Samerian Foundation Inc

INDIANAPOLIS, IN EIN: 37-1439047 Website

Samerian Foundation Inc is a private family foundation established in 2003 and based in Carmel, Indiana. The foundation is dedicated to perpetuating the philanthropic vision of founders Cindy and Paul Skjodt. The foundation's name honors the Skjodts' three children—Samantha, Erik, and Ian—who serve on the board.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$69.3M

+3.9% YoY

Annual Giving

$4.9M

+0.2% YoY

Grant Count

+55.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$52K

-35.4% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Samerian Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $4.4M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation seeks to enhance the quality of life by providing funds through a grant-making process. Primary areas of focus include:

Education and scholarships
Economic development
Health and medical care programs
Youth sports
Community organizations serving the underserved
Humanitarian projects
Disadvantaged youth
Poverty and hunger prevention
Community development
Environmental initiatives
Building strong families
Advancement of human rights and social needs
The arts
Animal welfare
Mental health
Homelessness

Grantmaking

The foundation welcomes grant applications from charitable organizations that are tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Applications are submitted online. The foundation requests a 90-day review period from the date of proposal submission for full consideration. All grant seekers receive notification of the foundation's decision.

Grant Range

of $5,000

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The Samerian Foundation primarily serves Central Indiana. However, the foundation has participated in some international endeavors and has reached outside the state on special projects.

Grant Distribution by State

Indiana $14.8M (78%)

District of Columbia $3.0M (16%)

New York $779K (4%)

Illinois $248K (1%)

California $35K (0%)

Massachusetts $10K (0%)

Connecticut $5K (0%)

+1 more states

States

California Connecticut District of Columbia Georgia Illinois Indiana Massachusetts New York Ohio

Cities

AndersonAtlantaBattle GroundBloomingtonCarmelChicagoCiceroColumbusDanvilleFishersFlorenceFoxboroughFranklinFt WayneGreenfieldHollywoodIndianapolisLibertyvilleLos AngelesManhattan Beach

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Revenue (2024):

Total assets: $69,293,425
Total revenues: $8,183,485
Total expenses: $5,601,782
Grants made: $7,896,409

Foundation Status:

EIN: 37-1439047
IRS status since January 2004
Ranked in the top 10% of foundations by assets (#2,190 of 159,550)

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$69,293,425	$66,697,915	$66,763,179
Revenue	$8,183,485	$5,344,020	$3,700,757
Expenses	$5,601,782	$5,393,321	$5,671,921
Qualifying Distributions	$5,115,394	$5,069,197	$5,173,564
Net Investment Income	$6,960,602	$3,897,325	$2,154,970
Distributable Amount	$4,386,909	$3,875,862	$4,008,860

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

211 grants across all recorded years

Open Grants

5 open opportunities from Samerian Foundation Inc

Show all 5 →

Foundation

Cindy Simon-Skjodt Scholarship Grant

SAMERIAN FOUNDATION INC

Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Foundation

Ian J. Skjodt Scholarship Grant

SAMERIAN FOUNDATION INC

Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Foundation

Paul Skjodt Scholarship Grant

SAMERIAN FOUNDATION INC

Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Humane Society of Hamilton County ($312,500), 500 Festival Foundation ($100,000), Indiana University Foundation ($100,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
16 TECH COMMUNITY CORP INDIANAPOLIS, IN	CIVIC/COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING	$5,000
500 FESTIVAL FOUNDATION INDIANAPOLIS, IN	GENERAL FUND	$100,000
A KID AGAIN INDIANAPOLIS, IN	YOUTH PROGRAMMING	$5,000
ADELANTE SCHOOL INDIANAPOLIS, IN	YOUTH PROGRAMMING	$2,500
AGAPE THERAPEUTIC RIDING CICERO, IN	DISABLED PROGRAMMING	$5,000
ALLIED SOLUTIONS FOR PERFORMING ARTS CARMEL, IN	YOUTH PROGRAMMING	$2,500
ALL-OPTIONS BLOOMINGTON, IN	HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRAMMING	$5,000
AMERICAN RED CROSS INDIANAPOLIS, IN	GENERAL FUND	$10,000
ANTIDEFAMATION LEAGUE CHICAGO, IL	HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRAMMING	$25,000
ARTS WITH A PURPOSE INDIANAPOLIS, IN	AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM SUPPORT	$5,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Board Members:

Cindy Simon Skjodt – Chair. Graduate of Indiana University (BA, 1980) and Butler University (MS, 1996). Dedicates her time, attention, leadership, and financial resources to Central Indiana non-profit charity boards, as well as national and international charities.
Paul Skjodt – President
Erik Skjodt – Treasurer
Elizabeth Niedermeyer – Secretary (20 hours/week, $54,000 annual compensation)
Tammy Owen – Administrator (40 hours/week, $64,000 annual compensation)

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
CYNTHIA SIMON SKJODT	CHAIRMAN	4	—
PAUL SKJODT	PRESIDENT	2	—
ERIK SKJODT	TREASURER	4	—
ELIZABETH NIEDERMEYER	SECRETARY	20	$54,100

Contact Information

Website: www.samerianfoundation.org
Phone: 317-875-3369
Email: info@samerianfoundation.org
Address: 600 E 96th St Ste 510, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3842

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Samerian Foundation Inc fund?

The foundation seeks to enhance the quality of life by providing funds through a grant-making process. Primary areas of focus include: • Education and scholarships • Economic development • Health and medical care programs • Youth sports • Community organizations serving the underserved • Humanitarian projects • Disadvantaged youth • Poverty and hunger prevention • Community development • Environmental initiatives • Building strong families • Advancement of human rights and social needs • The ar…

How do I apply for a grant from Samerian Foundation Inc?

**Grant Activity:** • To date, the foundation has granted 2,105 requests totaling nearly $93.4 million • Recent annual grant-making: $7,896,409 in grants (2024) • Typical grant awards range from $1,000 to $2,000,000, with a median grant size of $5,000 **Active Grant Opportunities:** • Cindy Simon-Skjodt Scholarship • Erik M. Skjodt Scholarship • Ian J. Skjodt Scholarship • Paul Skjodt Scholarship • Samantha B. Skjodt Scholarship • Samerian Foundation Grant **Application Process:** The foundatio…

Where does Samerian Foundation Inc make grants?

The Samerian Foundation primarily serves Central Indiana. However, the foundation has participated in some international endeavors and has reached outside the state on special projects.

What size grants does Samerian Foundation Inc award?

In 2024, Samerian Foundation Inc awarded 93 grants totaling $4.9M — an average of about $52K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Samerian Foundation Inc required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Samerian Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $4.4M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.