The Shemesh Joester Foundation
The organization is a private foundation dedicated to supporting a variety of charitable causes. Its mission revolves around humanitarian aid, civil rights, environmental conservation, and the arts, as evidenced by its funding to organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, the ACLU, and the Whitney Museum. The foundation primarily serves nonprofit organizations that address critical social issues, including food insecurity and international relief efforts. While it has a strong focus on organizations based in New York, its support extends to various causes across the United States.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
An established, visible charity (often New York–connected) with a track record in international relief, human services, arts/culture, or related areas and connections into the funder's network.
Good Fit
- • Strong program presence or partners in New York state.
- • Organizational visibility or reputation in international relief, human services, or arts.
- • Existing relationships or introductions to the foundation's trustees or known intermediaries.
- • Capacity to accept modest to mid-sized grants and to steward donor relationships.
Geography
Grantmaking touches multiple states but is heavily concentrated in one state, which received about 90% of grant dollars in the latest year.
Recipient Variety
The foundation funded 22 distinct recipients in the latest year and supports a range of mission areas, but dollar giving is highly concentrated among a few top recipients (the top five received about 96% of dollars).
New Applicants
New grantees appear in each observed year (for example nine new recipients in the latest year), but the foundation explicitly funds only preselected applicants and does not maintain a public application route, so entry for unfamiliar applicants likely depends on networked introductions.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
