Herman & Faye Sarkowsky
Herman & Faye Sarkowsky is a private foundation based in Seattle, Washington. In 2024, it made grants to organizations in Washington, including arts organizations, Jewish community organizations, and a youth arts organization.
Herman & Faye Sarkowsky at a glance
In short: Herman & Faye Sarkowsky gave $505K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $51K), mostly in Washington. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $505,474
- -12.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- -16.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $50,547
- +4.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $16,000
- Total assets
- $274,935
- +41.5% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Washington (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Herman & Faye Sarkowsky
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3600 Leary Way Nw, Seattle, WA 98107
Phone: (206) 547-0780
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Herman & Faye Sarkowsky funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 9 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Seattle Art Museum ($383K across 2 grants). Together the top 9 received $505K.
Grant Size Distribution
96 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 69 grants of 96 (72%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All reported 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in Washington.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
How Herman & Faye Sarkowsky gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−8%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 994% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $505K (2024) to $5.1M (2020). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $505K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle Art Museum Seattle, WA | General Support | $332,685 |
| Jewish Family Service Seattle Seattle, WA | General Support | $50,539 |
| Seattle Art Museum Seattle, WA | General Support | $50,000 |
| Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle Seattle, WA | General Support | $25,000 |
| Arts Fund Seattle, WA | General Support | $17,000 |
| Seattle Rep Theatre Seattle, WA | General Support | $15,000 |
| The 5TH Avenue Theater Seattle, WA | General Support | $5,000 |
| Teentix Seattle, WA | General Support | $5,000 |
| Kavana Cooperative Seattle, WA | General Support | $5,000 |
| Temple De Hirsch Sinai Seattle, WA | General Support | $250 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $274,935 | $914,686 | $512,939 | $505,474 | 10 | $509,207 | $160,552 | $51,233 |
| 2023 | $194,308 | $272,805 | $587,461 | $578,040 | 12 | $582,751 | $15,075 | $51,977 |
| 2022 | $178,113 | $1,746,873 | $1,231,899 | $1,221,944 | 17 | $1,226,922 | $51,018 | $40,678 |
| 2021 | $161,270 | $604,529 | $557,272 | $546,522 | 27 | $548,086 | $94,380 | $27,256 |
| 2020 | $565,957 | $3,012,734 | $5,145,731 | $5,132,193 | 30 | — | $377,381 | $58,581 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Herman & Faye Sarkowsky reported a distributable amount of $51K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included general support for the Seattle Art Museum, Jewish Family Service Seattle, Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, ArtsFund, Seattle Rep Theatre, The 5th Avenue Theater, TeenTix, Kavana Cooperative, and Temple De Hirsch Sinai.
The Seattle Art Museum describes its mission as connecting art to life and serving as a cultural and educational resource for the Seattle region, the Pacific Northwest, and beyond. The Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle says it leads a strong Jewish Puget Sound by serving as a community voice, strengthening connections to Israel and world Jewry, and investing in Jewish life. TeenTix says it empowers young people to take an active role in shaping their arts community.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $505,474. Grants ranged from $250 to $332,685, with a median of $16,000. The largest grants were $332,685 and $50,000 to the Seattle Art Museum, $50,539 to Jewish Family Service Seattle, and $25,000 to the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle. All listed 2024 grants were for general support.
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Faye Sarkowsky as president, Steve Sarkowsky and Cathy Sarkowsky as vice presidents, and Louis Treiger as secretary.
Herman & Faye Sarkowsky is led by Faye Sarkowsky, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Faye Sarkowsky
President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cathy Sarkowsky
Vice President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Louis Treiger
Secretary
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steve Sarkowsky
Vice President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Herman & Faye Sarkowsky
How much does Herman & Faye Sarkowsky give each year?
Herman & Faye Sarkowsky gave $505K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $578K across 12 grants.
What is Herman & Faye Sarkowsky's typical grant size?
Herman & Faye Sarkowsky's median grant in 2024 was $16,000, and its average grant was $50,547, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Herman & Faye Sarkowsky give grants?
Herman & Faye Sarkowsky gives mostly in Washington: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (10 grants).
Does Herman & Faye Sarkowsky give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Herman & Faye Sarkowsky's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Herman & Faye Sarkowsky's largest grantees?
Herman & Faye Sarkowsky's largest 2024 grantees include Seattle Art Museum ($382,685 across 2 grants), Jewish Family Service Seattle ($50,539) and Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 91% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Herman & Faye Sarkowsky?
Herman & Faye Sarkowsky reported $275K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $509K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $51K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Herman & Faye Sarkowsky fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Herman & Faye Sarkowsky?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Herman & Faye Sarkowsky's EIN?
Herman & Faye Sarkowsky's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-1479527. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Herman & Faye Sarkowsky accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Herman & Faye Sarkowsky funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/herman-and-faye-sarkowsky-morg_b4d39c67f5764d7cab8463d39aff61f4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_911479527_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Herman \& Faye Sarkowsky funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/herman-and-faye-sarkowsky-morg_b4d39c67f5764d7cab8463d39aff61f4},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 Herman & Faye Sarkowsky'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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