About the Foundation

Traditional Jewish values are at the heart of our work: learning and teaching(limmud),dignity and worth of the individual(kavod habriyot),and community (kehillah).These values are reflected in the breadth of our grantmaking and the depth of our partnerships.

The Foundation has developed a long-term approach to funding educational opportunities, arts and cultural initiatives, Jewish community projects, and programs that help the most vulnerable among us. Koret is honored to invest in the region that we call home. The Foundation is led by a distinguished board of directors and an engaged professional staff with decades of experience in philanthropy and business. 

Our Priorities

Leadership

Founders

Since 1979, the Koret Foundation has been elevating the quality of life in the San Francisco Bay Area, and strengthening the Jewish community at home and abroad.

Joseph Koret (1900–1982) was born in Odessa (then part of Russia) and emigrated to New York as an infant with his family. Stephanie Shapiro (1903–1978) emigrated from Romania to California with her parents when she was a small child. Both families, and many like them, left their homelands in search of a more prosperous and secure future. After their marriage, Stephanie and Joseph Koret settled in the Bay Area, together building the successful Koret of California apparel brand. Following Stephanie’s passing, Joseph established the Koret Foundation.