Pinecone Foundation Corp

Pinecone Foundation Corp is a private, invitation-only grantmaking foundation headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey — a historically significant center of Orthodox and Modern Orthodox Jewish life in the United States. With approximately $29.2 million in assets and annual giving that has ranged from $1.35 million (2021) to an estimated $3.4 million (2024), it operates as a mid-size family foundation with a narrow, high-conviction charitable focus: 100% of documented grantmaking flows to Jewish communal organizations and Israel-facing humanitarian causes.

The foundation maintains no public application infrastructure — no website, no published guidelines, no submission portal, and no listed contact email. Grantmaking is entirely trustee-directed, with current leadership comprised of Benita Hemm (President, since August 2023), Alexandra Krawczyk (Secretary/Trustee), and Brad Krawczyk (Trustee). The IRS address lists a c/o contact of Mark R. Kook at 496 W Englewood Ave, Teaneck, NJ 07666, likely a founding-generation family member or accountant of record rather than an active program officer.

The foundation's giving philosophy centers on deep, sustained support for a small portfolio of trusted institutions. All 14 documented top grantees have received multiple consecutive grants — the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee alone has received four grants totaling $1 million. This pattern signals that Pinecone is not a program-driven grant cycle funder, but a relationship-driven family philanthropy vehicle that commits capital to organizations where the trustees have personal conviction and established trust.

First-time grant seekers must understand that the standard LOI-to-full-proposal pipeline does not apply here. The only realistic path to funding runs through the existing grantee network or the broader Jewish philanthropic community. The Jewish Funders Network (JFN), PEF Israel Endowment Fund, and Central Fund of Israel — all present in or adjacent to the portfolio — are the most structurally proximate entry points.

Organizations with Canadian Jewish community ties have an additional advantage: the foundation's 416-area-code phone number (Toronto) and 'contributions deductible by treaty' tax status suggest a Canadian family origin or dual-country presence. Engagement through Canadian Jewish Federation channels or JFN Canada may offer a less-crowded introduction pathway than the US Jewish philanthropic mainstream. Organizations outside the Jewish communal and Israel-focused sectors should not pursue this funder.

Pinecone Foundation Corp is a pure endowment-model foundation — it has received no external contributions since at least 2018 and funds all grantmaking from investment income generated by its ~$29M corpus. Net investment income has ranged from $801,190 (2020) to $4.22 million (2021), with the 2021 spike likely attributable to equity market gains. Grants paid have followed with a slight lag: $1.47M (2019), $1.69M (2020), $1.33M (2021), $2.07M (2022), $1.66M (2023), rising to approximately $3.4M in 2024 per the most recent ProPublica filing.

Among 29 documented grants totaling $3.73 million in the Granted database, the average award is $128,741. The foundation's own tracked size data (based on 12 measured grants) shows a median of $75,000, an average of $110,950, and a range of $31,400 to $200,000 per individual grant. The largest documented relationship is with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, which has received four grants totaling $1,000,000 — 26.8% of all tracked giving and far exceeding any other single grantee.

By program area, all giving is concentrated within Jewish communal welfare and Israel support: - Emergency relief and humanitarian aid in Israel (JDC, IsraAID, One Family Fund, United Hatzalah): ~$1.8M, approximately 48% of tracked giving - Food security and poverty relief in Israel (Leket Israel, Yad Ezra Vshulamit): ~$700K, 19% - Wounded soldier and military veteran support (Brothers for Life): $400K, 11% - Conduit/regrantor vehicles (Central Fund of Israel, PEF Israel Endowment Fund, America Gives): ~$508K, 14% - Social services and education in Israel (Kishorit, Bat Melech, Maagalim, Ulpanat Dolev): ~$333K, 9%

Geographically, 18 of 29 documented grants were awarded to New York-registered organizations, 5 to New Jersey, 3 to California, 2 to Washington, and 1 to Connecticut. No international grantees appear — all recipients are US-domiciled entities that fund Israeli or global Jewish programmatic work.

The foundation shows no documented interest in US general social services, environmental causes, arts, healthcare, or education outside the Jewish communal context.

The five peers identified in the database are mid-size private grantmaking foundations in the $29.1–$29.2 million asset range, all classified under NTEE T20Z (Philanthropy & Grantmaking). They were matched by asset proximity, not cause alignment. Estimated annual giving for peers assumes a standard ~5% private foundation distribution rate; actual figures were not available in public records.

Among these asset-comparable peers, Pinecone Foundation Corp stands out for the exceptional clarity and intensity of its cause focus — every documented grant goes to a Jewish or Israel-related organization, leaving no ambiguity about scope. Pinecone also demonstrates above-average grant concentration (top grantee = 27% of tracked giving) and a consistent multi-year repeat support pattern that distinguishes it from foundations that rotate partners annually. For organizations working in the Jewish communal and Israeli humanitarian space, Pinecone's $29M corpus and willingness to write six-figure repeat grants places it among the more financially meaningful private family foundations of its asset tier.

The most consequential recent development is a sharp upswing in annual giving. ProPublica's most recent 990 data shows approximately $3.4 million disbursed in fiscal year 2024 — compared to $1.664 million in grants paid in 2023 and a 2019–2023 average of roughly $1.6 million. This near-doubling almost certainly reflects a trustee decision to accelerate disbursements following the October 2023 conflict in Israel, given that the foundation's four largest documented grantees (JDC, United Hatzalah, One Family Fund, Brothers for Life) are all organizations providing direct relief to conflict-affected Israelis, terrorism survivors, and wounded IDF soldiers.

On the leadership front, Benita Hemm was installed as President and Trustee in August 2023, replacing whatever prior leadership structure existed under the founding Mark R. Kook-era contact. Brad Krawczyk and Alexandra Krawczyk remain as Trustee and Secretary/Trustee, respectively, all without compensation.

No press releases, RFPs, program announcements, or media coverage specific to Pinecone Foundation Corp (NJ, EIN 22-3574994) were found in web research. The foundation maintains a deliberately low public profile consistent with a private family vehicle. Note: web searches for 'Pinecone Foundation' frequently surface an unrelated California-based food-systems nonprofit (pineconefoundation.org) and the Pinecone vector database company (pinecone.io) — neither is affiliated with this Teaneck, NJ grantmaker.

Because Pinecone Foundation Corp operates exclusively through trustee invitation, the following guidance addresses relationship positioning rather than a formal application submission process.

Confirm strict cause alignment first. The foundation's portfolio is 100% Jewish communal and Israel-related. If your organization does not directly serve Israeli civilians, Jewish community needs, or Israel-related humanitarian causes through a recognized US-registered structure, do not invest time pursuing this funder.

Use the 'American Friends of' structure. Twelve of fourteen top documented grantees are structured as US-registered 'American Friends of' organizations. If your primary operations are Israel-based, ensure you have an established US 501(c)(3) entity — this appears to be a prerequisite, not a preference.

Enter through anchor grantees. The development and partnership staff at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, American Friends of United Hatzalah, American Friends of Leket Israel, and One Family Fund are the most direct connective tissue to this foundation's trustees. A warm introduction from one of these organizations carries far more weight than any cold outreach.

Leverage the Jewish Funders Network. JFN's annual conference and regional events attract private family foundations of precisely this type. The PEF Israel Endowment Fund and Central Fund of Israel — both conduit vehicles in the Pinecone portfolio — are deeply embedded in JFN circles. A JFN membership or conference presence creates legitimate discovery opportunities.

Activate Canadian philanthropic connections. The 416 (Toronto) contact phone and US-Canada treaty deductibility classification point to Canadian family ties. Organizations with relationships in the Canadian Jewish community — through UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto, or JFN Canada — should work those channels explicitly.

Lead with crisis-response impact. The foundation's top-dollar commitments are all to emergency relief and acute humanitarian response organizations. If your organization addresses immediate survival needs — medical care, food security, trauma support, or conflict victim services — that narrative should lead any introductory materials.

Keep introductory materials concise. Without a formal proposal process, a two-to-three page organizational brief covering mission, Israeli/Jewish community impact metrics, financial summary, leadership roster, and US legal status is the appropriate introductory document. Lengthy proposals are inappropriate at the relationship-building stage.