Jsrs Foundation Inc.

JSRS Foundation Inc. is a Brooklyn-based private family foundation with deep roots in the Orthodox Jewish community of Flatbush, New York. All three officers — Jonathan Strasser (President), Solomon Strasser (Secretary), and Raizy Friedman (Treasurer) — serve without compensation, the hallmark of a tightly held family philanthropic vehicle. The initials 'JSRS' almost certainly reflect the founding family's given names, and the foundation's address at 2600 Nostrand Avenue places it at the geographic heart of one of Brooklyn's most active Orthodox Jewish residential and institutional corridors.

Founded in October 2018 per its IRS ruling date, JSRS has demonstrated highly variable but occasionally substantial philanthropic capacity, disbursing between $341,000 and $10.2 million in individual years between 2017 and 2022. Despite this range, every documented grant purpose is coded identically: 'FURTHER RELIGIOUS PURSUIT.' This consistency signals an unwavering programmatic focus, not a foundation that experiments across sectors.

The application pathway is entirely informal. There is no published grant portal, no application form on file with any database, and the foundation's website is currently inaccessible. The Granted.ai database flags this organization as preselected-only, confirming that grantee relationships originate with the foundation, not with applicants. Organizations that have received funding — most notably The Bnai Jacob Foundation, which received four grants totaling $799,406 — represent the kinds of established institutional partners the Strasser family cultivates over years.

First-time applicants should approach this foundation as they would any relationship-based, faith-affiliated family fund: relationship before request, community credentials before proposal. The strongest entry points are mutual introductions from current or past grantees, shared involvement in Brooklyn Orthodox Jewish communal organizations, and demonstrated institutional history in Torah education, synagogue life, or Jewish continuity programming.

Organizations outside the Orthodox Jewish philanthropic orbit — regardless of their excellence in other fields — are not a realistic match for JSRS at this time. The foundation's documented history of giving shows no interest in secular education, healthcare, arts, environment, or social services as independent program areas.

JSRS Foundation's financial history reveals a foundation with significant accumulated assets but highly irregular disbursement behavior — a pattern typical of family foundations where giving tracks the founders' liquidity events, tax planning cycles, or personal motivations rather than a fixed annual schedule.

Annual grant disbursements from FY2017 through FY2022 (the most complete six-year window available) ranged dramatically: - FY2017: $10,000,000 (peak giving year) - FY2018: $3,500,000 - FY2019: $2,186,275 - FY2020: $445,300 - FY2021: $5,006,553 (second-largest year) - FY2022: $341,000 (smallest recorded year)

The six-year average is approximately $3.75 million, but the median is closer to $2.99 million ($2,299,655 and $3,689,929 are the two middle values). The massive $10 million FY2017 disbursement — routed through the Bank of America Charitable Fund — appears to have been a one-time endowment or donor-advised fund transfer rather than a direct operating grant. Total assets peaked at $41.5 million in FY2020 before declining to $17.4 million by FY2024, a 58% contraction that is likely the combined result of large disbursements and investment portfolio performance.

Among the six distinct grantee records on file, average grant size is $1,799,901 — again skewed by the Bank of America mega-grant. The Bnai Jacob Foundation grants, at $799,406 across four transactions, suggest individual disbursements in the $100,000 to $250,000 range for direct nonprofit partners, which is the more representative grant size for organizations seeking a direct JSRS relationship.

Geographically, New York accounts for 67% of grant activity (4 of 6 tracked grants), with Massachusetts representing 33% (2 grants). There is no evidence of giving outside the New York–New England corridor. All documented programmatic spending falls under a single category: religious pursuit, encompassing Jewish education, synagogue support, and related communal activities. No multi-sector giving has been identified.

JSRS Foundation Inc. sits within a cohort of similarly-sized private family foundations in the $17–18 million total asset range, all classified under Philanthropy & Grantmaking (NTEE T). None of the five closest peers by asset size maintain publicly accessible grant portals or disclosed application processes.

What distinguishes JSRS from this peer cohort is the documented volatility of its annual disbursements. Peer foundations at this asset tier are legally required to distribute at least 5% of assets annually (approximately $870,000 at the $17.4M level) — a threshold JSRS has dramatically exceeded in strong years (31% payout in FY2017) and barely met in weaker ones (2% in FY2020). The concentration of all known giving in a single programmatic theme — Jewish religious pursuit — also distinguishes JSRS from generalist family foundations of similar size that typically support three to five distinct program areas.

No news articles, press releases, leadership announcements, or public program changes for JSRS Foundation Inc. were identified through web research conducted in mid-2026. The foundation operates with a deliberately minimal public footprint: no social media accounts, no published annual report, and a foundation website (jsrs.org) that is currently returning an HTTP 525 server error, suggesting the site may be inactive or experiencing technical difficulties.

The most recent financial snapshot available — FY2024 data via ProPublica — shows total assets of $17,406,484 and net income of -$144,548. Revenue included interest income of $552,464, dividends of $36,588, and asset sales of $348,595, offset by investment losses of -$962,840. This is a markedly reduced financial profile compared to the foundation's FY2020 peak of $41.5 million in assets.

All three officers — Jonathan Strasser, Solomon Strasser, and Raizy Friedman — continue to serve without compensation through the most recent filing period, indicating no leadership transitions have occurred. The last confirmed grant disbursement on record is $341,000 in FY2022 — the foundation's smallest annual disbursement in its documented history. No grants from FY2023 or FY2024 have appeared in publicly accessible databases as of mid-2026, though 990-PF filings for those years may not yet be publicly available. Grant seekers should treat JSRS as operating in a reduced-activity mode relative to its 2017–2021 peak.

Given JSRS Foundation Inc.'s structure as a tightly held family foundation with no public application process, conventional grant-writing strategy has limited applicability. The following guidance reflects what is specifically known about this funder:

Lead with relationship, not proposal. There is no competitive grant process. The foundation has funded only two known recipient organizations across six years of documented grantmaking. Every relationship appears to have been cultivated through personal or communal networks within Brooklyn's Orthodox Jewish community. An unsolicited proposal mailed to 2600 Nostrand Avenue will almost certainly go unread.

Mission alignment must be explicit and primary. Every JSRS grant on record is designated for 'FURTHER RELIGIOUS PURSUIT.' Proposals should articulate — in plain language — the organization's specific contribution to Orthodox Jewish religious life: Torah study programs, synagogue infrastructure, yeshiva operations, Jewish continuity initiatives, or similar. Tangential connections to faith (e.g., a secular nonprofit with occasional religious programming) are insufficient alignment.

Use the phone as your first contact channel. The only accessible contact information is a telephone number — (718) 565-4200 — at the foundation's Nostrand Avenue address. A brief, respectful introductory call to the office asking about the foundation's current giving interests is the recommended first step. Identify yourself and your organization's mission clearly, and ask whether the foundation accepts inquiries from outside organizations.

Time your approach to active giving cycles. Annual disbursements have ranged from $341,000 to $10.2 million depending on the year. Verify the most recent 990-PF filing via ProPublica (EIN: 81-5336888) before approaching — a year showing significant disbursements signals a receptive window; a minimal-giving year suggests patience is warranted.

Pursue warm introductions through established grantees. The Bnai Jacob Foundation (recipient of four grants totaling $799,406) is the clearest known partner in the JSRS network. If your organization has any institutional relationship with Bnai Jacob or its leadership, that connection is the most credible possible introduction to the Strasser family.

Do not pressure or over-contact. Family foundations at this asset level react poorly to persistent cold outreach. One introductory call, followed by a written note if unreturned, is appropriate. Patience and respect for the foundation's informal structure will serve applicants far better than volume.