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Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation

ROCHESTER, NY · EIN 222948675 · Form 990PF · FY2024 · NTEE T22 · Philanthropy & Grantmaking · Large ($10M-$50M) · farashfoundation.org
revenue
$30.0M
expenses
$13.3M
net assets
$335.7M
employees
profile · synthesized from sources

The Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Rochester, NY, established in 1988 to support both secular and Jewish community initiatives. It focuses on three main areas: Jewish life, out-of-school time programs for youth, and the arts, primarily in Monroe and Ontario Counties. The foundation provides grants to organizations and runs targeted initiatives like Project Campfire to strengthen community engagement and access to enriching experiences.

named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Creative Arts Grants
Supports small and mid-size arts organizations (budgets under $2M) in Monroe and Ontario Counties, with a focus on accessibility and arts education
Jewish Life General Operating Support Grants
Supports Jewish institutions in Rochester with flexible funding to strengthen operations, sustainability, and community engagement
Out-of-School Time (OST) Full Year and Afterschool Grants
Funds innovative out-of-school time programs in Monroe and Ontario Counties to expand access to enriching youth activities
Project Campfire
Provides full-cost camperships for Jewish children in grades 3–10 to attend Camp Seneca Lake, aimed at strengthening Jewish identity through immersive summer experiences
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Summer Camp Access Scholarships 2 activities
    • Funding full-cost camperships for Jewish children at Camp Seneca Lake
      Provides full-cost camperships and subsidies for Jewish children in the Rochester area to attend Camp Seneca Lake, including through free attendance via Project Campfire.
    • Funding out-of-school time programs for youth
      Supports innovative, high-quality out-of-school time programs for youth in Monroe and Ontario Counties, including through a request for proposals for grant funding.
  • Flexible Grants to Grassroots Organizations 2 activities
    • Reporting on grantmaking impact and community collaboration
      Publishes an annual Report to the Community highlighting stories from grant partners and beneficiaries to reflect the impact of collaboration, creativity, and trust.
    • Responding to emergent community needs through flexible grantmaking
      Allocates funding to respond to changing community needs and unexpected demands, maintaining adaptive and responsive grantmaking practices.
  • Jewish Life and Security Support 1 activity
    • Funding Jewish life and secular initiatives in equal proportions
      Directs half of annual grants to secular causes in Monroe and Ontario Counties and half to Jewish initiatives locally and globally, as established by the foundation’s 1988 grantmaking structure.
  • Artist Support Grants 1 activity
    • Funding creative arts organizations with emphasis on arts education
      Focuses grantmaking on small and mid-size creative arts organizations serving Monroe and Ontario Counties, with special consideration given to those offering arts education programs.
  • General Operating Support Grants 1 activity
    • Funding general operating support for Jewish Life organizations
      Awards general operating support grants to organizations in the Jewish Life sector, with an active request for proposals for the 2026–2027 funding cycle and an associated informational webinar.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Funding accessible Jewish youth experiences through multi-year initiative
      Launched a Jewish youth initiative with an estimated $16 million in funding over nine years to make formative Jewish youth experiences accessible and attractive to all.
financials · form 990PF · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$29.96M
Contributions & grants
Program service revenue
Investment income$6.90M23%
Other revenue$11.46M
expenses
Total expenses$13.27M
Program expenses
Admin / overhead
Fundraising
Salaries & benefits$609K
Grants paid out$13.03M
balance sheet
Total assets$341.91M
Cash
Investments
Liabilities
Net assets$335.69M
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +13.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 12
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
JENNIE SCHAFF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 38 $424K
DAAN BRAVEMAN TRUSTEE & BOARD CHAIR 5 $35K
KENNETH D BELL TRUSTEE & TREASURER 3 $30K
HOFFMAN MOKA LANTUM MD PHD TRUSTEE & SECRETARY 2 $25K
JOY RYEN PLOTNIK TRUSTEE & COMMITTEE CHAIR 2 $25K
MATTHEW AROESTY TRUSTEE & COMMITTEE CHAIR 2 $25K
PATRICIA LOVELAND TRUSTEE & COMMITTEE CHAIR 2 $25K
THERESA MAZZULLO TRUSTEE & COMMITTEE CHAIR 1 $25K
DOUGLAS BENNETT TRUSTEE 1 $20K
EDWARD HOURIHAN JR TRUSTEE 1 $20K
GREGORY WOLCOTT TRUSTEE 2 $20K
NATHAN J ROBFOGEL ESQ TRUSTEE 1 $20K
relationships · 10

Who they work with

  • Camp Seneca Lake Partner — Partner organization providing Jewish overnight camp experiences supported by Project Campfire.
  • Camp Seneca Lake Partner — Partner organization through which the Farash Foundation provides free camp access to Jewish children.
  • Camp Seneca Lake Partner — Partner organization where the Farash Foundation funds camperships through Project Campfire.
  • Fluxx Partner — Uses Fluxx as a platform for grantee management and requires multi-factor authentication for access.
  • Fluxx Partner — Uses Fluxx platform for its Grantee Portal to manage grantee relationships.
  • Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester Partner — Partner organization administering The Magic of Camp initiative, which receives ongoing support from the Farash Foundation.
  • Third Plateau Social Impact Strategies Partner — Conducted independent evaluation of Project Campfire outcomes.
  • Zoom Partner — Hosts virtual information sessions for grant applicants via Zoom.
  • Zoom Partner — Uses Zoom as a platform for hosting virtual events including grant-related webinars.
  • Zoom Partner — Uses Zoom for virtual webinar information sessions related to grantmaking opportunities.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Adaptive, Community-Driven Innovation
    methodology: adaptive_grantmaking
    By adopting agile funding practices and partnering with local organizations, the foundation supports timely, innovative responses to emerging needs because grounding solutions in community insight ensures relevance, speed, and impact.
  • Capacity Building to Sustain Innovation
    methodology: grantee-capacity-building
    By providing general operating support, longer grant cycles, and capacity-building resources, the foundation enables grantees to innovate and scale effectively because stable, flexible funding strengthens organizational resilience and strategic agility.
  • Equitable Access Through Community-Responsive Design
    methodology: equitable-access
    By reducing structural barriers and co-designing out-of-school time programs with input from youth and caregivers, the foundation expands access and relevance for marginalized communities because participatory design ensures programs meet real needs and foster sustained engagement.
  • Full Subsidization for Jewish Identity Formation
    methodology: jewish-overnight-camping-for-identity-formation
    By fully subsidizing Jewish overnight summer camps, the foundation increases access and participation, thereby strengthening long-term Jewish identity and community engagement among youth because removing financial barriers enables broad and inclusive participation in formative experiences.
  • Strategic Grantmaking for Leverage and Wellbeing
    methodology: strategic grantmaking
    By targeting grantmaking toward arts, education, and Jewish life, the foundation addresses root causes of community challenges and promotes wellbeing because these areas act as leverage points for broader systemic change and future resilience.