Berman Family Foundation Inc.

## Funder Overview & Approach Strategy

The Berman Family Foundation Inc. (EIN 59-3613920) is a private independent foundation based in Jacksonville, FL, tax-exempt since April 2000. It is governed by the Berman and Stoddard families with all-volunteer leadership: Rochelle B. Stoddard (President), Eric Berman (VP), David Stoddard (VP), and Rebecca Jansson (Secretary). All officers receive $0 compensation — the foundation operates with zero administrative overhead, directing 100% of disbursements to charitable causes.

With total assets of ~$2.2M and a fair market value of ~$3.26M (including investment portfolio), the foundation is a modestly-sized but consistent grantmaker. Annual grantmaking runs $164,000–$192,000 based on recent filings. The foundation's website (bermanfamilyfoundation.org) is a minimal GoDaddy-hosted site with a contact form — not an active portal for grant applications. This strongly suggests the foundation operates as a self-directed, invitation-only grantmaker that does not accept or process unsolicited applications.

Board contact: % Charles Berman, 2500 Evergreen Ave, Jacksonville FL 32206

Fiscal year: Ends June 30 annually. Returns filed on Form 990-PF.

## Funding Patterns & Program Areas

Data sourced from FY2025 (year ending June 2025) IRS Form 990-PF filing. Total charitable disbursements: $164,000 across 23 grantees.

Anchor grants (largest recipients, $15K–$50K each): - Jewish Community Alliance of Jacksonville — $50,000 (sports, recreation, early childhood education) - Seattle Colleges Foundation — $50,000 (support individuals with disabilities in employment) - Jewish Family & Community Services (Jacksonville) — $20,000 (community services) - Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida — $15,000 (religious/community)

Mid-tier grants ($3K–$5K): - Dreams Come True (Jacksonville) — $5,000 (benefit seriously ill children) - River Garden (Jacksonville) — $5,000 (senior services) - OneJax Inc (Jacksonville) — $3,000 (community engagement and education)

$1,000 grants (16 recipients): Alzheimers Association, ACLU Foundation of Florida, American Friends of Magen David Adom, Anti-Defamation League, Canine Companions, Civic Orchestra of Jacksonville, Feeding Northeast Florida, First Coast No More Homeless Pets, Hubbard House (domestic violence), I.M. Sulzbacher Center (homelessness), Oren Margol Foundation (cancer research), Ronald McDonald House, The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, The Foundation of Community Hospice & Palliative Care, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United Way of Northeast Florida.

Focus area breakdown (by dollars): 1. Jewish community organizations (~$85,000 / ~52% of total) 2. Disability employment and inclusion (~$50,000 / ~30%) 3. Children and families — seriously ill children, food, domestic violence (~$8,000 / ~5%) 4. Medical research and end-of-life care (~$3,000 / ~2%) 5. Community services, arts, civil liberties, animal welfare (~$18,000 / ~11%)

Historical grant totals: - FY2025: $164,000 - FY2024: $167,000 - FY2023: $168,000 - FY2022: $192,000 - FY2021: $123,000 - FY2020: $125,500

## Peer Comparison

The Berman Family Foundation is firmly in the small family foundation category for Northeast Florida. Its distinguishing feature is the outsized weighting toward Jewish community organizations (~52% of annual grantmaking), combined with a large strategic investment in disability employment (Seattle Colleges Foundation, $50K). The $1,000 "signal" grants to 16 organizations reflect a relationship-maintenance pattern common among family foundations — these are more symbolic than capacity-building.

## Recent Activity

FY2025 (year ending June 2025): - Total disbursements: $164,000 across 23 organizations - Two $50,000 anchor grants: Jewish Community Alliance and Seattle Colleges Foundation - 16 organizations received standard $1,000 grants - Net investment income: $185,563 (dividends + capital gains) - Foundation assets stable at ~$2.2M book value; fair market value $3.26M

FY2024 (year ending June 2024): - Total disbursements: $167,000 - Revenue: $144,771 (dividends + capital gains); no new contributions received

FY2023 (year ending June 2023): - Total disbursements: $168,000 - Received $75,000 in new contributions (significant — suggests donor/board contributions in some years)

FY2022 (year ending June 2022): - Total disbursements: $192,000 (highest in recent history) - Revenue: $359,501 (exceptionally high — likely significant capital gains)

Pattern: The foundation has been consistently active for 25+ years, distributing $86K–$192K annually since 2012. The grant portfolio is stable year-over-year with consistent repeat recipients.

## Application Tips & Prospect Fit

Critical finding: The Berman Family Foundation's website (bermanfamilyfoundation.org) is a minimal one-page GoDaddy site with only a donate/contact form — there is no grant application, guidelines page, or RFP process. The 990-PF grant schedule shows entirely self-directed giving with no evidence of cold applications being funded. This is a closed, family-directed foundation.

Who gets funded (and how to position): 1. Jewish community organizations in Jacksonville/NE Florida — By far the most likely funding path. Organizations affiliated with the Jacksonville Jewish community (JCA, JFCS, Jewish Federation) receive 52% of annual grants. Local organizations with ties to Jewish communal life are strong candidates via relationship. 2. Disability employment and workforce inclusion — The $50K grant to Seattle Colleges Foundation (disability employment program) shows capacity for major strategic investments outside the local area when the mission alignment is strong. 3. Children's health and wellbeing — Dreams Come True ($5K) and Ronald McDonald House ($1K) are consistent recipients for seriously ill children programming. 4. Northeast Florida community organizations — Local Jacksonville organizations across a range of causes receive $1K–$5K relationship grants.

Application guidance: - Do NOT submit a cold application via the website contact form expecting a review process — this is not how this foundation operates - Best path: Relationship-based outreach through Jacksonville Jewish community networks or direct connection to Rochelle B. Stoddard or Eric Berman - For disability employment organizations: direct outreach citing the Seattle Colleges Foundation partnership as a model may open a conversation - Organizations already receiving $1,000 grants should cultivate the relationship toward anchor grant tier ($20K–$50K) - Note the fiscal year ends June 30 — any relationship outreach should be timed for January–April to align with distribution planning