SAMUEL and HELENE SOREF FOUNDATION

STUDIO CITY, CA EIN: 59-2246963

The Samuel and Helene Soref Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1983 in Florida and currently based in Studio City, California. The foundation operates as a grantmaking organization focused on supporting Jewish agencies and educational initiatives.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$12.2M

-1.8% YoY

Annual Giving

$818K

-6.5% YoY

Grant Count

-11.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$17K

+5.4% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, SAMUEL and HELENE SOREF FOUNDATION reported a distributable amount of $864K 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's primary giving focuses on:

Jewish agencies and organizations
Education
Philanthropy, voluntarism, and grantmaking
Human services

The foundation directs grants primarily to organizations in California, New York, and the District of Columbia.

Grantmaking

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and operates on an invite-only basis.

Grant Range

$1,000 to $135,000

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily supports organizations in:

California
New York
District of Columbia

Grant Distribution by State

California $2.1M (63%)

New York $704K (21%)

District of Columbia $402K (12%)

Massachusetts $33K (1%)

Virginia $30K (1%)

Connecticut $20K (1%)

Minnesota $8K (0%)

Florida $6K (0%)

+4 more states

States

Alabama California Connecticut District of Columbia Florida Illinois Massachusetts Minnesota New York Pennsylvania Texas Virginia

Cities

AmherstAmhurstBel AirBerkeleyBeverly HillsBloomingtonBronxClairmontClaremontDuarteEl SegundoEncinoFairfieldFalls ChurchHartsdaleHoustonLong BeachLos AngelesLos AnglelesLos Angles

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Total assets: $12,241,916 (2024)
Total giving: $818,200 (2024)
EIN: 59-2246963

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$12,241,916	$12,468,103	$12,625,427
Revenue	$728,818	$854,758	$1,215,838
Expenses	$955,947	$1,012,080	$1,211,392
Qualifying Distributions	$871,489	$921,747	$1,136,293
Net Investment Income	$653,065	$745,453	$1,137,439
Distributable Amount	$863,954	$816,099	$845,000

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

197 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Jewish Federation of Greater La ($135,000), Washington Inst for Near E Policy ($105,000), Jewish Community Foundation ($100,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ABRAHAMIC HOUSE FALLS CHURCH, VA	PROGRAM	$10,000
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE HEBREW UNIV MIAMI, FL	PROGRAM	$6,000
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE ISRAEL PHIL NEW YORK, NY	PROGRAM	$3,000
AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DIST NEW YORK, NY	PROGRAM	$35,000
ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATES WEST POINT, NY	PROGRAM	$50,000
AUSCHWITZ INST FOR PEACE REC NEW YORK, NY	PROGRAM	$5,000
AUSCHWITZ JEWISH CNTR FOUNDATION NEW YORK, NY	PROGRAM	$5,000
AMERICAN JEWISH UNIVERSITY BEL AIR, CA	PROGRAM	$26,800
BEIT T'SHUVAH LOS ANGELES, CA	PROGRAM	$5,000
BET TZEDEK LEGAL SERV LOS ANGELES, CA	PROGRAM	$10,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Board members and trustees include:

Benjamin Breslauer (Trustee)
Irma Golter Breslauer (Trustee)
Richard Demak (Trustee)
Jeffrey I. Abrams (Trustee)
Alan Breslauer (Trustee)

Contact Information:

Address: 11530 Dona Dorotea Dr, Studio City, CA 91604-4249
Telephone: 323-654-9725

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
BENJAMIN F BRESLAUER	Trustee	10	—
IRMA G BRESLAUER	Trustee	2	—
ALAN D BRESLAUER	Trustee	2	—
JEFFREY I ABRAMS	Trustee	2	—
RICHARD DEMAK	Trustee	2	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does SAMUEL and HELENE SOREF FOUNDATION fund?

The foundation's primary giving focuses on: • Jewish agencies and organizations • Education • Philanthropy, voluntarism, and grantmaking • Human services The foundation directs grants primarily to organizations in California, New York, and the District of Columbia.

How do I apply for a grant from SAMUEL and HELENE SOREF FOUNDATION?

**Grant Activity:** • Total annual giving: $818,200 (2024) • Number of grants awarded: 46 (2024) • Grant range: $1,000 to $135,000 • Median grant size: $6,000 • Giving rate: 6.7% of assets **Application Policy:** The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and operates on an invite-only basis.

Where does SAMUEL and HELENE SOREF FOUNDATION make grants?

The foundation primarily supports organizations in: • California • New York • District of Columbia

What size grants does SAMUEL and HELENE SOREF FOUNDATION award?

In 2024, SAMUEL and HELENE SOREF FOUNDATION awarded 47 grants totaling $818K — an average of about $17K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is SAMUEL and HELENE SOREF FOUNDATION required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, SAMUEL and HELENE SOREF FOUNDATION reported a distributable amount of $864K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is SAMUEL and HELENE SOREF FOUNDATION's EIN?

SAMUEL and HELENE SOREF FOUNDATION's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 59-2246963. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.