Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation
The Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation is a private foundation based in Potomac, Maryland. Its 2025 filing reports 27 grants totaling $144,600 to organizations working in areas including Jewish community life, health care, education, and community services.
Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation at a glance
In short: Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation gave $145K across 27 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Maryland. 7% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $144,600
- +47.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 27
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,356
- +47.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,500
- Total assets
- $2,149,189
- +0.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (2 of 27, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (64% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing instructs applicants to send a letter to Steven Fanaroff stating the organization’s name, providing proof of tax-exempt status, and stating the purpose for which the grant will be used. The filing lists no award restrictions.
- Review Cycle
- None listed on the 2024 filing.
- Deadline
- None listed on the 2024 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Steven Fanaroff
Mailing address: 7811 Montrose Rd Suite 260, Potomac, MD 20854
Phone: (301) 230-3020
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Matan ($15K). Together the top 10 received $99K.
Grant Size Distribution
156 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 156 grants of 156 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Maryland recipients received 64% of grant dollars, followed by New York at 19%, the District of Columbia at 9%, Pennsylvania at 5%, and Indiana at 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 27 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 85% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−2%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 107% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $98K (2024) to $147K (2022). In 2025 it made 27 grants totaling $145K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Matan New York, NY | To Assist Jewish Students with Special Needs | $15,400 |
| Hope Connection for Cancer Support Bethesda, MD | General Support | $10,700 |
| American Friends of Magen David Adom New York, NY | To Support the Jewish Community | $10,000 |
| Anti-Defamation League Washington, DC | To combat defamation and hate-crimes related to the jewish community | $10,000 |
| Friends of Lubavitch Potomac, MD | Promotion of Religion | $10,000 |
| Jewish Federation of Greater Washington Rockville, MD | Support Community in Need | $10,000 |
| Maryland Hillel College Park, MD | Enhance the Lives of Jewish Undergraduates | $10,000 |
| Suburban Hospital Foundation Bethesda, MD | To Fund Nursing Education and Clinical Programs | $10,000 |
| Charles E Smith Jewish Day School Rockville, MD | To Support the Jewish Community and Youth Education | $7,000 |
| Aquilino Cancer Center Rockville, MD | General Support | $6,000 |
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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 | $2,149,189 | $198,320 | $186,258 | $144,600 | 27 | $150,363 | $162,425 | $140,349 |
| 2024 | $2,137,127 | $44,428 | $142,159 | $98,200 | 27 | $104,712 | $64,941 | $131,926 |
| 2023 | $2,234,858 | $151,169 | $183,552 | $135,000 | 36 | $140,776 | $112,132 | $132,654 |
| 2022 | $2,268,783 | $221,810 | $197,448 | $147,000 | 35 | $152,945 | $181,379 | $142,399 |
| 2021 | $2,313,353 | $215,108 | $184,565 | $140,600 | 31 | — | $179,475 | $129,581 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation reported a distributable amount of $140K 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 foundation mission statement is provided in the available information. Its 2025 grants include support for Jewish students with special needs, Jewish community organizations and education, cancer support, nursing education and clinical programs, and migraine awareness and research.
Grantee descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported. MATAN says its mission is to help Jewish professionals, communities, and families create inclusive settings in Jewish educational, communal, and spiritual life. Suburban Hospital Foundation says it raises and distributes philanthropic gifts for the programs and priorities of Suburban Hospital. So What Else says it works to improve the lives of children and families in underserved Baltimore-Washington communities through food security, basic necessities, and out-of-school programs. CaringMatters says it provides support and community education for people facing serious illness or grief.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 27 grants totaling $144,600. Grants ranged from $500 to $15,400, with a median grant of $3,500.
Among the largest reported grants were $15,400 to MATAN for Jewish students with special needs; $10,700 to Hope Connection for Cancer Support for general support; and $10,000 each to American Friends of Magen David Adom, the Anti-Defamation League, Friends of Lubavitch, Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, Maryland Hillel, and Suburban Hospital Foundation. Other reported grants included $7,000 to Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, $6,000 to Aquilino Cancer Center, and $5,000 each to Miles for Migraine and Shady Grove Adventist Hospital Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Steven Fanaroff as director and Sonia Polsky as officer.
Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Steven Fanaroff
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sonia Polsky
Officer
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation
How much does Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation give each year?
Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation gave $145K across 27 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $98K across 27 grants.
What is Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation's typical grant size?
Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,500, and its average grant was $5,356, across 27 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation give grants?
Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation gives mostly in Maryland: 64% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (19%) and District of Columbia (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Rockville, MD (6 grants), Gaithersburg, MD (4 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Bethesda, MD (2 grants).
Does Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 33% of Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (9 of 27) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation's largest grantees?
Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Matan ($15,400), Hope Connection for Cancer Support ($10,700) and American Friends of Magen David Adom ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation?
Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation reported $2.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $150K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $140K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided in the available information. Its 2025 grants include support for Jewish students with special needs, Jewish community organizations and education, cancer support, nursing education and clinical programs, and migraine awareness and research. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation?
The 2024 filing instructs applicants to send a letter to Steven Fanaroff stating the organization’s name, providing proof of tax-exempt status, and stating the purpose for which the grant will be used. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation's EIN?
Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1276724. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/louis-and-helen-fanaroff-char-foundation-morg_8d91d0c31dc840afa163854ff9150c0a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_521276724_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Louis \& Helen Fanaroff Char Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/louis-and-helen-fanaroff-char-foundation-morg_8d91d0c31dc840afa163854ff9150c0a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Louis & Helen Fanaroff Char 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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