Donald M Ephraim Family
Highland Park, IL · EIN 36-3739581. Reported 308 grants totalling $4,886,113 to 103 recipients across tax years 2021-2025. This foundation told the IRS it does not accept unsolicited requests: it contributes only to organizations it selects itself.
Does this foundation accept applications?
No -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation to check a box if it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds". Donald M Ephraim Family checked it on its most recent filing, as 78% of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered did. An unsolicited request is unlikely to go anywhere.
Organizations it funds that make grants of their own
5 of the organizations Donald M Ephraim Family funded make grants themselves, and it reported 23 grants totalling $206,380 to them. That is 10% of the $1,966,013 of its giving we could match to a registered organization. Each is classified by the IRS as a philanthropy or grantmaking organization, reported grants to at least 25 organizations of its own, and has at least 10 funders behind it.
All of them file Form 990, which never asks whether an organization funds only groups it picks, so there is no answer on record either way.
What that does not mean. It does not mean an application to any of them reaches this foundation's money. A private foundation's grant to a community foundation or a federated campaign is often a donor-advised fund or a gift designated for a purpose the foundation chose, and has nothing to do with any open programme the receiving organization runs. Its return's purpose text sometimes names a family fund or a designated purpose, which is the plainest case of money no applicant can reach; where it names none, neither return says which. The list is who this foundation paid that also makes grants. Whether any of them would fund you is a question for its own page.
| Grantmaker | Kind | State | Received | Grants | Years | Last | Only funds organizations it picks? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County Inc | federated giving programme | Florida | $143,580 | 5 | 5 | 2025 | Its form does not ask |
| Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago | federated giving programme | Illinois | $52,200 | 7 | 5 | 2025 | Its form does not ask |
| Highland Park Community Foundation | community foundation | Illinois | $8,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 | Its form does not ask |
| Greater Miami Jewish Federation Inc | federated giving programme | Florida | $1,500 | 3 | 3 | 2025 | Its form does not ask |
| Jewish Federation of Metropolitan | federated giving programme | Illinois | $600 | 3 | 3 | 2025 | Its form does not ask |
A floor, not a full list. A grantmaker appears here only where this foundation's return named it clearly enough for us to match the name to an EIN, which we manage for about two thirds of 990-PF grant rows, and only where that grantmaker has a page on this site. There may be more. Dollars here are summed by EIN across every spelling on its returns, so a figure can differ from the matching row in the full list below, which groups names as written. And the IRS classification cannot tell a grantmaker from a funders' association or a donor-advised fund sponsor, so a payment to one of these may be dues or an account rather than support for a grants programme.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $750. Half of everything it gave fell between $300 and $2,000; the smallest was $50 and the largest $765,000.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Chicago Law School | Chicago, IL | $2,640,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| American Jewish Committee | New York, NY | $680,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | Brookline, MA | $501,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Morselife Foundation | West Palm Beach, FL | $183,500 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County | West Palm Beach, FL | $143,580 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Cultural Council for Palm Beach County | Lake Worth, FL | $140,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (camera) | Boston, MA | $125,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Birthright Israel Foundation | New York, NY | $85,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Wttw | Chicago, IL | $55,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago | Chicago, IL | $52,200 | 7 | 5 | 2025 |
| Natas Chicago Foundation | Chicago, IL | $23,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Depaul University | Chicago, IL | $19,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Israel Emergency Alliance Dba Standwithus | Los Angeles, CA | $17,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | Palm Beach, FL | $12,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Kravis | West Palm Beach, FL | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Ark | Chicago, IL | $10,550 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Jack Miller Center | Bala Cynwyd, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Highland Park Community Foundation | Highland Park, IL | $8,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| School of the Art Institute Gene Siskel Film Center | Chicago, IL | $8,250 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Brown University | Providence, RI | $8,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Hadassah | Northbrook, IL | $7,200 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| District 112 Foundation | Highland Park, IL | $6,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Foundation of the Cmw Chapter of Natas Inc | Chicago, IL | $6,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Palm Beach Symphony | West Palm Beach, FL | $6,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Respiratory Health Association | Chicago, IL | $6,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Giants Football Fund | Highland Park, IL | $5,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| 112 Education Foundation | Highwood, IL | $5,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Glazer Hall | Palm Beach, FL | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Henry Morrison Flagler Museum | Palm Beach, FL | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Keshet | Northbrook, IL | $4,750 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Thycathyroid Cancer Survivors' Association | Olney, MD | $4,750 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Maltz Jupiter Theater | Jupiter, FL | $3,575 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Maot Chitim of Greater Chicago | Northbrook, IL | $3,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Pkd Foundation | Kansas City, MO | $3,500 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Illinois Holocaust Memorial Museum | Skokie, IL | $3,250 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Shalva | Chicago, IL | $3,250 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Greater Chicago Food Depository | Chicago, IL | $3,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Jewish on Campusatid Movement | New York, NY | $3,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| North Suburban Synagogue Beth El | Highland Park, IL | $3,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Tufts University Hillel | Medford, MA | $3,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Chicago Run | Chicago, IL | $2,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Congregation Beth Judea | Long Grove, IL | $2,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Kids Rank (network for Good) | Highland Park, IL | $2,250 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Anti-Defamation League | New York, NY | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Chabad of Bloomington | Bloomington, IN | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Nourishing Hope | Chicago, IL | $2,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| United States Holocaust Memorial Museum | Washington, DC | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| University of Chicago Medicine | Chicago, IL | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Universityof Massachusetts Hillel | Amherst, MA | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| College Bound Opportunities | Riverwoods, IL | $1,850 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Hadassah | New York, NY | $1,800 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Chicago Coalition for the Homeless | Chicago, IL | $1,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Greater Miami Jewish Federation | Miami, FL | $1,500 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Kids Rank | Highland Park, IL | $1,500 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Middle East Forum | Philadelphia, PA | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Les Turner Als Foundation | Skokie, IL | $1,408 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Hillel International | Washington, DC | $1,400 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Shalom Hartman Institute | New York, NY | $1,300 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| ACLU Foundation | New York, NY | $1,250 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation | New York, NY | $1,250 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Rory David Deutsch Foundation | Highland Park, IL | $1,250 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Spertus Institute | Chicago, IL | $1,250 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| American Cancer Society | Hagerstown, MD | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| American Friends of Magen David Adom | New York, NY | $1,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness | Chicago, IL | $1,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Field Museum | Chicago, IL | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Friends of the Israel Defense Forces | New York, NY | $1,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Lafayette College Hillel | Easton, PA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Museum of Science and Industry | Chicago, IL | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Simon Wiesenthal Center | Los Angeles, CA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| University of Michigan Hillel | Ann Arbor, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Wholesome Wave | Bridgeport, CT | $1,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Hillel Foundation | Washington, DC | $800 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Rotary Club of Highland Park | Highland Park, IL | $800 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Na'amat USA | Los Angeles, CA | $750 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Planned Parenthood | New York, NY | $750 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Planned Parenthood Foundation | New York, NY | $750 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| National Celiac Association | Needham, MA | $700 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Metro Chicago Hillel | Chicago, IL | $600 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| American Friends of Israel Sports Center for the Disabled | Northfield, IL | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women | Albuquerque, NM | $500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund | New York, NY | $500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Girls on the Run | Chicago, IL | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| GO4THEGOAL Foundation | Cherry Hill, NJ | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Jewish on Campusatid Movement | Lake Worth, FL | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Lakeview Pantry | Chicago, IL | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Lungevity | Chicago, IL | $500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Lurie Childrens Hospital | Chicago, IL | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Veterans of Foreign Wars | Kansas City, MO | $500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Leukemia and Lymphoma Society | Rye Brook, NY | $300 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| National Multiple Sclerosis Society | Allentown, PA | $300 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Scope | New York, NY | $300 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Coalition to Stop Gun Violence | Albuquerque, NM | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Cornell College Football | Mt Vernon, IA | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Icenter | Northbrook, IL | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| National Multiple Sclerosis Society | New York, NY | $200 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Curt's Cafe | Evanston, IL | $150 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Baltimore Zionist District | Baltimore, MD | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Blood Cancer United | Washington, DC | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Boston CASA | Boston, MA | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Family Service of Lake County | Highland Park, IL | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Leukemia and Lymphoma Society | Washington, DC | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Scope (summer Camp Opportunities Promote Education) | New York, NY | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
73 of 103 (71%) received money in more than one year over the 5 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 80%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is unusually consistent. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one, and this foundation told the IRS it does not.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- University of Chicago Law School
DONALD M EPHRAIM PROFESSORSHIP IN LAW AND ECONOMICS - Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
$435,000 FOR THE DONALD M EPHRAIM ENDOWED FUND FOR CANCER RESEARCH AND $65,000 TO THE DONALD M EPHRAIM FUND FOR CANCER RESEARCH. - American Jewish Committee
DONALD M EPHRAIM PROJECT INTERCHANGE ALUMNI AWARD ENDOWMENT FUND - Morselife Foundation
$75,000 FOR DONALD M EPHRAIM SUN & STARS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County
$50,000 FOR PALM BEACH JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL; $10,000 FOR JCC BURN THE MORTGAGE - Cultural Council for Palm Beach County
$40,000 INSTITUTE FOR CULTURAL ADVANCEMENT
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 157 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 67 | $715,574 | $900 |
| 2022 | 60 | $1,015,280 | $650 |
| 2023 | 62 | $938,908 | $650 |
| 2024 | 62 | $988,051 | $875 |
| 2025 | 57 | $1,228,300 | $750 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
59% of its giving went to organizations in Illinois.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more. Unlike this foundation, none of them is on record as funding only organizations it picks, and each page says what its filings show.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Donald M Ephraim Family's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2021-2025). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: 2070 Green Bay Road 199, Highland Park, IL, 60035. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS.
EIN 36-3739581 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
Is something here wrong about your foundation? Email [email protected] and we will correct it.