This website is dedicated to promoting charitable giving and highlighting the organizations I am proud to support. I invite you to contribute any amount to the charities featured here. — Howard Fensterman
Charitable giving is most effective when donors understand how nonprofits operate, how donations are used, and what distinguishes different types of charitable organizations. The following articles provide an overview of nonprofit transparency, donation efficiency, and organizational structures, helping donors make informed decisions that align with their values while maximizing real-world impact.
Making Sense of Nonprofit Transparency and Donation Impact
Modern philanthropy goes beyond generosity. Today’s donors increasingly want clarity, accountability, and confidence that their contributions are creating meaningful change. Understanding how nonprofits allocate funds, evaluate effectiveness, and operate under different legal classifications empowers donors to give strategically rather than emotionally.
How Much of Your Donation Actually Goes to the Cause
One of the most common donor questions is whether their money truly reaches the people or programs it is intended to support. The article “What Percentage of Your Donation Goes to the Cause? Nonprofit Overhead Explained” breaks down the concept of nonprofit overhead, explaining administrative costs, fundraising expenses, and why responsible overhead is not inherently wasteful. This resource helps donors understand that transparency and outcomes matter more than raw percentages alone, while still providing benchmarks that indicate financial responsibility.
How to Choose and Evaluate a Nonprofit Before Donating
Not all charities operate with the same level of transparency or effectiveness. Our Smart Charitable Giving article outlines how donors can research nonprofits, review financial disclosures, confirm mission alignment, and evaluate measurable impact. By focusing on accountability and real outcomes, donors can give with confidence that their support is making a meaningful difference.
Understanding the Difference Between 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) Organizations
Tax classification plays a critical role in how nonprofits operate and how donations are treated. It’s important to know The Difference Between 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) and other types. We explain legal and functional distinctions between charitable nonprofits and social welfare organizations, including tax deductibility, advocacy limitations, and donor expectations.
Community Impact
Participating in charitable donations or attending events are meaningful ways to support nonprofit missions and strengthen community outcomes and affect positive change. Howard Fensterman’s philanthropic efforts are a prime example of how informed charitable giving leads to meaningful community impact. By supporting healthcare,disability advocacy, and community-focused nonprofits, his contributions help strengthen services that improve quality of life for individuals and families across Long Island and beyond.
These efforts reflect the principles outlined throughout this guide, where understanding nonprofit operations, accountability, and mission alignment helps ensure that charitable support translates into real outcomes. Fensterman’s involvement extends beyond financial contributions, encompassing active participation in fundraising initiatives and long-term partnerships that reinforce nonprofit sustainability.
What charities does Howard Fensterman support? We provide a thorough description of his philanthropic endeavors.
Supporting Charitable Causes in Healthcare, Disabilities, and Community Development
Attorney Howard Fensterman Donates His Time to Help Others
Howard Fensterman Charities highlights the philanthropic work of attorney Howard Fensterman, whose donations support medical research, individuals with developmental disabilities, and community organizations that strengthen families and improve quality of life.
This website shares updates, stories, and initiatives supported by Howard to inspire others to give back and strengthen their communities.
A Leader in Compassionate Giving and Community Impact
Howard Fensterman’s philanthropy has strengthened healthcare systems, fueled groundbreaking medical research, and expanded essential community programs across New York and beyond. His longstanding support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities has opened doors to better care, greater independence, and improved lifelong opportunities.
Guided by a mission rooted in compassion, responsibility, and service, Howard’s philanthropy extends far beyond financial contributions. It reflects a deep commitment to elevating human dignity, empowering vulnerable populations, and investing in initiatives that create lasting, meaningful change.
Promoting Awareness and Funding for Diseases
Autoimmune Digestive Illnesses
He serves on the Long Island Chapter of the Board of Trustees of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation,helping raise awareness and funding for research aimed at improving the lives of those affected by inflammatory bowel disease. His ongoing involvement with CCFA reflects a dedication to improving treatment options, supporting families, and contributing to a future where better therapies and ultimately a cure can be realized.
His work with celiac disease focuses on advancing medical understanding, improving patient support, and raising public awareness about this often-misunderstood autoimmune condition. Through charitable contributions to research institutions and foundations dedicated to digestive health, he helps fund studies aimed at better diagnostics, improved treatments, and ultimately a cure.
Medical Research and Patient Support
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Howard’s donations help fund research, treatment programs, and support services for individuals living with serious or chronic conditions. His involvement contributes to expanding education, improving care, and giving families hope for better outcomes.
He is a contributor to Heart to Heart. A nonprofit healthcare organization committed to ensuring that critical medical aid reaches the people who rely on it most. Additionally, he supports the United Hospital Fund. An organization that helps advance its initiative to improve hospital performance, advance healthcare research, and support frontline providers, while ensuring hospitals can continue meeting the changing needs of the patients they care for.
Volunteers preparing to help residents of NC after the hurricane. Photo: SMS
Howard Fensterman’s work with the NuHealth Foundation reflects his commitment to strengthening community healthcare on Long Island. Through his support of Nassau University Medical Center and related health programs, he helps expand access to essential services for families and underserved residents. To learn more about his contributions and the Foundation’s impact, please visit the full article on NuHealth.
Fensterman’s philanthropy also extends to The Pat Cairo Family Foundation, an organization dedicated to fighting cancer through research funding and community support. His involvement reflects a commitment to backing mission-driven medical initiatives that improve patient outcomes and strengthen local health-focused nonprofit efforts.
Howard is also an avid supporter of the Parker Jewish Institute in New Hyde Park, NY, helping senior patients and residents access compassionate healthcare, rehabilitative services, and long-term support that enhance quality of life and dignity in later years.
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Gluten intolerance: Child refuses to eat white bread.
Howard supports charities that provide residential programs, job training, therapeutic services, and community inclusion for individuals with special needs. His work spans decades and focuses on organizations that offer real, measurable impact.
Howard also contributes to Life’s WORC, which promotes independence, dignity, and meaningful opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities.
Community, Faith, and Education
Howard believes in strengthening local communities by supporting organizations that offer educational resources, family programs, outreach initiatives, and community-building activities. His philanthropic approach goes beyond financial contributions. It reflects a belief that education, support services, and accessible programs create lasting change.
By investing in youth development, family assistance programs, and organizations that bring people together, Howard plays a role in fostering environments where children can learn, families can thrive, and communities can grow stronger. His involvement helps expand access to opportunities, enhance local programming, and encourage a culture of giving that benefits neighborhoods for generations to come.
Jewish Philanthropy & Community Leadership
Mr. Fensterman has a deep and long-standing association with Chabad of Port Washington. Since 2008, he has served on its Board of Trustees, helping guide decisions affecting everything from the synagogue and preschool to the day school, Hebrew school, camp, mikvah, and adult-education programs.
Mr. Fensterman and his son Jordan were honored at Chabad
As a sign of his commitment, Fensterman has taken on leadership roles — at times acting as Dinner Chairman for the community’s annual fundraising dinners, and in 2016, he and his son, Jordan, were honored with the “Dor L’Dor: Generation to Generation” award for their philanthropy and service.
Advancing Catholic Education Through Futures in Education
Howard is recognized as a supporter of Futures in Education, an organization within the Diocese of Brooklyn that provides scholarships and tuition assistance to students who might otherwise be unable to afford a Catholic education. His involvement reflects a commitment to helping children from low-income families access academic opportunities that can shape their future. Through this connection, Fensterman plays a part in strengthening educational programs in Brooklyn and Queens by supporting initiatives that help students learn, grow, and succeed.
Family Health Challenges
Through his philanthropy, Howard contributes to programs that highlight the challenges families of loved ones who have unusual or rare diseases endure, and he promotes efforts that expand access to information, community support, and research initiatives. His involvement strengthens the organization’s ability to amplify patient stories, increase public understanding, and inspire hope for better treatments and improved quality of life.
How to Get Involved
Learn about Howard’s charities: Explore the organizations Howard supports and the programs that benefit from philanthropy.
Support these causes: Donations of any size help expand services and bring resources to people who need them. Find the links on our donation pages.
