S Beverly Drive Ste 420, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Phone: (310) 314-8393
Email: grants@righteouspersons.org
Website: https://righteouspersons.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Righteous Persons Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was University of Southern California ($5.0M). Together the top 10 received $7.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
136 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 70 grants of 136 (51%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
RPF says its current focus is on organizations and projects that are national in scope and support Jewish community in the United States. Its 2024 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in California (65%), New York (18%), Washington, D.C. (10%), Virginia (2%), and Oregon (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Righteous Persons Foundation open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 27 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $909K; repeat grants $164K. How we count
Medians: $63K first-time, $125K repeat.
- 67% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 238% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $2.6M (2021) to $8.9M (2024). In 2024 it made 30 grants totaling $8.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA | Support for Holocaust Survivorst for Holocaust Survivors | $5,000,000 |
| Jewish Story Partners Los Angeles, CA | Arts & Culture | $500,000 |
| Reboot Inc Washington, DC | Arts & Culture | $500,000 |
| Jewish Council for Public Affairs New York, NY | Social Justice/Combating Antisemitism | $250,000 |
| Jewish Funders Network New York, NY | Arts & Culture | $250,000 |
| Jews of Color Initiative Berkeley, CA | Jewish Community | $200,000 |
| Bend the Arc-a Jewish Partnership for Justice New York, NY | Social Justice | $150,000 |
| Jews United for Justice Inc Washington, DC | Social Justice/Combating Antisemitism | $150,000 |
| PBS Foundation Arlington, VA | Bridging Communities | $150,000 |
| T'ruah New York, NY | Social Justice/Combating Antisemitism | $150,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $36,549 | $9,312,890 | $9,354,034 | $8,900,000 | 30 | $9,346,738 | $390 | $5,647 |
| 2023 | $77,693 | $4,025,107 | $4,066,926 | $3,600,000 | 30 | $4,058,339 | $107 | $5,212 |
| 2022 | $119,512 | $3,445,002 | $3,735,740 | $3,370,000 | 31 | $3,730,740 | $2 | $7,343 |
| 2021 | $410,250 | $3,380,003 | $3,009,390 | $2,635,000 | 23 | $2,635,000 | $3 | $10,724 |
| 2020 | $39,637 | $2,479,597 | $3,032,101 | $2,655,500 | 22 | — | $4,097 | $29,711 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Righteous Persons Foundation reported a distributable amount of $6K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation describes its vision as a place where Jewish life meets art, culture, media, beauty, justice, and joy. It says it funds approaches that use art and storytelling, advance a more just society, bring people together across differences, expand access to Jewish history and tradition, and preserve the moral lessons of the Holocaust.
RPF’s current priorities are projects that contribute to a fuller and more diverse Jewish Story; build relationships across religious divides to reduce antisemitism and racialized hate; or strengthen faith-rooted moral leadership and advance social justice. Its 2024 grants included support for Holocaust survivors, arts and culture, Jewish community, social justice, and bridging communities.
Examples of grantees’ work, as described by the organizations themselves, include Jewish Story Partners’ grants and hands-on support for creative projects exploring diverse Jewish experiences; the Jewish Council for Public Affairs’ work to strengthen the Jewish community relations network and advance inclusion; and the Jews of Color Initiative’s work to advance racial equity in the U.S. Jewish community. Western States Center describes its work as building movements, developing leaders, shifting culture, and defending democracy through a focus on race, gender, justice, and equity.
Grantmaking
In 2024, RPF reported 30 grants totaling $8.9 million. Grants ranged from $7,500 to $5 million, with a median of $100,000. The largest listed awards included $5 million to the University of Southern California for Holocaust survivor support; $500,000 each to Jewish Story Partners and Reboot for arts and culture; and $250,000 each to the Jewish Council for Public Affairs for social justice and combating antisemitism and the Jewish Funders Network for arts and culture. Other listed grants included $200,000 to the Jews of Color Initiative and $150,000 each to Jews United for Justice, PBS Foundation, T’ruah, and Western States Center.
RPF does not fund organizations or initiatives that are not national in scope, serve people outside the United States, provide direct aid to individuals, or involve individual synagogues or day schools, conferences, seminars or workshops, capital or building campaigns, scholarships or university programs, fundraising events or mass mailings, endowment funds, or support for an existing deficit.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Kate Capshaw Spielberg, Steven Spielberg, and Kristie Macosko Krieger as directors. Gerald Breslauer was listed as president and director through December 31; Michael Rutman as CFO through December 31 and director; and Tammy Anderson as secretary through December 31 and director. As of December 31, Michael Rutman was listed as president and director, Tammy Anderson as CFO and director, and Meghan Christiansen as secretary.
The Righteous Persons Foundation is led by Gerald Breslauer, President & Director [ since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 7 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Gerald Breslauer
President & Director [
President & Director → President & Director [, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Rutman
CFO [ & President [
CFO → CFO [ & President [, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kate Capshaw Spielberg
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kristie Macosko Krieger
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven Spielberg
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tammy Anderson
Secretary [ & CFO [
Secretary & Director → Secretary [ & CFO [, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Meghan Christiansen
Secretary [
New on the 2024 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Righteous Persons Foundation
How much does The Righteous Persons Foundation give each year?
The Righteous Persons Foundation gave $8.9M across 30 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $3.6M across 30 grants.
What is The Righteous Persons Foundation's typical grant size?
The Righteous Persons Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $100,000, and its average grant was $296,667, across 30 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Righteous Persons Foundation that year got $909K on average.
Where does The Righteous Persons Foundation give grants?
The Righteous Persons Foundation gives mostly in California: 65% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (18%) and District of Columbia (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (12 grants), Washington, DC (6 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (3 grants).
Does The Righteous Persons Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 30 grants with a stated purpose on The Righteous Persons Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Arts & Culture" (8 grants), "Jewish Community" (3 grants) and "Social Justice" (3 grants).
Who are The Righteous Persons Foundation's largest grantees?
The Righteous Persons Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include University of Southern California ($5,000,000), Reboot Inc ($570,000 across 3 grants) and Jewish Story Partners ($500,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 68% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Righteous Persons Foundation?
The Righteous Persons Foundation reported $37K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $9.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $6K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Righteous Persons Foundation fund?
The foundation describes its vision as a place where Jewish life meets art, culture, media, beauty, justice, and joy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Righteous Persons Foundation?
RPF accepts unsolicited requests through letters of inquiry (LOIs), typically twice a year, in spring and fall. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Righteous Persons Foundation's EIN?
The Righteous Persons Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-4497916. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Righteous Persons Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Righteous Persons Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-righteous-persons-foundation-morg_2abb1870c7f44f18abe944ddad264da3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_954497916_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Righteous Persons Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-righteous-persons-foundation-morg_2abb1870c7f44f18abe944ddad264da3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Righteous Persons 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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