Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc
Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Purchase, New York. It makes grants to charitable organizations; its 2025 grants included organizations supporting humanitarian relief, people wounded in service, domestic-abuse services, education, and Jewish communal activities.
Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc gave $216K across 45 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in New York. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $215,700
- +8.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 45
- +21.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,793
- -11.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $3,693,340
- +14.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (5 of 34, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (85% 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 & Martha Silver Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2 Manhattanville Road Ste 403, Purchase, NY 10577-2500
Phone: (914) 285-1430
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Worldwide Friends Foundation ($50K across 4 grants). Together the top 10 received $165K.
Grant Size Distribution
219 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 217 grants of 219 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 85% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 6% to New Jersey, 3% to Illinois, 2% to Pennsylvania, and 2% to California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 45 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 34 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 76% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 93% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 133% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $137K (2023) to $2.9M (2022). In 2025 it made 45 grants totaling $216K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Belev Echad Inc NY, NY | Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Worldwide Friends Foundation NY, NY | Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| SAR Academy Riverdale, NY | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Chabad-Colel Chabad Brooklyn, NY | Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| Shalva NY, NY | Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| Worldwide Friends Foundation NY, NY | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Worldwide Friends Foundation NY, NY | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| UJA Federation of New York NY, NY | Unrestricted | $6,000 |
| Chabad Terror Victims Project Inc Brooklyn, NY | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Chabad-Colel Chabad Brooklyn, NY | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
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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 | $3,693,340 | $342,763 | $224,215 | $215,700 | 45 | $215,200 | $64,565 | $161,469 |
| 2024 | $3,214,964 | $206,730 | $208,475 | $199,790 | 37 | $199,790 | $75,058 | $155,248 |
| 2023 | $3,057,918 | $68,886 | $145,642 | $136,850 | 31 | $136,850 | $78,542 | $141,224 |
| 2022 | $2,738,878 | $81,702 | $2,896,534 | $2,886,226 | 33 | $2,887,976 | $76,978 | $203,001 |
| 2021 | $5,989,831 | $148,269 | $226,105 | $204,200 | 73 | $205,950 | $129,850 | $275,937 |
| 2020 | $5,301,783 | $150,909 | $257,559 | $228,650 | 84 | — | $124,903 | $242,257 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $161K 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 grant recipients illustrate the kinds of organizations it supports. Worldwide Friends Foundation says its Israel Friends and Ukraine Friends programs were launched in response to humanitarian emergencies. Belev Echad says it supports wounded members of the IDF and their families through physical, medical, legal, emotional, and financial services. SHALVA describes its work as providing confidential counseling, referrals, and supportive services for people experiencing or healing from domestic abuse, alongside community education.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 45 grants totaling $215,700. Grants ranged from $500 to $25,000, with a median of $2,500.
Notable 2025 grants included $25,000 each to Belev Echad Inc and Worldwide Friends Foundation; $20,000 to SAR Academy; $15,000 to Chabad-Colel Chabad and $15,000 to SHALVA; and $6,000 to UJA Federation of New York. The foundation also awarded multiple grants to Worldwide Friends Foundation and Chabad-Colel Chabad.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Steven Gelles as President and Caron Gelles as Secretary/Treasurer.
Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc is led by Steven Gelles, President since 2022 (on filings since 2020); none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Steven Gelles
President
Treasurer & Secretary → President, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Caron Gelles
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Wendy Ziegler (2021) — President
- Former: Martin Silver (2020) — President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 & Martha Silver Foundation Inc
How much does Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc give each year?
Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc gave $216K across 45 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $200K across 37 grants.
What is Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $4,793, across 45 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc that year got $7K on average.
Where does Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc give grants?
Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New Jersey (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were NY, NY (16 grants), Brooklyn, NY (7 grants), Teaneck, NJ (4 grants) and Bergenfield, NJ (3 grants).
Does Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (45 of 45) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Worldwide Friends Foundation ($50,000 across 4 grants), Belev Echad Inc ($25,000) and Chabad-Colel Chabad ($20,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc?
Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc reported $3.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $215K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $161K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grant recipients illustrate the kinds of organizations it supports. Worldwide Friends Foundation says its Israel Friends and Ukraine Friends programs were launched in response to humanitarian emergencies. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that 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 Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc's EIN?
Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6165326. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 27, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Louis & Martha Silver Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/louis-and-martha-silver-foundation-inc-morg_c84996f283ac4125aa20dfaeee4ef5e6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_136165326_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Louis \& Martha Silver Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/louis-and-martha-silver-foundation-inc-morg_c84996f283ac4125aa20dfaeee4ef5e6},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 & Martha Silver Foundation Inc'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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