Care Support Foundation Inc.

Care Support Foundation Inc. is a private family foundation rooted in Brooklyn, New York's Borough Park neighborhood — one of the largest Orthodox Jewish communities in the United States. Led by the Scharf family (Manuel Scharf as President, Chava Scharf as Vice President, Yisroel Scharf as Secretary, and Channa Lipshutz as Treasurer), the foundation operates as a tightly held philanthropic vehicle aligned with the values and priorities of observant Jewish life. All officers are uncompensated.

The foundation's giving philosophy is singular in its focus: every documented grant has been designated "to further Jewish education," and every known recipient is a congregation or synagogue in Brooklyn. The three documented FY2023 grantees — Congregation Bnei Yerushalayim ($50,000), Cong Ahavas Tzedoko Vechesed ($18,000), and Cong Shaarei Chesed ($18,000) — are all congregational institutions whose core activities revolve around Torah study, religious instruction, and communal Jewish education. There is no evidence the foundation funds secular nonprofits, social service organizations, health institutions, or causes outside the Orthodox Jewish philanthropic ecosystem.

Critically, this is an invitation-only funder. The foundation's internal record confirms "preselected_only: true" and "application_instructions: none." Its official website (caresupportfoundation.org) is currently a non-operational "Launching Soon" placeholder. There is no grants portal, no published LOI requirements, no open application cycle, and no stated deadlines.

For potential grantees, the strategic reality is that relationship precedes grant. The foundation's leadership is embedded in the Borough Park community and makes giving decisions through existing trust networks rather than formal evaluation criteria. Organizations seeking consideration should invest in cultivating genuine relationships with Manuel Scharf, Yisroel Scharf, or Leon Scharf (the listed contact name in IRS records) through synagogue affiliations, rabbinic networks, or shared institutional ties.

Following the foundation's 2023 recapitalization (from $22K to $21M in assets), FY2024 disbursements reached an estimated $2.09 million — suggesting this may be the most active giving period in a decade and a meaningful window for community-connected organizations to re-engage.

Care Support Foundation's grant-making history reflects two distinct eras separated by a prolonged dormant period, with a dramatic revival now underway.

Early active era (FY2012–FY2015): The foundation distributed substantial grants annually — $674,190 in FY2012, $144,850 in FY2013, $948,150 in FY2014 (peak), and $656,903 in FY2015 — for a four-year total exceeding $2.4 million. This suggests an earlier endowment base in the $1–2M range with a high payout rate.

Dormant period (FY2016–FY2022): Total assets collapsed to approximately $22,000 by FY2020–2022, and annual giving fell to token amounts ($772 in FY2019, $2,518 in FY2020, $700 in FY2022). The foundation appears to have effectively exhausted its prior endowment.

Recapitalization and ramp-up (FY2023–present): In FY2023, the foundation received $20,482,048 in contributions, growing assets to $20,989,695. That year's documented grants totaled only $86,000 across three recipients — average grant size $28,667, median $18,000, range $18,000–$50,000. By FY2024, however, charitable disbursements surged to approximately $2,095,350 (per ProPublica 990 data), while assets settled at $19,678,571 — an implied payout rate of roughly 10.6%, well above the 5% legal minimum.

Program breakdown: 100% of documented grants fund Jewish education via congregational institutions. All known grantees are located in New York (Brooklyn). No geographic or programmatic diversification is evident across any filing period. Revenue in FY2024 was entirely investment-derived: $145,541 in interest, $347,027 in dividends, and $195,043 in asset sales — confirming a pure endowment-spend model with no ongoing external fundraising.

If FY2024's $2.09M in disbursements was spread across grants at the FY2023 average of $28,667, it would imply roughly 73 grants — more likely the foundation made fewer, larger grants consistent with its historical 2012–2015 pattern.

Care Support Foundation's ~$19.7M asset base places it alongside a cohort of similarly sized private foundations in the Philanthropy & Grantmaking category (NTEE T). The five closest asset-matched peers from the database are shown below:

Among this peer set, Care Support Foundation stands out for the specificity of its giving focus. While all five comparable foundations carry NTEE T designations and similar asset levels, none publish open grant programs or maintain active public-facing application infrastructure — a pattern typical of family foundations in this asset class. Care Support Foundation's FY2024 estimated payout rate of ~10.6% is notably high relative to the sector-standard 5% minimum, suggesting the foundation's leadership is actively managing the endowment for charitable deployment rather than asset preservation. The Indira Foundation (indira-foundation.org) is the only peer with an active public website; the other four have no web presence on record.

Care Support Foundation's most significant recent development is its dramatic recapitalization. In FY2023, the foundation received $20,482,048 in contributions, growing total assets from an effectively dormant $21,645 (FY2022) to $20,989,695 — a transformation representing the foundation's rebirth as a meaningful philanthropic vehicle after a multi-year dormancy during which total assets hovered near $22,000.

In FY2023, the foundation distributed $86,000 across three grants: $50,000 to Congregation Bnei Yerushalayim and $18,000 each to Cong Ahavas Tzedoko Vechesed and Cong Shaarei Chesed, all Brooklyn-based congregations designated for Jewish education. By FY2024, ProPublica's 990 data shows charitable disbursements reached approximately $2,095,350 — a 24-fold increase in one year, financed by the newly established endowment.

A leadership transition accompanied the recapitalization. Earlier 990 filings listed Rachel Beer (Vice President) and Willy Beer (Treasurer and Board Member) among officers; more recent filings show Chava Scharf taking the Vice President role and Channa Lipshutz serving as Treasurer, consolidating governance within the Scharf family alongside Manuel Scharf (President) and Yisroel Scharf (Secretary). No officer receives compensation.

The foundation's website (caresupportfoundation.org) remained a 'Launching Soon' GoDaddy placeholder as of June 2026. No press releases, news announcements, or social media presence were identified in searches covering 2025–2026. The foundation has no documented media footprint, consistent with a private family philanthropy operating entirely through community relationships.

Care Support Foundation does not operate an open grant program. Its record confirms 'preselected_only' status and 'application_instructions: none,' and its public website is not operational. Traditional application pathways — LOI submissions, grant portals, or RFP responses — do not apply here. The following tips are specific to this funder's model:

1. Confirm absolute program alignment. Every documented grant has been specifically designated 'to further Jewish education' and awarded exclusively to congregational institutions (synagogues). Organizations in social services, arts, health, or secular education have no recorded precedent with this funder and should look elsewhere.

2. Build relationships through community networks first. The Scharf family (Manuel, Chava, Yisroel, and Leon Scharf as IRS contact) is embedded in Borough Park's Orthodox Jewish community at 1575 50th Street, Suite 201, Brooklyn, NY 11219. A trusted introduction through a rabbi, community leader, or mutual institutional connection is the only credible path to a first conversation.

3. Use the phone. The foundation's only documented public contact is (718) 837-7700. A respectful, brief call — ideally preceded by a warm referral — is more appropriate than written correspondence. Keep the initial call to 2–3 minutes; express genuine alignment rather than a funding ask.

4. Calibrate your ask to documented grant sizes. Known FY2023 grants ranged from $18,000 to $50,000. A first-time request in this range is far more credible than a six-figure ask without an established relationship. As the relationship develops, larger requests aligned with the FY2024 disbursement scale (~$2.1M spread over a likely small grantee cohort) may be appropriate.

5. Monitor the 990 and website. Follow annual 990 filings via ProPublica (EIN 20-0616112) for updated giving levels, new grantees, and any shifts in focus. Sign up for the mailing list at caresupportfoundation.org in case the foundation announces a public application process when the site launches.

6. Prepare informal materials, not formal proposals. Family foundations in this tradition vet grantees through community reputation and personal due diligence. A concise 1–2 page summary of your organization's Jewish education programming, student/congregant population served, and specific use of funds is more appropriate than a polished formal proposal package.