Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation
The Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Its 2025 filing reports grants to organizations including hospitals, a symphony orchestra, food-access organizations, and universities.
Key facts about Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation
In short: Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation gave $1.0M across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $79K), top state Maryland. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 52-6659386
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,025,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- Average grant
- $78,846
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $11,151,347
- Primary geography
- Maryland (44% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- Contact Harold Zirkin with a letter explaining the purpose of the grant. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- No deadlines.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$11.2M
-3.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.0M
+41.4% YoY
Grant Count
13
+30.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$79K
+8.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $701K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation gives
- 46% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 41% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 154% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for MedStar Health and Johns Hopkins University Hospital, the National Symphony Orchestra, DC Central Kitchen, and Northwestern University. DC Central Kitchen describes its work as using food to strengthen bodies, empower minds, and build communities, including preparing people facing high barriers to employment for culinary careers. Northwestern University describes its commitment to teaching, research, and students’ personal and intellectual growth in a diverse academic community. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $1,025,000. Grant amounts ranged from $25,000 to $300,000, with a median of $50,000. The largest listed grants were $300,000 each to MedStar Health in Columbia, Maryland, and the National Symphony Orchestra in Arlington, Virginia. Other listed grants included $50,000 each to Caring Matters, DC Central Kitchen, Garden of Remembrance, Johns Hopkins University Hospital, No Kid Hungry, and Northwestern University, and $25,000 each to Bravo-Vail, Capital Jewish Museum, Jazz Aspen, and MCV Foundation. The filing lists the purposes of these grants as general.
The foundation’s filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. For application information, it names Harold Zirkin as the contact and requests a letter explaining the purpose of the grant. The filing states that there are no restrictions or limitations on awards.
Review Cycle
No deadlines.
How to Apply
Contact Harold Zirkin with a letter explaining the purpose of the grant. The filing states that there are no restrictions or limitations on awards.
Ready to take the next step with Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the reported share of grant dollars by recipient state was Maryland 44%, Virginia 32%, District of Columbia 15%, Colorado 5%, and Illinois 5%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $116K (2020) to $1.0M (2025). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Medstar Health ($300K). Together the top 10 received $950K.
Grant Size Distribution
48 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 19 grants of 48 (40%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Medstar Health Columbia, MD | General | $300,000 |
| National Symphony Orchestra Arlington, VA | General | $300,000 |
| Caring Matters Gaithersburg, MD | General | $50,000 |
| DC Central Kitchen Washington, DC | General | $50,000 |
| Garden of Remembrance Clarksburg, MD | General | $50,000 |
| Johns Hopkins University Hospital Baltimore, MD | General | $50,000 |
| No Kid Hungry Washington, DC | General | $50,000 |
| Northwestern University Evanston, IL | General | $50,000 |
| Bravo - Vail Vail, CO | General | $25,000 |
| Capital Jewish Museum Washington, DC | General | $25,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $11,151,347 | $806,567 | $1,164,160 | $1,025,000 | 13 |
| 2024 | $11,508,940 | $1,094,492 | $847,239 | $725,000 | 10 |
| 2023 | $11,261,687 | $799,985 | $916,003 | $750,000 | 11 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $11,151,347 | $11,508,940 | $11,261,687 |
| Revenue | $806,567 | $1,094,492 | $799,985 |
| Expenses | $1,164,160 | $847,239 | $916,003 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,077,694 | $776,191 | $799,006 |
| Net Investment Income | $692,256 | $984,937 | $664,470 |
| Distributable Amount | $700,804 | $622,261 | $575,174 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Harold Zirkin as trustee and president, Nancy Zirkin as vice president, Tina Small as secretary, and John Lazerow as treasurer.
Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation is led by Harold Zirkin, Trustee & President since 2025 (on filings since 2020); none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Harold Zirkin
Trustee & President
Trustee, Vice President & S → Trustee & President, 2025
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$12K (2020) → $0 (2025)
John Lazerow
Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Nancy Zirkin
Vice President
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Tina Small
Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2022 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2022 filing was $66K, to Harold Zirkin (Trustee, Vice President, S).
Contact
Application contact: Mr Harold Zirkin
Mailing address: 5630 Wisconsin Avenue 1703, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Phone: (301) 961-9000
Frequently asked questions about Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation
How much does Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation give each year?
Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation gave $1.0M across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $725K across 10 grants.
What is Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $78,846, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation give grants?
Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation's top state is Maryland, with 44% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Virginia (32%) and District of Columbia (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (4 grants).
Does Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Medstar Health ($300,000), National Symphony Orchestra ($300,000) and Caring Matters ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation?
Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation reported $11.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $701K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for MedStar Health and Johns Hopkins University Hospital, the National Symphony Orchestra, DC Central Kitchen, and Northwestern University. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation?
Contact Harold Zirkin with a letter explaining the purpose of the grant. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation's EIN?
Martha & Philip Sagon Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-6659386. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
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