Skip to content
James L Pollack Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

James L Pollack Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$35k
Granted FY2025still arriving
6
Grants FY2025still arriving
6
States reached
$21k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
0197% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2019 to 2025.

International$26kPhilanthropy$21kReligion$18kEducation$2kCivil Rights$2kHealth$118Environment$86Arts & Culture$60Other$0
02FY2025 · 6 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k5 grants · $14k
  • $10k–50k1 grant · $21k
$5,000
Median grant
6
States reached
$1.1M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
JNF DONOR ADVISED FUND$20,695
STANDWITHUS$5,825
FOUNDATION FOR DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACIES$5,000
MIDDLE EAST FORUM$2,100
OPEN DOOR MEDIA$1,000
MISERICORDIA$500
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:

Dollar for dollar, its grants (FY19–25) land where the poverty rate runs at 17%, against an area that typically sits at 11%. 100% of its dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 11%MAYO CLINIC: $15 → 9%MIDDLE EAST FORUM: $2k → 22%SIERRA CLUB FOUNDATION: $15 → 10%STANDWITHUS: $6k → 14%ISRAEL CHILDREN'S CANCER FOUNDATION: $85 → 6%ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA: $5k → 17%COLUMBUS JEWISH FOUNDATION: $100 → 16%WORLD WILDLIFE FUND: $36 → 14%OPEN DOOR MEDIA: $1k → 13%TEMPLE EMMANU-EL: $110 → 15%VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS FOUNDATION: $15 → 15%DUCKS UNLIMITED INC: $35 → 17%MISERCORDIA HEART OF MERCY: $500 → 14%NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION: $16 → 6%MIDDLE EAST FORUM: $2k → 22%STANDWITHUS: $3k → 14%ISRAEL CHILDREN'S CANCER FOUNDATION: $18 → 6%ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA: $5k → 17%ALLIANCE TO COMBAT EXTREMISM FUND INC: $600 → 14%COCONUT GROVE ARTS FESTIVAL: $60 → 15%MISERICORDIA: $500 → 14%MIDDLE EAST FORUM: $1k → 22%STANDWITHUS: $3k → 14%JNF DONOR ADVISED FUND: $21k → 17%FRIENDS OF ELNET: $1k → 14%STAND WITH US: $2k → 14%ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA: $6k → 17%STAND WITH US: $750 → 14%AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAIFA: $2k → 17%SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER: $1k → 14%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

MN
IL
NY
PA
CA
MO
VA
TN
SC
DC
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.

59%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$41k · 5 repeat orgs$28k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +52% since the first grant, against +37% for those funded once.

5 repeat relationships: 3 still active in FY2025, 2 since wound down; 3 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

5
14

Total granted

$41k
$6k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+52%
+37%

Still filing today

100%
50%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 37% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $22k went to new ones.

50%100%’19’20’21’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

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

’19’20’21’23’24’25
InternationalEnvironmentReligionArts & CultureHealthEmploymentOther
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

  • ZO
    ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA
    3× · 2019–2023 · $16k · revenue +64%
  • IE
    ISRAEL EMERGENCY ALLIANCE
    5× · 2019–2025 · $13k · revenue +52%
  • FF
    Foundation for the Defense of Democracies Inc
    2× · 2020–2025 · $7k · revenue +117%

Funded once

  • AF
    AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAIFA
    one grant, 2019 · $2k
  • FO
    FRIENDS OF ELNETgraduated
    one grant, 2019 · $1k · revenue +77%
  • SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER INCgraduated
    one grant, 2019 · $1k · revenue +37%
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
Us Middle East Project Inc

The organization's mission is to engage in non partisan analysis of u.s. foreign policy in the middle east, with special emphasis on the middle east peace process, and to present policymakers in the united states, in the region and in the…

International
2
Institute for Eastwest Studies Inc

Eastwest institute (ewi) works to reduce international conflict, addressing seemingly intractable problems that threaten world security and stability. (continued on schedule o)

—
3
Weizmann Institute of Science

The weizmann institute of science, located in rehovot, israel, is one of the worlds top-ranking, multidisciplinary research institutions. at any one time, several thousand scientists, staff and students are involved in hundreds of research…

Science & Tech
4
The Jewish Agency for Israel

The jewish agency binds jews across ideologies and civilizations together in a worldwide jewish family with israel at its center. it provides the global framework for aliyah, ensures global jewish safety, strengthens jewish identity and…

—
5
The Israel Institute Inc

The israel institute, inc. (the institute) enhances knowledge about modern israel by ensuring that more students have access to courses about israel during their time on campus.

International
6
International Crisis Group

Crisis group works to prevent and resolve deadly conflict around the world by informing and influencing the perceptions and actions of policymakers and other key conflict actors. to this end, we endeavour to talk to all sides and provide…

International
7
International Coalition for Israel - Usa

International coalition for israel usa (ici-usa) is a u.s. based organization inititated by the european coalition for israel to promote international cooperation and trans-atlantic relations, to further engage the international…

International
8
Voices United for Israel

Educational information regarding Israel and the Middle East.

International
9
Middle East Media and Research Institute Inc

The middle east media research institute (memri) explores the middle east through its media, providing timely translations from arabic, farsi, urdu, pashtu, and turkish media and publishing original analysis of political, ideological,…

International
10
Observer Research Foundation America

Organization mission the observer research foundation america orf america is an independent, non-partisan, and nonprofit organization in washington dc dedicated to addressing policy challenges facing the united states, india, and their…

International
11
Foundation for Middle East Peace
Philanthropy
12
The American Islamic Forum for Democracy

Aifd's mission is to advocate for the preservation of the founding principles of our u.s. constitution, liberty, and freedom, through the separation of mosque and state. public engagement program provides education to the general public on…

International
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Israel Emergency Alliance; the most unlike its peers is Israel Childrens Cancer Foundation Inc. 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

15 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. 15 of the 23 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)
1
Early backer (in before they grew)
14/15
Grantees still filing
11/15
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

ISRAEL EMERGENCY ALLIANCE: $13,075 · InternationalISRAEL EMERGENCY ALLIANCEFoundation for the Defense of Democracies Inc: $7,000 · InternationalFoundation for the Defense of Democracies …MIDDLE EAST FORUM: $5,200 · InternationalMIDDLE EAST FORUMFRIENDS OF ELNET: $1,000 · InternationalJNF DONOR ADVISED FUND: $20,695 · OtherJNF DONOR ADVISED FUNDAMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAIFA: $2,000 · OtherAMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HA…+7 more: $2,470 · Other+7 moreZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA: $16,000 · ReligionZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AME…OPENDOR MEDIA INC: $1,000 · ReligionOPENDOR MEDIA INCSIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER INC: $1,000 · Arts & CultureISRAEL CHILDRENS CANCER FOUNDATION INC: $103 · HealthMAYO CLINIC: $15 · HealthWORLD WILDLIFE FUND INC: $36 · EnvironmentDucks Unlimited Inc: $35 · EnvironmentSIERRA CLUB FOUNDATION: $15 · EnvironmentNATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION: $16 · AnimalsVETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS FOUNDATION: $15 · Employment
International$26,275Other$25,165Religion$17,000Arts & Culture$1,000Health$118Environment$86Animals$16Employment$15

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 budgetZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA: $16,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetISRAEL EMERGENCY ALLIANCE: $13,075 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetFoundation for the Defense of Democracies Inc: $7,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetMIDDLE EAST FORUM: $5,200 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetFRIENDS OF ELNET: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetAlliance to Combat Extremism Fund: $600 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetISRAEL CHILDRENS CANCER FOUNDATION INC: $103 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetWORLD WILDLIFE FUND INC: $36 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetDucks Unlimited Inc: $35 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION: $16 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMAYO CLINIC: $15 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSIERRA CLUB FOUNDATION: $15 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetVETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS FOUNDATION: $15 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.

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.

Jewish Communal FundFidelity Investments …
Jewish Communal FundNY12.6× affinity4 shared granteesties to 1 of 1Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Jewish Communal Fund · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund

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 James L Pollack Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from James L Pollack Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 10%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%3%5%8%10%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    1get no government money at all
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–10%
    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.

    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 23 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 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on James L Pollack’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