Herbert Simon Family Foundation
The Herbert Simon Family Foundation is a private independent foundation established in 1999 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The foundation operates as a non-operating private foundation dedicated to creating more equitable, sustainable, and vibrant communities with an emphasis on Indianapolis and the state of Indiana. In 2011, the foundation expanded its board to include the second generation of the family and engaged the Central Indiana Community Foundation's philanthropic services, including strategic charitable advising and grantmaking counsel.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$13.7M
+6.3% YoY
Grant Count
4
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$3.4M
+6.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation supports organizations working toward creating more equitable, sustainable, and vibrant communities. Primary funding areas include:
Arts and Culture: The foundation's arts and culture funding focuses on supporting, funding, and building the Indianapolis cultural economy in ways that change mechanisms and power structures, and center individual artists, artist collectives, and arts organizations that have historically been outside of the mainstream local arts scene.
Education
Human Services
Religion
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Grantmaking
The foundation operates two specific opportunities within its arts and culture focus:
How to Apply
Current grant recipients submit reports through the CICF Grants Portal at cicf.smartsimple.com. Questions about timing or content of reports can be directed to HerbertSimonFamilyFoundation@cicf.org.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily supports organizations in:
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Indiana (statewide)
- New York
- Santa Monica, California
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $31,104,753
- Total Revenues: $22,734,479
- Total Expenses: $14,609,943
- Total Giving: $13,698,764
- Annual Giving: $14.3 million
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $23 million
- Total Revenues: $13,477,682
- Total Expenses: $13.7 million
- Total Giving: $13.5 million
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 4 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
49 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Central Indiana Community Foundation Inc ($13,548,764), Kirkus Prize Winner - Percival Ever ($50,000), Kirkus Prize Winner - Adam Higginbo ($50,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CENTRAL INDIANA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC INDIANAPOLIS, IN | MAKING GRANTS TO CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS. FOR DETAILS, SEE THE SECTION 170(C)(2)(B) STATEMENT. | $13,548,764 |
| KIRKUS PRIZE WINNER - PERCIVAL EVER NEW YORK, NY | FUNDING OF ANNUAL LITERARY AWARDS THAT HONORS AUTHORS OF FICTION, NONFICTION, AND YOUNG READERS' LITERATURE. | $50,000 |
| KIRKUS PRIZE WINNER - ADAM HIGGINBO NEW YORK, NY | FUNDING OF ANNUAL LITERARY AWARDS THAT HONORS AUTHORS OF FICTION, NONFICTION, AND YOUNG READERS' LITERATURE. | $50,000 |
| KIRKUS PRIZE WINNER - KENNETH M CAD NEW YORK, NY | FUNDING OF ANNUAL LITERARY AWARDS THAT HONORS AUTHORS OF FICTION, NONFICTION, AND YOUNG READERS' LITERATURE. | $50,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board of Directors:
- Herbert Simon, Chair
- Rachel M. Simon, President
- Jennifer Simon
- Stephen H. Simon
- Sarah Meyer Simon
- Asher B. Simon
All board members serve on a voluntary basis without compensation.
Staff:
The foundation works with Central Indiana Community Foundation staff, including:
- Clayton De Fur, Executive Director, Herbert Simon Family Foundation
- Guadalupe Pimentel Solano, Program Director, Herbert Simon Family Foundation
- Leah Nahmias, Program Director, Herbert Simon Family Foundation
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| RACHEL M SIMON | PRESIDENT / DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
| HERBERT SIMON | CHAIR / DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| STEPHEN H SIMON | DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
| JENNIFER K SIMON | DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
| SARAH M SIMON | DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
| ASHER M SIMON | DIRECTOR | 0.1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has announced recipients of the Indianapolis Creative Risk Fund, supporting individual artists and artist collectives in the Indianapolis area. The foundation continues to expand its support for arts and culture initiatives that center historically marginalized artists and creative practitioners in the local arts economy.
Herbert Simon Family Foundation Announces Indianapolis Creative ...Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Herbert Simon Family Foundation fund?
The foundation supports organizations working toward creating more equitable, sustainable, and vibrant communities. Primary funding areas include: • **Arts and Culture**: The foundation's arts and culture funding focuses on supporting, funding, and building the Indianapolis cultural economy in ways that change mechanisms and power structures, and center individual artists, artist collectives, and arts organizations that have historically been outside of the mainstream local arts scene. • **Educ…
How do I apply for a grant from Herbert Simon Family Foundation?
The foundation operates two specific opportunities within its arts and culture focus: • **Artists at Work Indianapolis**: A one-year, salaried fellowship where artists are embedded with a social impact initiative to leverage the creative power of artists to respond to community needs. • **Indianapolis Creative Risk Fund**: A grant fund for individual artists and artist collectives to encourage creative risk-taking and experimentation. Recent major grants include: • $13,548,764 to Central Indian…
Where does Herbert Simon Family Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily supports organizations in: • Indianapolis, Indiana • Indiana (statewide) • New York • Santa Monica, California
What size grants does Herbert Simon Family Foundation award?
In 2024, Herbert Simon Family Foundation awarded 4 grants totaling $13.7M — an average of about $3.4M per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Herbert Simon Family Foundation's EIN?
Herbert Simon Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-3905454. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Herbert Simon Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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