The Righteous Persons Foundation
The Righteous Persons Foundation (RPF) is a private 501(c)(3) foundation established in November 1994 and based in Los Angeles, California. Founded by filmmaker Steven Spielberg following his experience directing Schindler's List in 1993, the foundation uses art, storytelling, and philanthropy to advance Jewish life and social justice. RPF has distributed more than $160 million in grants to date.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$37K
-53.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$8.9M
+147.2% YoY
Grant Count
30
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$297K
+147.2% YoY
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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's vision centers on where Jewish life intersects with art, culture, media, beauty, justice, and joy. RPF funds innovative approaches that:
- Uplift the power of art and storytelling
- Inspire efforts to build a more just society
- Bring people together across lines of difference
- Expand access to Jewish history and tradition
- Ensure that the moral lessons of the Holocaust are preserved for future generations
The foundation currently focuses on national-scope organizations and projects that:
- Contribute to a fuller, more expansive Jewish Story by highlighting the vibrancy, complexity, and diversity of Jewish life
- Express the Jewish value of human dignity by building relationships across religious divides to reduce antisemitism and racialized hate
- Strengthen faith-rooted moral leadership and advance social justice
Grantmaking
Notable recent grants include:
Grant Range
$100,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations with national scope in the United States. Recent grantmaking has concentrated in New York, the District of Columbia, and California.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Data (2024):
- Total Assets: $36,549
- Total Revenue: $9,312,890
- Total Expenses: $9,354,034
- Total Giving: $8,900,000
Historical Data (2023):
- Total Assets: $77,700
- Revenue: $4,025,107
- Expenses: $4,070,000
The foundation operates with zero employees and is staffed by volunteer board members.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $36,549 | $77,693 | $119,512 |
| Revenue | $9,312,890 | $4,025,107 | $3,445,002 |
| Expenses | $9,354,034 | $4,066,926 | $3,735,740 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $9,346,738 | $4,058,339 | $3,730,740 |
| Net Investment Income | $390 | $107 | $2 |
| Distributable Amount | $5,647 | $5,212 | $7,343 |
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
136 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include University of Southern California ($5,000,000), Jewish Story Partners ($500,000), Reboot Inc ($500,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AMMUD THE JOC TORAH ACADEMY INC NEW YORK, NY | JEWISH COMMUNITY | $75,000 |
| AVODAH THE JEWISH SERVICE CORPS INC NEW YORK, NY | SOCIAL JUSTICE | $125,000 |
| BEND THE ARC-A JEWISH PARTNERSHIP FOR JUSTICE NEW YORK, NY | SOCIAL JUSTICE | $150,000 |
| BLUE CARD INC NEW YORK, NY | SUPPORT FOR HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS | $75,000 |
| CHRONICLE OF A PEOPLE FOUNDATION INC TAPPAN, NY | ARTS & CULTURE | $100,000 |
| FJC - A FOUNDATION OF PHILANTHROPIC FUNDS NEW YORK, NY | APPLYING JEWISH WISDOM | $75,000 |
| FRIENDS OF ISRAEL STORY NEW YORK, NY | ARTS & CULTURE | $100,000 |
| INSTITUTE FOR JEWISH SPIRITUALITY INC NEW YORK, NY | APPLYING JEWISH WISDOM | $100,000 |
| INSTITUTE FOR JEWISH SPIRITUALITY INC NEW YORK, NY | APPLYING JEWISH WISDOM | $75,000 |
| JEWISH COUNCIL FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS NEW YORK, NY | SOCIAL JUSTICE/COMBATING ANTISEMITISM | $250,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Steven Spielberg – Director
- Kate Capshaw Spielberg – Director
- Gerald Breslauer – President and Director
- Kristie Macosko Krieger – Director
- Michael Rutman – Chief Financial Officer
- Tammy Anderson – Secretary and Director
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KATE CAPSHAW SPIELBERG | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| STEVEN SPIELBERG | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| KRISTIE MACOSKO KRIEGER | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| GERALD BRESLAUER | PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR [THRU 12/31] | 0.5 | — |
| MICHAEL RUTMAN | CFO [THRU 12/31], DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| TAMMY ANDERSON | SECRETARY [THRU 12/31], DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| MEGHAN CHRISTIANSEN | SECRETARY [AS OF 12/31] | 0.5 | — |
| MICHAEL RUTMAN | PRESIDENT [AS OF 12/31], DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| TAMMY ANDERSON | CFO [AS OF 12/31], DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In late 2024, the USC Shoah Foundation received a $30 million endowment grant from RPF. The foundation's work includes supporting Holocaust survivor testimonies and efforts to increase knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust while building a future that rejects antisemitism, hatred, and dehumanization.
US: Righteous Persons Foundation Grant Program ... - fundsforNGOsRPF grantees have been active in public advocacy, with multiple grantee organizations releasing joint statements on issues affecting the Jewish community, including statements rejecting false choices between Jewish safety and democracy.
Jewish Film Institute Awards Grants to Seven Groundbreaking ...Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Righteous Persons Foundation fund?
The foundation's vision centers on where Jewish life intersects with art, culture, media, beauty, justice, and joy. RPF funds innovative approaches that: • Uplift the power of art and storytelling • Inspire efforts to build a more just society • Bring people together across lines of difference • Expand access to Jewish history and tradition • Ensure that the moral lessons of the Holocaust are preserved for future generations The foundation currently focuses on national-scope organizations and p…
How do I apply for a grant from The Righteous Persons Foundation?
**Grant Characteristics:** • Typical grant awards range from $7,500 to $5,000,000 • Median grant size: $100,000 • The foundation made 22-30 grants in recent years **Recent Grant Activity:** Notable recent grants include: • $5,000,000 to University of Southern California for support of Holocaust survivors (2024) • $500,000 to Jewish Story Partners for arts and culture (2024) • $250,000 to Jewish Council for Public Affairs for social justice and combating antisemitism (2024) • $30,000,000 endowme…
Where does The Righteous Persons Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations with national scope in the United States. Recent grantmaking has concentrated in New York, the District of Columbia, and California.
What size grants does The Righteous Persons Foundation award?
In 2024, The Righteous Persons Foundation awarded 30 grants totaling $8.9M — an average of about $297K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Righteous Persons Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Righteous Persons Foundation reported a distributable amount of $6K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
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.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Righteous Persons Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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