Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman

Private foundation · Grantmaker Brattleboro, VT EIN: 13-6134569

Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman is a private foundation based in Brattleboro, Vermont. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including groups working in human rights, refugee support, legal advocacy, abortion access, documentary media, and community land trusts.

Key facts about Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman

In short: Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman gave $31K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), top state New York. 62% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
13-6134569
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$31,058
Grants made (2025)
13
Average grant
$2,389
Median grant
$2,250
New grantees (estimate)
62% first-time grantees (8 of 13, 2025; small sample)
Total assets
$36,567
Primary geography
New York (36% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
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. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). 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

$37K

+215.4% YoY

Annual Giving

$31K

+18.2% YoY

Grant Count

13

+30.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$2K

-9.1% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman reported a distributable amount of $16K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman open to new grantees?

62%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 8 of 13 grantees (62%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $3K. How we count

Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.

  • 31% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−1%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 191% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

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 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. American Jewish World Service describes its work as advancing human rights and ending poverty in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. HIAS describes its mission as welcoming and supporting forcibly displaced people. The Center for Constitutional Rights says it works to advance and protect constitutional and human rights and to support social justice movements. The Southern Documentary Fund describes itself as cultivating documentary media made in or about the South. The Carolina Abortion Fund says it provides financial, logistical, and emotional support to people seeking abortions. The Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust describes work with partners to stabilize neighborhoods and help residents remain in their homes.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the foundation made 13 grants totaling $31,058. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $3,500, with a median of $2,250. Among the largest were $3,500 to American Jewish World Service; $3,250 to the National Immigrant Justice Center and $3,250 to American Friends of Combatants for Peace; and $3,000 to HIAS. Other listed grants included $2,250 each to the Center for Constitutional Rights, Carolina Abortion Fund, Southern Documentary Fund, and Doctors Without Borders, and $2,000 each to Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust and Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

How to Apply

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Its filing lists written requests describing the charitable program as the form and materials, and names Sara P Suchman as the contact for requests.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states. The largest shares were in New York (36%), North Carolina (14%), and Illinois (14%), followed by Vermont (10%) and Maryland (10%).

Grant Distribution by State

12states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.

Cities

CambridgeSilver SpringNew YorkNYRoxburyBrattleboroDurhamHillsboroughHartsdaleKentChicagoWest HartfordAlexandraBridgeportBurlingtonChapel HillGoldsboroHagerstownMontgomeryNew Market

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$10K$20K$30K$40K9 grants2019 8 grants2020 9 grants2021 11 grants2022 7 grants2023 10 grants2024 13 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $12K (2023) to $31K (2022). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $31K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

American Jewish World Service: $4KAmerican Jewish World Service$4KNational Immigrant Justice Center: $3KNational Immigrant JusticeCenter$3KAmerican Friends of Combatants for Peace: $3KAmerican Friends of Combatantsfor Peace$3KOther Small Donations - Avail Upon Request: $3KOther Small Donations - AvailUpon Request$3KHias: $3KHias$3KCenter for Constitutional Rights: $2KCenter for ConstitutionalRights$2KCarolina Abortion Fund: $2KCarolina Abortion Fund$2KSouthern Documentary Fund: $2KSouthern Documentary Fund$2KDoctors without Borders: $2KDoctors without Borders$2KBoston Neighborhood Community Land Trust: $2KBoston Neighborhood CommunityLand Trust$2K

The largest 2025 recipient was American Jewish World Service ($4K). Together the top 10 received $27K.

Grant Size Distribution

50 grants across all recorded years

50<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 50 grants of 50 (100%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
American Jewish World Service NY, NYFinancialSupport$3,500
National Immigrant Justice Center Chicago, ILFinancialSupport$3,250
American Friends of Combatants for Peace NY, NYFinancial Support$3,250
Other Small Donations - Avail Upon Request Brattleboro, VTFinancialSupport$3,058
Hias Silver Spring, MDFinancial Support$3,000
Center for Constitutional Rights New York, NYFinancialSupport$2,250
Carolina Abortion Fund Raleigh, NCFinancialSupport$2,250
Southern Documentary Fund Burlington, NCFinancialSupport$2,250
Doctors without Borders New York, NYFinancial Support$2,250
Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust Roxbury, MAFinancialSupport$2,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants Grant count
2025 $36,567 $42,837 $32,717 $31,058 13
2024 $11,593 $30,742 $27,579 $26,280 10
2023 $13,905 $5,277 $14,002 $12,277 7
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$20K$40K$60K2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$36,567$11,593$13,905
Revenue$42,837$30,742$5,277
Expenses$32,717$27,579$14,002
Qualifying Distributions$31,058$26,280$12,277
Net Investment Income$41,178$29,443$3,552
Distributable Amount$16,267$15,271$15,909

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 15, 2020)
  2. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
  3. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Sara P Suchman as president, Mark C Suchman as secretary-treasurer, and Isaiah T Suchman as vice president.

Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman is led by Sara P Suchman, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Sara P Suchman

    President

    On filings since 2019

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Mark C Suchman

    Secr Treasurer

    On filings since 2019

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Isaiah T Suchman

    Vice President

    On filings since 2021

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (1)
  • Former: Annette Markely (2019–2020) — Director

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Contact

Application contact: Sara P Suchman
Mailing address: 51A Thayer Ridge Rd, Brattleboro, VT 05301
Phone: (203) 241-1432

Frequently asked questions about Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman

How much does Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman give each year?

Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman gave $31K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $26K across 10 grants.

What is Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman's typical grant size?

Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman's median grant in 2025 was $2,250, and its average grant was $2,389, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman that year got $2K on average.

Where does Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman give grants?

Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman's top state is New York, with 36% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were North Carolina (14%) and Illinois (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were NY, NY (2 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Chicago, IL (2 grants).

Does Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "FinancialSupport" (8 grants) and "Financial Support" (5 grants).

Who are Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman's largest grantees?

Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman's largest 2025 grantees include American Jewish World Service ($3,500), National Immigrant Justice Center ($3,250) and American Friends of Combatants for Peace ($3,250), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman?

Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman reported $37K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $31K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $16K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. American Jewish World Service describes its work as advancing human rights and ending poverty in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman?

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 Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman's EIN?

Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6134569. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Does Melvin and Sylvia Kafka Foundation co Sara Suchman 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.

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