OVERVIEW: The James Keene Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to Jewish causes across the United States.
IP TAKE: The foundation lacks transparency, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities. This is a good funder to know in the Jewish causes space.
PROFILE: The James Keene Foundation was established in 1987. It is steered by restaurateur Maurice Kirschenbaum and other family members. The family ran Levana Restaurant, named for Levana Kirschenbaum, Maurice’s wife, a kosher restaurant. The foundation does not maintain a website, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities. The James Keene Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to Jewish causes.
Grants range from $180 to $111,720. In a recent fiscal year, the foundation gave away around $277,000. Past grantees include Chabad of Washington Heights, Chabad of the West Side, Yeshiva Rabbi Isaac Jacob Reines, and Masbia, a network of kosher soup kitchens in New York City.
The James Keene Foundation keeps a low profile and does not accept unsolicited proposals.
PEOPLE:
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CONTACT:
James Keene Foundation
340 West Avenue, Room 1A
New York, NY 10023