Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation
The Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation is a private foundation based in Bethesda, Maryland. Its 2025 grants supported charitable organizations in the District of Columbia, Maryland, California, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, including organizations working in health, the arts, education, religion, and other areas.
Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation at a glance
In short: Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation gave $62K across 26 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in District of Columbia. 46% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $61,840
- +39.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 26
- +85.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,378
- -24.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $510
- Total assets
- $108,005
- -7.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 46% first-time grantees (12 of 26, 2025)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (55% 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 Harry & Beatrice Sley 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: 9644 Beman Woods Way, Potomac, MD 20854
Phone: (301) 767-7999
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Giffords Law Center ($22K). Together the top 10 received $57K.
Grant Size Distribution
77 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 77 grants of 77 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 55% of grant dollars went to recipients in the District of Columbia, 20% to Maryland, 17% to California, 4% to Virginia, and 3% to Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation open to new grantees?
46%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 26 grantees (46%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $300 first-time, $760 repeat.
- 35% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 76% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 368% 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 $33K (2021) to $62K (2025). In 2025 it made 26 grants totaling $62K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Giffords Law Center Washington DC, DC | General | $21,500 |
| Church of the Redeemer Gaithersburg, MD | General | $10,000 |
| International Myeloma Foundation Studio City, CA | General | $9,250 |
| US Holocaust Memorial Museum Washington DC, DC | General | $5,500 |
| Washington Hebrew Congregation Washington DC, DC | General | $3,900 |
| Maccabi USA Philadelphia, PA | General | $1,800 |
| McLean Projects for the Arts McLean, VA | General | $1,350 |
| Arena Stage Washington DC, DC | GEneral | $1,200 |
| The Lab School Washington DC, DC | General | $1,100 |
| Manassas Ballet Theatre Manassas, VA | General | $1,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation?
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 | $108,005 | $26,355 | $66,049 | $61,840 | 26 | $61,840 | $22,146 | $16,782 |
| 2024 | $116,504 | $41,024 | $61,917 | $44,205 | 14 | $44,205 | $38,312 | $16,949 |
| 2023 | $138,567 | $45,485 | $58,481 | $41,738 | 14 | $41,738 | $45,413 | $16,263 |
| 2022 | $150,906 | $40,880 | $68,187 | $35,100 | 11 | $35,100 | $3,110 | $19,929 |
| 2021 | $179,760 | $3,380 | $37,053 | $33,150 | 12 | $33,150 | $3,104 | $23,071 |
| 2020 | $216,815 | $34,569 | $53,245 | $35,450 | 19 | — | $16,774 | $18,827 |
| 2019 | $223,845 | $26,091 | $55,566 | $33,850 | 16 | — | $7,175 | $20,222 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation reported a distributable amount of $17K 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 grantees illustrate a range of supported organizations. The International Myeloma Foundation describes its mission as improving the quality of life of myeloma patients while working toward prevention and a cure. Imagination Stage says it empowers young people to discover their voice and identity through performing arts education and professional theatre. The Ivymount School describes providing educational programs and therapeutic services for neurodivergent children and young adults with unique learning needs.
Other 2025 recipients include religious organizations, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, and organizations in sports, outdoor adventures, wildlife conservation, and guide-dog services.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 26 grants totaling $61,840. Grants ranged from $100 to $21,500, with a median grant of $510. Its largest 2025 grants included $21,500 to Giffords Law Center, $10,000 to Church of the Redeemer, $9,250 to the International Myeloma Foundation, and $5,500 to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. Other listed grants included $3,900 to Washington Hebrew Congregation, $1,800 to Maccabi USA, and $1,200 to Arena Stage.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Betsy Sley Grossman and Benjamin H Sley as Executive Directors.
Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation is led by Betsy Sley Grossman, Executive Director since 2025 (on filings since 2019); none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Betsy Sley Grossman
Executive Director
Director → Executive Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
$15K (2019) → $0 (2025)
Benjamin H Sley
Executive Director
Director → Executive Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $15K, to Betsy Sley Grossman (Director).
Frequently asked questions about Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation
How much does Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation give each year?
Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation gave $62K across 26 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $44K across 14 grants.
What is Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation's typical grant size?
Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $510, and its average grant was $2,378, across 26 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation give grants?
Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation gives mostly in District of Columbia: 55% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Maryland (20%) and California (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington DC, DC (8 grants), Bethseda, MD (4 grants) and Rockville, MD (2 grants).
Does Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (26 of 26) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation's largest grantees?
Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Giffords Law Center ($21,500), Church of the Redeemer ($10,000) and International Myeloma Foundation ($9,250), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 66% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation?
Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation reported $108K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $62K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $17K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grantees illustrate a range of supported organizations. The International Myeloma Foundation describes its mission as improving the quality of life of myeloma patients while working toward prevention and a cure. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Harry & Beatrice Sley 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 Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation's EIN?
Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-6391020. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Harry & Beatrice Sley 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 23, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 2, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/harry-and-beatrice-sley-foundation-morg_b198332cfddf46fab219fe515f0c6134
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_236391020_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Harry \& Beatrice Sley Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/harry-and-beatrice-sley-foundation-morg_b198332cfddf46fab219fe515f0c6134},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Harry & Beatrice Sley 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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