The Judy And Michael Steinhardt
The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life is the philanthropic vehicle of Michael (and Judy) Steinhardt focused on strengthening American Jewish life through programs, grants, and initiatives. The site includes an About page, named leadership and staff, a programs section describing grantmaking activity, and a recent public statement (Oct 2025) about winding down operations through 2028.
Source: Website · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
Established Jewish or Jewish-affiliated nonprofits, particularly New York–based organizations or programs with demonstrated alignment to the foundation’s stated mission and existing networks.
Good Fit
- • Clear programmatic match to strengthening American Jewish life or Jewish education/cultural work
- • Located in New York or serving New York Jewish communities
- • Track record with recognized Jewish-sector institutions or existing relationships with trustees/staff
- • Project scale consistent with six-figure to mid-size grants
Geography
Observed giving is highly concentrated in New York, with roughly 91% of dollars going to NY-based recipients despite grants appearing across seven states in the latest year.
Recipient Variety
The latest year shows a broad recipient set—30 grants to 23 distinct organizations—indicating substantial variety in who receives funding in the observed period.
New Applicants
The foundation’s public materials and application notes indicate grants are to preselected/invited recipients; although many grantees in 2023 were labelled as new, the documented process is invitation-only, so an unfamiliar applicant would have low apparent likelihood of entering the portfolio without a prior connection.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
