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Lipsky Fred & Sarah Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Lipsky Fred & Sarah Foundation

Its FY2017 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$2.2M
Granted FY2017
34
Grants FY2017
7
States reached
$2.1M
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its fieldRead

Read this first · the figures below need context

95% of Lipsky Fred & Sarah Foundation’s FY2017 grant dollars went to Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund, not to grantees.

Its money now reaches organizations through that sponsor, which does not report who recommended each grant. FY2017 names 21 organizations directly, so a portfolio cannot be read from it.

01What it funds
01FY2017 · 34 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2017

  • Under $10k30 grants · $74k
  • $10k–50k3 grants · $38k
  • $250k+1 grant · $2.1M
$2,000
Median grant
7
States reached
$0
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUN$2,074,383
ACTION POST SOVIET JEWRY$18,000
HILLEL COUNCIL OF NEW ENGLAND$10,000
DANA FARBER CANCER RESEARCH$10,000
MAIMONIDES SCHOOL$9,000
THE SECOND STEP$6,500
LUPUS FOUNDATION OF NEW ENGLAND$5,000
ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION$5,000
CONGREGATION ETZ CHAIM$4,500
JEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN'S SERVICES$4,200
AHAVATH TORAH CONGREGATION$3,800
SHALOH HOUSE SDEROT CHILDREN'S CAMP$3,600
FRIENDS OF YEMIN ORDE$3,000
STRIAR HEBREW ACADEMY$2,200
AMERICANS FOR PEACE & TOLERANCE$2,000
02The need
02

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 (FY17–17, $1k) land where the poverty rate runs at 16%, against an area that typically sits at 11%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 11%PINE STREET INN: $1k → 16%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.
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 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
American Israel Public Affairs Committee

To strengthen and expand the u.s.-israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of the united states and israel.

International
2
Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Committed to exceptional healthcare quality for all and actively engaged with our community, einstein drives scientific discovery and educates compassionate leaders in health and science.

Education
3
American Friends of Torah and Tefilah Ramat Eshkol Inc

To promote and support jewish religious charitable and educational activities in israel & usa.

Religion
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 Shalom Hartman Institute of North America

The shalom hartman institute (shi) is a leading research and educational center serving israel and world jewry. we work to enrich the moral and spiritual life of israel and the jewish people, deepen the commitment to pluralism and israel's…

International
6
Jewish Electorate Institute

The jewish electorate institute (jei) is an independent, non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization that surveys, interprets, reports, and educates the public about the perspectives, voting behaviors, and motivations of the american jewish…

Civil Rights
7
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
8
Israeli-American Council

The organization's mission is to build an engaged and united israeli-american community that strengthens the israeli and jewish identity of our next generation, the american-jewish community and the bond between the peoples of the united…

Human Services
9
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
10
Jewish Voice Ministries Intl

To proclaim the gospel, grow the messianic jewish community and engage the church concerning israel and the jewish people. this is done through education, evangelism and being a movement leader, all with excellence in order to transform…

—
11
One for Israel

One for israel's purposes are to unite u.s. and international churches, ministries and individuals for the proclamation of the gospel in israel, to raise funds for evangelism and gospel proclamation, to provide tangible relief for israel's…

—
12
The Israel Innovation Fund Inc

Our vision is to reignite the zionist spirit and meet the needs of jewish civilization in the twenty-first century by connecting people around the world through the vibrancy and creativity of contemporary israeli culture.

Arts & Culture
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Jewish Family & Children's Service Inc; the most unlike its peers is Americans for Peace and Tolerance Inc. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
03the grantee network

16 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. 16 of the 34 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)
2
Early backer (in before they grew)
16/16
Grantees still filing
13/16
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND: $2,074,383 · Community ImprovementFIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUNDACTION POST SOVIET JEWRY: $18,000 · OtherHILLEL COUNCIL OF NEW ENGLAND INC: $10,000 · OtherDANA FARBER CANCER RESEARCH: $10,000 · OtherMAIMONIDES SCHOOL: $9,000 · OtherTHE SECOND STEP INC: $6,500 · OtherCONGREGATION ETZ CHAIM INC: $4,500 · OtherJEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN'S SERVICE INC: $4,200 · OtherAHAVATH TORAH CONGREGATION: $3,800 · OtherSHALOH HOUSE SDEROT CHILDREN'S CAMP: $3,600 · Other+12 more: $16,900 · OtherIMPACTISRAEL INC: $3,000 · InternationalAmerican Friends of Livnot ULehibanot: $2,000 · InternationalAMERICANS FOR PEACE AND TOLERANCE INC: $2,000 · InternationalCOMMITTEE FOR ACCURACY IN MIDDLE EAST REPORTING IN AMERICA INC: $2,000 · InternationalISRAEL EMERGENCY ALLIANCE: $1,500 · InternationalAMERICAN CONGRESS FOR TRUTH INC: $1,000 · InternationalALZHEIMER'S DISEASE & RELATED DISORDERS ASSOCIATION INC: $5,000 · HealthLUPUS FOUNDATION OF NEW ENGLAND INC: $5,000 · HealthChildren's Hospital Corporation: $1,000 · HealthTHE SATO PROJECT: $1,500 · AnimalsPINE STREET INN INC: $1,000 · Human ServicesYESHIVAT MAALE GILBOA USA INC: $500 · Philanthropy
Community Improvement$2,074,383Other$86,500International$11,500Health$11,000Animals$1,500Human Services$1,000Philanthropy$500

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 budgetFIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND: $2,074,383 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetHILLEL COUNCIL OF NEW ENGLAND INC: $10,000 over 1y, 1.1% of budgetALZHEIMER'S DISEASE & RELATED DISORDERS ASSOCIATION INC: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLUPUS FOUNDATION OF NEW ENGLAND INC: $5,000 over 1y, 2.1% of budgetJEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN'S SERVICE INC: $4,200 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetIMPACTISRAEL INC: $3,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetAMERICANS FOR PEACE AND TOLERANCE INC: $2,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetCOMMITTEE FOR ACCURACY IN MIDDLE EAST REPORTING IN AMERICA INC: $2,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetISRAEL EMERGENCY ALLIANCE: $1,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHE SATO PROJECT: $1,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetPINE STREET INN INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetAMERICAN CONGRESS FOR TRUTH INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetChildren's Hospital Corporation: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetYESHIVAT MAALE GILBOA USA INC: $500 over 1y, 0.3% 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.

Combined Jewish Phila…Jewish Communal FundVanguard Charitable E…National Philanthropi…Donor Advised Charita…Fidelity Investments …American Online Givin…Amazonsmile Foundation
Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston IncMA17.1× affinity6 shared granteesties to 7 of 7Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston Inc · Jewish Communal Fund · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · National Philanthropic Trust · Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund · American Online Giving Foundation Inc · Amazonsmile Foundation

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 Lipsky Fred & Sarah Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Lipsky Fred & Sarah Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 70%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%15%30%45%60%share of the org’s income from government →median 11%
  • The Second Step Inc: 26% of income from government
  • Pine Street Inn Inc: 11% of income from government
  • Children's Hospital Corporation: 10% of income from government
  • Jewish Family & Children's Service Inc: 1% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
7get no government money at all
0rely on government for over half their income
⤢ axis zoomed · 0–60%
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 34 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 2017, released 2017. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Lipsky Fred & Sarah’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