Bear-Sontz Family Foundation
The Bear-Sontz Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Charlottesville, Virginia. Its 2025 filing lists grants to organizations working in areas including civic engagement, Jewish community support, music, education, health, animal welfare, and humanitarian aid.
Bear-Sontz Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Bear-Sontz Family Foundation gave $150K across 48 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), top state Massachusetts. 25% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $150,000
- +22.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 48
- +6.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,125
- +15.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $1,749,324
- +15.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (12 of 48, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (44% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Bear-Sontz Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: C/O Silvercrest 230 Court Square, Charlottesville, VA 22902
Phone: (434) 977-4420
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Bear-Sontz Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Boston University Tanglewood ($25K). Together the top 10 received $95K.
Grant Size Distribution
228 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 228 grants of 228 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 44% of grant dollars went to organizations in Massachusetts, 33% to Florida, and 13% to New York. Smaller shares went to Tennessee (3%) and California (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 48 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Bear-Sontz Family Foundation open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 48 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 73% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 36% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 164% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $105K (2021) to $154K (2020). In 2025 it made 48 grants totaling $150K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Boston University Tanglewood Boston, MA | General | $25,000 |
| Turnout Activism Inc Cambridge, MA | General | $14,500 |
| Jewish Federation of South Palm Boca Raton, FL | General | $12,000 |
| Boston Symphony Orchestra Boston, MA | General | $10,000 |
| Milagro Center Delray Beach, FL | General | $8,500 |
| Lynn Women's Health Institute Boca Raton, FL | General | $6,500 |
| Anti Defamation League Boca Raton, FL | General | $5,500 |
| American Jewish Committee New York, NY | General | $5,000 |
| Grace Church School New York, NY | General | $4,000 |
| St Jude Children's Hospital Memphis, TN | General | $4,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,749,324 | $245,996 | $165,158 | $150,000 | 48 | $151,800 | $237,813 | $92,468 |
| 2024 | $1,513,712 | $10,027 | $136,040 | $122,050 | 45 | $125,050 | $18,237 | $95,340 |
| 2023 | $1,627,174 | $28,201 | $124,597 | $110,000 | 43 | $112,500 | $18,359 | $83,821 |
| 2022 | $1,723,520 | $152,858 | $125,719 | $110,000 | 46 | $111,250 | $142,571 | $86,205 |
| 2021 | $1,695,882 | $177,893 | $119,424 | $105,000 | 46 | $105,000 | $170,200 | $99,921 |
| 2020 | $1,635,992 | $47,754 | $165,282 | $154,464 | 49 | — | $40,825 | $87,900 |
| 2019 | $1,711,206 | $-4,447 | $158,763 | $150,158 | 34 | — | $13,665 | $86,766 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bear-Sontz Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $92K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for a range of organizations. Turnout Activism Inc describes its work as increasing youth civic action and voter engagement; the Jewish Federation of South Palm says it works to sustain the Jewish community locally and worldwide. The Boston Symphony Orchestra describes its mission as making music and providing educational and training programs. Other 2025 grantees describe work in human rights and democratic values, education and ethical development, family services, animal adoption, and humanitarian health aid.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 48 grants totaling $150,000. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $25,000, with a median of $1,500. Among the largest grants were $25,000 to Boston University Tanglewood, $14,500 to Turnout Activism Inc, $12,000 to Jewish Federation of South Palm, $10,000 to Boston Symphony Orchestra, and $8,500 to Milagro Center.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists David Bear and Risa Sontz as trustees.
Bear-Sontz Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
David Bear
Trustee
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Risa Sontz
Trustee
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Bear-Sontz Family Foundation
How much does Bear-Sontz Family Foundation give each year?
Bear-Sontz Family Foundation gave $150K across 48 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $122K across 45 grants.
What is Bear-Sontz Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Bear-Sontz Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $3,125, across 48 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bear-Sontz Family Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Bear-Sontz Family Foundation give grants?
Bear-Sontz Family Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 44% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Florida (33%) and New York (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (8 grants), Boca Raton, FL (6 grants), Boston, MA (4 grants) and Delray Beach, FL (4 grants).
Does Bear-Sontz Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Bear-Sontz Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (48 of 48) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Bear-Sontz Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Bear-Sontz Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Boston University Tanglewood ($25,000), Turnout Activism Inc ($14,500) and Jewish Federation of South Palm ($12,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Bear-Sontz Family Foundation?
Bear-Sontz Family Foundation reported $1.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $152K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $92K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Bear-Sontz Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for a range of organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bear-Sontz Family Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Bear-Sontz Family Foundation's EIN?
Bear-Sontz Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 34-6599113. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Bear-Sontz Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 28, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 29, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 21, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 4, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 25, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 7, 2025)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bear-Sontz Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bear-sontz-family-foundation-morg_22fb1f95b60c41fe89fff86c1fdd0b6a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_346599113_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bear-Sontz Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bear-sontz-family-foundation-morg_22fb1f95b60c41fe89fff86c1fdd0b6a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Bear-Sontz Family Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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