Friendship House Inc.

Friendship House Inc. is a private non-operating foundation that does not award grants to external organizations—it operates its own charitable programs directly. As such, approaching this foundation for a grant is not applicable in the traditional sense. However, organizations that serve similar populations (families of hospitalized children in NYC, Jewish communal welfare) may explore partnership or referral relationships. The foundation has real estate expertise (through Lichtenstein/Lightstone Group) and deep ties to the NYC Orthodox Jewish philanthropic community. Any engagement should focus on shared mission alignment around pediatric family support rather than traditional grant seeking.

Friendship House does not make outbound grants to other nonprofits. Its giving is entirely in-kind—providing housing services directly. Annual revenue has ranged from ~$214K (2015) to ~$1.9M (2018, likely a major property gift or capital contribution). In recent years, contributions have stabilized at $300K–$640K/year. Expenses reflect operational costs of running two residential properties. The $2M mortgage on its properties is a notable liability. The minimum investment return requirement (5% of assets) for a foundation of this size is ~$346K/year, which the foundation meets through direct charitable expenses rather than grants.

Comparable organizations include Ronald McDonald Houses (much larger, national), Manhattan's Patient and Family Housing programs at Memorial Sloan Kettering or NY Presbyterian, and smaller faith-based hospitality houses like Chai Lifeline's Camp Simcha. Unlike Ronald McDonald Houses (secular, hospital-adjacent), Friendship House specifically serves kosher-observant families, filling a niche gap. With $6.9M in assets and zero staff, it is highly asset-heavy relative to its operating budget—a model that depends on donated management capacity from Lichtenstein/Lightstone Group infrastructure.

The foundation filed its most recent Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by IRS November 2024), showing $641,907 in revenue—a 34.6% decline to $426,996 in FY2024. The two properties were under renovation in 2022 and expected to reopen in 2023. Leadership has remained stable since founding (Lichtenstein, Teichman, Geller). No new programs, social media presence, or public communications have been identified. The organization maintains a very low public profile consistent with its community-embedded, by-referral operating model.

This foundation does not accept grant applications. It provides direct services and is governed by a small board of community leaders. For organizations seeking to partner or receive referrals: (1) Contact through David Lichtenstein at The Lightstone Group, 299 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10171, (212) 616-9969. (2) Demonstrate shared mission: serving families of pediatric patients in NYC-area hospitals with religious/dietary accommodation needs. (3) Be prepared to operate within an Orthodox Jewish communal network context. (4) Approach via warm introduction through NYC real estate or Jewish philanthropic networks rather than cold outreach.