Harcourt M & Virginia W Sylvester
The Harcourt M & Virginia W Sylvester Foundation is a private foundation established in 1980 and located in Palm Beach, Florida. The foundation was created by Harcourt M. Sylvester Jr. following his father's death from lung cancer, as a tangible commitment to fighting the disease. The foundation is named for Harcourt Sylvester Jr.'s parents, Harcourt M. Sylvester and Virginia W. Sylvester.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$25.2M
-4.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.2M
+0.1% YoY
Grant Count
19
-20.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$114K
+26.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary mission centers on cancer research and treatment, with broader support for public welfare, medical, education, and religious organizations. The foundation made a foundational $27.5 million commitment that became the genesis for the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, a university-based cancer center serving South Florida and beyond.
Current funding priorities include:
- Public Welfare — averaging $56,885 per grant across 33 recipients
- Medical — averaging $93,895 per grant across 10 recipients
- Medical/Education — averaging $1,088,096 per grant
- Education — averaging $1,837 per grant across 7 recipients
- Religious — averaging $5,700 per grant across 3 recipients
- Education/Athletics — averaging $10,000 per grant
Grantmaking
The foundation is an active grantmaker with a giving rate of 8.7%. Recent grant activity shows:
Grant Range
** $465 to $1,771,432
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in Florida, with additional grantmaking in New York and the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of the most recent filing (2024):
- Total assets: $25,155,676
- Total revenue: $1,194,010
- Total expenses: $2,505,216
- Total giving: $2,224,071
Prior year (2023):
- Total assets: $26,243,551
- Total revenues: $2,048,493
- Total expenses: $2,511,872
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $25,155,676 | $26,243,551 | $27,275,919 |
| Revenue | $1,194,010 | $2,048,493 | $2,544,904 |
| Expenses | $2,505,216 | $2,511,872 | $3,880,616 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,224,071 | $2,222,221 | $3,506,445 |
| Net Investment Income | $957,230 | $1,811,468 | $2,251,830 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,385,572 | $1,410,733 | $1,634,982 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
139 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Jayne Sylvester Malfitano — President, Secretary, Director (20 hours/week, $80,000 compensation). She is the daughter of philanthropist Harcourt M. Sylvester Jr. and was named Chair of Sylvester's Board of Governors in July 2023.
- Laura Sylvester — Vice President, Director (10 hours/week, $40,000 compensation)
- Clare Malfitano — Director (5 hours/week, $6,000 compensation)
- Jennifer Cameron Smith — Director (5 hours/week, $6,000 compensation)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JAYNE SYLVESTER MALFITANO | PRES/SEC/DIRECTOR | 20 | $80,000 |
| LAURA SYLVESTER | VICE PRES/DIRECTOR | 10 | $40,000 |
| CLARE MALFITANO | DIRECTOR | 5 | $6,000 |
| JENNIFER CAMERON SMITH | DIRECTOR | 5 | $6,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In July 2023, Jayne S. Malfitano, president of the foundation and daughter of philanthropist Harcourt M. Sylvester Jr., was named Chair of Sylvester's Board of Governors.
The foundation celebrated the 30th naming anniversary of the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in October 2022, honoring the family's philanthropy and foresight in cancer research and patient care.
Sylvester\u2019s 30th Naming Anniversary Celebration Honors Family\u2019\The foundation continues to support cancer research initiatives, including endowed chairs and researcher awards at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine.
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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