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Brian and Dafna Berman Family Foundation Inc at a glance

· Private foundation

Brian and Dafna Berman Family Foundation Inc

Its FY2023 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$203k
Granted FY2023
67
Grants FY2023
10
States reached
$62k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
0174% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2020 to 2023.

Religion$622kEducation$506kHealth$71kHuman Services$67kInternational$31kFood & Nutrition$25kPhilanthropy$14kYouth Development$11kOther$0
02FY2023 · 67 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2023

  • Under $10k62 grants · $100k
  • $10k–50k4 grants · $42k
  • $50k–250k1 grant · $62k
$1,000
Median grant
10
States reached
$0
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
MELVIN J BERMAN HEBREW ACADEMY$61,550
CHABAD SHUL OF POTOMAC$11,063
YOUNG ISRAEL EZRAS ISRAEL POTOMAC$11,000
OPERATION EMBRACE$10,000
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF SHALVA ISRAEL$10,000
JGIVE FRIENDS OF ASOR$7,180
CHARIDY INC$5,896
BIKUR CHOLIM OF GREATER WASHINGTON$5,000
INSTITUTE FOR DAYANIM$5,000
GREATER WASHINGTON COMMUNITY KOLLEL$5,000
YEHUDA MOND FOUNDATION$5,000
Individual grant recipient$5,000
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF YESHIVA HAKOTEL$5,000
CHABAD OF ROCKVILLE$3,017
BETH SHALOM CONGREGATION AND TALMUD TORAH$3,000
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Its human-services grants (FY20–23, $21k) land where the poverty rate runs at 8%, against an area that typically sits at 10%. 5% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Its grants skew toward lower-need ZIPs.

area typical 10%ISRAEL SELECT CHARITY FUND: $500 → 13%ISRAEL SELECT CHARITY FUND: $250 → 13%ATIME: $180 → 20%SULAM: $15k → 8%SULAM: $5k → 8%OHEL CHILDREN'S HOME & FAMILY SERVICES: $100 → 20%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.

Which US states its grants reach

IL
WI
MI
NY
MA
OH
PA
NJ
CT
CA
UT
MD
NC
DC
TX
FL
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

69%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$1.1M · 65 repeat orgs$471k to everyone else

65 repeat relationships: 33 still active in FY2023, 32 since wound down; 33 grantees were first funded in FY2023 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

65
90

Total granted

$1.1M
$412k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+8%
+51%

Still filing today

32%
17%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2023, 71% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $59k went to new ones.

50%100%’20’21’22’23
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’20’21’22’23
InternationalReligionEducationHuman ServicesPhilanthropyHealthOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • MJ
    MELVIN J BERMAN HEBREW ACADEMY
    2× · 2021–2023 · $162k · revenue +52%
  • MI
    MEOR INC
    2× · 2021–2022 · $110k · revenue +31%
  • SI
    Sulam Inc
    2× · 2021–2022 · $20k · revenue +8%

Funded once

  • YY
    YAD YEHUDA OF GREATER WASHINGTON INC
    one grant, 2020 · $100k
  • CO
    CHABAD-LUBAVITCH OF MARYLAND INC
    one grant, 2020 · $50k
  • M
    MJBHA
    one grant, 2022 · $50k
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Zohar Hatorah Inc

Religious School

Religion
2
Sherit Isroel
—
3
American Friends of Ish El Rayahu

To promote, benefit, and support Jewish religious, charitable & educational activities in Israel and the USA.

Religion
4
Yeshiva Ohr Yisroel
Philanthropy
5
Yeshivah Beth Israel Tifereth Menachem Foundation

To provide support to jewish religious education in israel and around the world, and provide financial assistance to and on behalf of yeshivah beth israel tifereth menachem.

Education
6
University of Judaism Foundation
—
7
American Friends of Oseh Chayil

To further jewish education in israel

Religion
8
American Friends of Neveh Zion

To voluntarily assist the house of religious learning known as yeshiva neveh zion in israel

Religion
9
Friends of Tzeirei Chabad in Israel Inc

To pursue a greater outreach of knowledge of the Jewish Torah and to further educate the less knowledgeable

Religion
10
Adi Israel Foundation Inc

Aleh Israel Foundation, Inc.(The Foundation)is a Foundation that provides support to rehabilitative centers caring for most severely disabled children in Israel.

International
11
Friends of Yeshiva Beer Abraham

Furtherance of jewish education

Religion
12
Etzion Foundation Inc co H Silvera

Etzion Foundation supports Yeshivat Har Etzion and its affiliated educational programs and is dedicated to fostering development of Jewish education and Jewish leadership in Israel and around the world.

Religion
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Emunah of America Inc; the most unlike its peers is Camp Extreme D/B/a Project Extreme. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

44 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 44 of the 189 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

0
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
10
Early backer (in before they grew)
43/44
Grantees still filing
27/44
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

YESHIVA HIGH SCHOOL OF GREATER WASHINGTON: $155,300 · OtherYESHIVA HIGH SCHOOL OF GREATER WASHINGTONYAD YEHUDA OF GREATER WASHINGTON INC: $100,000 · OtherYAD YEHUDA OF GREATER WASHINGTON INCCHABAD SHUL OF POTOMAC: $70,294 · OtherCHABAD SHUL OF POTOMACNCSY: $54,949 · OtherCHABAD-LUBAVITCH OF MARYLAND INC: $50,000 · OtherMJBHA: $50,000 · OtherCHABAD SHUL OF POTOMAC ADEL FUND: $50,000 · OtherYAD YEHUDA GREATER WASHINGTON: $43,000 · Other+149 more: $525,893 · Other+149 moreMEOR INC: $110,000 · EducationMEOR INCTHE TORAH SCHOOL OF GREATER WASHINGTON INC: $56,250 · EducationTHE TORAH SCH…AMERICAN FRIENDS OF YESHIVAT HAKOTEL INC: $9,008 · Education+2 more: $2,265 · EducationMELVIN J BERMAN HEBREW ACADEMY: $161,550 · ReligionMELVIN J BER…+5 more: $5,316 · ReligionBIKUR CHOLIM OF GREATER WASHINGTON INC: $17,309 · Community ImprovementImadi Inc: $6,370 · Community ImprovementEMUNAH OF AMERICA INC: $10,000 · InternationalISRAEL FOOD DISTRIBUTION INC CO MR AVI SCHOEMANN: $10,000 · InternationalFRIENDS OF THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES: $1,105 · InternationalCentral Fund of Israel: $1,000 · International+5 more: $1,210 · InternationalSulam Inc: $20,000 · Human ServicesGreater Washington Jewish Coalition Contd: $2,000 · Human Services+3 more: $1,030 · Human ServicesJGIVE-FRIENDS OF ASOR FUND USA INC: $7,920 · PhilanthropyPEF ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FUNDS INC: $7,000 · PhilanthropyAMERICAN FRIENDS OF LEKET ISRAEL INC: $4,500 · PhilanthropyFriends of Ohr Moshe Inc: $2,500 · Philanthropy+1 more: $5 · Philanthropy
Other$1,099,436Education$177,523Religion$166,866Community Improvement$23,679International$23,315Human Services$23,030Philanthropy$21,925

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetMELVIN J BERMAN HEBREW ACADEMY: $161,550 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetMEOR INC: $110,000 over 2y, 2.1% of budgetTHE TORAH SCHOOL OF GREATER WASHINGTON INC: $56,250 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetSulam Inc: $20,000 over 2y, 0.6% of budgetINSTITUTE FOR DAYANIM: $17,500 over 4y, 0.3% of budgetBIKUR CHOLIM OF GREATER WASHINGTON INC: $17,309 over 4y, 0.7% of budgetAMERICAN FRIENDS OF MEIR PANIM: $10,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetHebrew Free Loan Association of DC: $10,000 over 1y, 3.0% of budgetEMUNAH OF AMERICA INC: $10,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetISRAEL FOOD DISTRIBUTION INC CO MR AVI SCHOEMANN: $10,000 over 1y, 0.8% of budgetAMERICAN FRIENDS OF YESHIVAT HAKOTEL INC: $9,008 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetJGIVE-FRIENDS OF ASOR FUND USA INC: $7,920 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetPEF ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FUNDS INC: $7,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetImadi Inc: $6,370 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetCHARIDY INC: $5,896 over 1y, 2.5% of budgetShoresh Inc: $5,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetAMERICAN FRIENDS OF LEKET ISRAEL INC: $4,500 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetHeritage House Inc: $4,000 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetCAMP EXTREME D/B/A PROJECT EXTREME: $3,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetALEF BET MONTESSORI SCHOOL: $2,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetGreater Washington Jewish Coalition Contd: $2,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetSUNFLOWER BAKERY INC: $2,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetLev Experience: $1,975 over 2y, 0.6% of budgetMESORAH INC: $1,500 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetFRIENDS OF THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES: $1,105 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetKOLLEL TORAH TEMIMAH INC: $1,000 over 1y, 1.2% of budgetYOUTH ART FOR HEALING INC: $1,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetCentral Fund of Israel: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetIsrael Select Charity Fund Inc: $750 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetBALTIMORE BIKUR CHOLIM INC: $590 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetYeshivat Lev Torah: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetEZER MIZION: $350 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetVAAD HARABBANIM L'INYANEI TZEDUKA INC: $341 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetNEW TEACHER CENTER: $265 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMIDDLE EAST MEDIA AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE INC: $250 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHE GESHER FOUNDATION INC: $250 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION: $180 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetA Torah Infertilty Medium Exchange: $180 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBEN AND ESTHER ROSENBLOOM HILLEL CENTER FOR JEWISH LIFE AT UNIVERSITY OF MD: $180 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNE EMAN FOUNDATION USA: $180 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetFRIENDS OF YAD SARAH INC: $100 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetOhel Childrens Home & Family Services Inc: $100 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetAMERICA GIVES INC: $5 over 1y, 0.0% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

  • Who funds MELVIN J BERMAN HEBREW ACADEMY ↗
  • Who funds MEOR INC ↗
  • Who funds THE TORAH SCHOOL OF GREATER WASHINGTON INC ↗
  • Who funds Sulam Inc ↗
  • Who funds INSTITUTE FOR DAYANIM ↗
  • Who funds BIKUR CHOLIM OF GREATER WASHINGTON INC ↗
  • Who funds AMERICAN FRIENDS OF MEIR PANIM ↗
  • Who funds Hebrew Free Loan Association of DC ↗
  • Who funds EMUNAH OF AMERICA INC ↗
  • Who funds ISRAEL FOOD DISTRIBUTION INC CO MR AVI SCHOEMANN ↗
  • Who funds AMERICAN FRIENDS OF YESHIVAT HAKOTEL INC ↗
  • Who funds JGIVE-FRIENDS OF ASOR FUND USA INC ↗

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

The Dennis Berman Fam…The Jewish Federation…Jewish Communal FundMayberg Foundation IncAssociated Jewish Cha…The Gary and Pennie A…Berman Charitable Tru…Melvyn and Barbara Ci…The Ojc FundLeslie & Samuel Kapla…Aviv Foundation IncJack Adjmi Family Fou…
The Dennis Berman Family Foundation IncMD54.9× affinity24 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Dennis Berman Family Foundation Inc · The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington Inc · Jewish Communal Fund · Mayberg Foundation Inc · Associated Jewish Charities of Baltimore · The Gary and Pennie Abramson Charitable Foundation · Berman Charitable Trust · Melvyn and Barbara Ciment Family Foundation Inc · The Ojc Fund · Leslie & Samuel Kaplan Family Foundation · Aviv Foundation Inc · Jack Adjmi Family Foundation Inc

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization Brian and Dafna Berman Family Foundation Inc funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Brian and Dafna Berman Family Foundation Inc. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 150%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%13%25%38%50%share of the org’s income from government →median 2%
  • Greater Washington Jewish Coalition Contd: 28% of income from government
  • Melvin J Berman Hebrew Academy: 2% of income from government
  • The Torah School of Greater Washington Inc: 2% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
15get no government money at all
4report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
0rely on government for over half their income
⤢ axis zoomed · 0–50%
typical government reliance, FY20–25
How this is measured
Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.
05Through Plinth

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to Brian and Dafna Berman Family Foundation Inc?

Find your warmest path to Brian and Dafna Berman Family Foundation Inc through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 189 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

How this is measured
Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2023, released 2023. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Brian and Dafna Berman Family’s filings →

More from the funding graph

The unnamed billions
grants reported with no recipient in the public record
The regranting layer
51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
The DAF merry-go-round
$9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
The endowment market
who holds foundation money, and what just moved
The camps
funders cluster by geography, not ideology
By state
where grant money is based, and what stays home