The Rona Jaffe Foundation
The Rona Jaffe Foundation is a private foundation based in Dix Hills, New York. Its programs have supported emerging women writers and literary nonprofits; its 2025 grants also went to organizations working in areas including health, food assistance, education, and human rights.
The Rona Jaffe Foundation at a glance
In short: The Rona Jaffe Foundation gave $2.3M across 79 grants in 2025 (avg $29K), mostly in New York. 9% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,315,500
- +1.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 79
- -4.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $29,310
- +6.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $28,773,654
- -0.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (7 of 79, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (64% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Rona Jaffe Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 21 Wildwood Drive, Dix Hills, NY 11746-6039
Phone: (631) 491-5340
Website: https://ronajaffefoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Rona Jaffe Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center ($278K). Together the top 10 received $843K.
Grant Size Distribution
410 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 368 grants of 410 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, New York recipients received 64% of grant dollars and Vermont recipients received 13%. Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts each accounted for 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 79 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Rona Jaffe Foundation open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 79 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $31K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 89% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−2%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 137% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.2M (2020) to $2.4M (2022). In 2025 it made 79 grants totaling $2.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center New York, NY | General Operations, Visible Ink Program & Endowed Fellowship | $277,500 |
| Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation Pittsburgh, PA | Healthy Stories Program | $100,000 |
| New York Public Library New York, NY | Summer Reading Program & Cullman Center | $85,000 |
| Island Harvest Melville, NY | General Operations and Backpack Program | $70,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | General Operations | $60,000 |
| Equality Now New York, NY | General Operations | $50,000 |
| Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Seattle, WA | General Operations | $50,000 |
| Friends of School in the Square New York, NY | General Operations | $50,000 |
| Planned Parenthood of Greater New York New York, NY | General Operations | $50,000 |
| Vermont Foodbank South Barre, VT | General Operations | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Rona Jaffe Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $28,773,654 | $3,011,312 | $3,129,859 | $2,315,500 | 79 | $2,463,200 | $2,938,856 | $1,799,842 |
| 2024 | $28,891,483 | $1,226,959 | $3,079,989 | $2,285,000 | 83 | $2,428,200 | $1,156,497 | $1,788,127 |
| 2023 | $30,744,521 | $1,031,605 | $2,998,717 | $2,268,500 | 80 | $2,396,200 | $961,853 | $1,761,081 |
| 2022 | $32,713,598 | $4,180,077 | $3,225,500 | $2,353,500 | 84 | $2,512,200 | $4,101,691 | $1,891,800 |
| 2021 | $31,757,116 | $2,944,285 | $2,978,828 | $2,216,000 | 84 | — | $2,890,616 | $1,951,536 |
| 2020 | $31,791,659 | $1,882,804 | $3,057,407 | $2,201,000 | 86 | — | $1,833,739 | $1,835,041 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Rona Jaffe Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.8M for 2025 — 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 says its programs support emerging women writers of exceptional promise, recognizing their contributions to culture and the obstacles some face in finding time to write and gaining attention. Its national Writers’ Awards program ran from 1995 through 2020, awarded grants to 164 women writers, and provided more than $3 million in total. The foundation says it has also supported fellowships at cultural and educational nonprofit institutions and vital literary nonprofits.
Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. Island Harvest says its mission is to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island; Vermont Foodbank says it works so no one in Vermont will go hungry. Equality Now says it seeks legal and systemic change addressing violence and discrimination against women and girls worldwide. Planned Parenthood of Greater New York describes itself as a provider of sexual and reproductive health services and an advocate for health equity. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center says its mission is to create a world free of cancer.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 79 grants totaling $2,315,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $277,500, with a median of $25,000.
The largest listed grant was $277,500 to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center for general operations, its Visible Ink program, and an endowed fellowship. Other notable grants included $100,000 to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation for its Healthy Stories program; $85,000 to New York Public Library for its Summer Reading Program and Cullman Center; and $70,000 to Island Harvest for general operations and its Backpack Program. The foundation also gave $60,000 to Doctors Without Borders for general operations and $50,000 each to Equality Now, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Friends of School in the Square, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, and Vermont Foodbank.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Robert Wishnew as president/treasurer, Alan C. Rothfeld as executive vice president/secretary, Beth McCabe as executive director, and Marc N. Simon as trustee.
The Rona Jaffe Foundation is led by Beth McCabe, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; all 4 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Beth McCabe
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
35 hrs/week
$155K (2020) → $166K (2025)
Robert Wishnew
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
35 hrs/week
$195K (2020) → $231K (2025)
Marc N. Simon
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$10K (2020) → $15K (2025)
Alan C. Rothfeld
Executive Vice President & Sec'y
On filings since 2020
35 hrs/week
$175K (2020) → $175K (2025)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $231K, to Robert Wishnew (President/Treasurer). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Rona Jaffe Foundation
How much does The Rona Jaffe Foundation give each year?
The Rona Jaffe Foundation gave $2.3M across 79 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.3M across 83 grants.
What is The Rona Jaffe Foundation's typical grant size?
The Rona Jaffe Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $29,310, across 79 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Rona Jaffe Foundation that year got $15K on average.
Where does The Rona Jaffe Foundation give grants?
The Rona Jaffe Foundation gives mostly in New York: 64% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Vermont (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (31 grants), Brooklyn, NY (6 grants), St Johnsbury, VT (3 grants) and Melville, NY (2 grants).
Does The Rona Jaffe Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 82% of The Rona Jaffe Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (65 of 79) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Rona Jaffe Foundation's largest grantees?
The Rona Jaffe Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center ($277,500), Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation ($100,000) and New York Public Library ($85,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Rona Jaffe Foundation?
The Rona Jaffe Foundation reported $28.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Rona Jaffe Foundation fund?
The foundation says its programs support emerging women writers of exceptional promise, recognizing their contributions to culture and the obstacles some face in finding time to write and gaining attention. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Rona Jaffe Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Rona Jaffe Foundation's EIN?
The Rona Jaffe Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3383860. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Rona Jaffe Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 23, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Rona Jaffe Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-rona-jaffe-foundation-morg_30f1b0554d35449b8ffb8cc23241174f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133383860_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Rona Jaffe Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-rona-jaffe-foundation-morg_30f1b0554d35449b8ffb8cc23241174f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Rona Jaffe 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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