The Rona Jaffe Foundation
The Rona Jaffe Foundation is a private foundation established in 1995 by Rona Jaffe, a New York Times bestselling author known for her novels "The Best of Everything" (1958) and "Mazes and Monsters" (1981). Based in Dix Hills, New York, the foundation supports women writers and select health and human services organizations.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$28.9M
-6.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.3M
+0.7% YoY
Grant Count
83
+3.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$28K
-2.9% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Rona Jaffe Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary focus is supporting women writers in the early stages of their careers who work in literary fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. The foundation aims "to identify and support emergent women writers of exceptional promise in recognition of the special contributions women writers make to our culture."
Beyond literary support, the foundation also provides grants to health organizations and human services initiatives, with particular emphasis on literacy programming and cancer research support.
Grantmaking
The foundation operates several distinct grant programs:
Grant Range
**: $1,000 to $200,000
How to Apply
Unsolicited applications and nominations are not accepted. The foundation identifies and selects recipients directly. Competitive candidates are typically beyond the student stage and need not be young in years, as the foundation recognizes that talent may emerge at any life stage. Grants are intended to supplement living costs and allow women to make time for writing, with funds potentially covering child care, research, and related travel costs.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in New York and Vermont, with additional grantmaking activity in Connecticut and Washington.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
- Total Assets: $28,891,483
- Total Annual Giving: $2,285,000 to $2,428,200
- Total Revenue: $1,226,959
- Total Expenses: $3,079,989
- Giving Rate: 8.1%
- Number of Employees: 3
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $28,891,483 | $30,744,521 | $32,713,598 |
| Revenue | $1,226,959 | $1,031,605 | $4,180,077 |
| Expenses | $3,079,989 | $2,998,717 | $3,225,500 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,428,200 | $2,396,200 | $2,512,200 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,156,497 | $961,853 | $4,101,691 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,788,127 | $1,761,081 | $1,891,800 |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center ($200,000), Island Harvest ($65,000), Doctors Without Borders ($60,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 826 NYC BROOKLYN, NY | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $35,000 |
| ACLU FOUNDATION OF CONNECTICUT HARTFORD, CT | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $5,000 |
| ACLU FOUNDATION NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $5,000 |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF MAGEN DAVID ADOM NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $10,000 |
| AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATION WASHINGTON, DC | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $10,000 |
| ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $40,000 |
| ART START NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $30,000 |
| BALDWIN FOR THE ARTS BROOKLYN, NY | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $20,000 |
| BIRTHDAY WISHES NATICK, MA | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $35,000 |
| BRAINBEHAVIOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $10,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Robert Wishnew: President/Treasurer ($231,000 annual compensation)
- Alan C. Rothfeld: Executive Vice President/Secretary ($175,000 annual compensation)
- Beth McCabe: Executive Director ($155,000 annual compensation)
- Marc N. Simon: Trustee
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROBERT WISHNEW | PRESIDENT/TREASURER | 35 | $231,000 |
| ALAN C ROTHFELD | EXEC VP/ SEC'Y | 35 | $175,000 |
| BETH MCCABE | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 35 | $155,000 |
| MARC N SIMON | TRUSTEE | 5 | $15,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation actively tracks and celebrates the achievements of its award recipients. Recent highlights include:
News from Award Winners: New Works & AchievementsMultiple award recipients publishing new books in 2025, including works by Gabrielle Calvocoressi, Ashley M. Jones, Margaree Little, Karen E. Bender, Lydi Conklin, Julia Elliott, Lori Ostlund, Jennie Erin Smith, and Debbie Urbanski
News from Award Winners: New Works & AchievementsAward recipients receiving significant literary honors, including Gabrielle Calvocoressi and Honorée Fanonne Jeffers receiving literary recognition
Rachel Aviv (2010 award recipient) receiving a 2024 Polk Award
$25,000 Rona Jaffe Award in poetry goes to Melanie DraneA $500,000 grant to UPMC Children's Hospital Foundation to support literacy programming
The Rona Jaffe Foundation Gives $500,000 to Support Literacy Programming\An $85,000 grant to the New York Public Library for the Summer Reading Program and Cullman Center
A $190,000 grant to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center for General Operations and the Visible Ink Program
A $65,000 grant to Island Harvest for General Operations and the Backpack Program
The foundation maintains a 15-year partnership with the Iowa Writers' Workshop, providing graduate fellowships to emerging writers.
Celebrating 15 Years of The Rona Jaffe Foundation Graduate Fellowship at\Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Rona Jaffe Foundation fund?
The foundation's primary focus is supporting women writers in the early stages of their careers who work in literary fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. The foundation aims "to identify and support emergent women writers of exceptional promise in recognition of the special contributions women writers make to our culture." Beyond literary support, the foundation also provides grants to health organizations and human services initiatives, with particular emphasis on literacy programming and…
How do I apply for a grant from The Rona Jaffe Foundation?
The foundation operates several distinct grant programs: • **Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers' Awards**: The flagship program supporting individual women writers • **Creative Writing Fellowship**: Average award of $30,063 • **Writers for Recovery**: Supporting substance abuse recovery through creative writing ($15,000 average) • **Voices from War**: Supporting veterans and military families ($13,750 average) • **Support of Iowa Writers' Workshop**: $28,750 average award • **Summer Reading Program …
Where does The Rona Jaffe Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in New York and Vermont, with additional grantmaking activity in Connecticut and Washington.
What size grants does The Rona Jaffe Foundation award?
In 2024, The Rona Jaffe Foundation awarded 83 grants totaling $2.3M — an average of about $28K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Rona Jaffe Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Rona Jaffe Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.8M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
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 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Rona Jaffe 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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