Samuel S Fels Fund
The Samuel S. Fels Fund is a private independent foundation established in 1935 by Samuel S. Fels, former president of his family's company that manufactured Fels-Naptha soap. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the organization operates as a social justice funder providing general operating grants to nonprofit organizations. The foundation employs 4 staff members and maintains an annual revenue of $12.3 million.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$46.4M
+2.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.6M
-22.5% YoY
Grant Count
75
-29.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$21K
+9.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Samuel S Fels Fund reported a distributable amount of $2.3M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Fels Fund's mission is to advance social, racial, and economic justice in Philadelphia. The organization actively supports efforts to resist systems of oppression including white supremacy, anti-immigrant bias, and economic stratification. The foundation envisions a day when all Philadelphians can live full, meaningful, and dignified lives as valued and contributing members of a diverse and vibrant city.
The fund is committed to exploring equitable ways to share power and resources with communities that are and have been historically excluded. It promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion through its grantmaking priorities, relationships with grantee partners, investment principles and portfolio management, vendor relationships, and in its staff, board, and grantee capacity-building efforts.
For its 2024-2027 cycle, the fund's grantmaking focus is on movement building in pursuit of social justice, defined as the process of building power in and among Philadelphia's historically marginalized communities.
Grantmaking
Review Cycle
.
Grant Types
How to Apply
** The application process has two stages. The first stage is a funding inquiry. If invited to participate, the second stage is a proposal submission.
Ready to take the next step with Samuel S Fels Fund?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Fels Fund restricts grants to nonprofit organizations located in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, or focused on local issues. Only a few grants support national organizations or organizations operating in other parts of the country.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
- Annual Revenue: $12.3 million
- Workforce: 4 employees (representing a 25% year-over-year increase)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $46,438,680 | $45,116,266 | $43,265,733 |
| Revenue | $1,630,820 | $1,223,439 | $1,728,221 |
| Expenses | $4,357,232 | $2,966,974 | $2,128,026 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,524,556 | $2,928,831 | $3,185,219 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,702,949 | $1,121,013 | $1,480,901 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,275,099 | $2,136,072 | $2,231,207 |
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
203 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Amistad Law Project ($30,000), Asian Americans United ($30,000), Beyond the Bars Inc ($30,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AMISTAD LAW PROJECT PHILADELPHIA, PA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $30,000 |
| ASIAN AMERICANS UNITED PHILADELPHIA, PA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $30,000 |
| BEYOND THE BARS INC PHILADELPHIA, PA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $30,000 |
| COALITION OF AFRICIAN COMMUNITIES - PHILADELPHIA, PA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $30,000 |
| JUNTOS PHILADELPHIA, PA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $30,000 |
| LIFT EVERY VOICE PHILLY INC PHILADELPHIA, PA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $30,000 |
| NEIGHBORHOOD LAND POWER PROJECT PHILADELPHIA, PA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $30,000 |
| NEW SANCTUARY MOVEMENT OF PHILADELP PHILADELPHIA, PA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $30,000 |
| MOVEMENT ALLIANCE PROJECT PHILADELPHIA, PA | GENERAL SUPPORT FOR FISCALLY SPONSOR | $30,000 |
| NATIONAL DOMESTIC WORKERS ALLIANCE MEW YORK, NY | GENERAL SUPPORT | $30,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Sarah Martinez-Helfman serves as President of the Samuel S. Fels Fund.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SARAH MARTINEZ-HELFMAN | PRESIDENT | 40 | $252,954 |
| FARIHA KHAN | BOARD CHAIR | 2 | $6,500 |
| MICHAEL O'BRYAN | VICE CHAIR | 2 | $4,000 |
| WILL GONZALEZ ESQ | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | $5,000 |
| JOHN L JACKSON JR | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | — |
| DANYELLE AUSTIN | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | $4,000 |
| IDA K CHEN | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | — |
| CHELSEA HICKS | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | $4,000 |
| NIMRIT KANG | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | $4,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In 2024, the Fels Fund invested $2.415 million in its first ever Movement Building grants cohort, supporting organizations engaged in community-level movement building in Philadelphia. The foundation has been recognized as a positive leader in the field, with grantees noting that staff members are approachable and responsive to questions about application processes and eligibility.
Fels Fund Invests $2.415 Million in First Ever Movement ...Frequently Asked Questions
What does Samuel S Fels Fund fund?
The Fels Fund's mission is to advance social, racial, and economic justice in Philadelphia. The organization actively supports efforts to resist systems of oppression including white supremacy, anti-immigrant bias, and economic stratification. The foundation envisions a day when all Philadelphians can live full, meaningful, and dignified lives as valued and contributing members of a diverse and vibrant city. The fund is committed to exploring equitable ways to share power and resources with com…
How do I apply for a grant from Samuel S Fels Fund?
**Grant Structure:** The Fels Fund provides three-year general operating grants with annual funding of up to $30,000 for a total of up to $90,000 over the grant period. The fund operates on a three-year grant cycle. **Current Cycle Status:** The Movement Building grant cycle is currently closed. No additional funding inquiries will be accepted until the next grant cycle opens in 2027. **Grant Types:** In addition to general operating grants, the fund provides Leadership Development and Wellness…
Where does Samuel S Fels Fund make grants?
The Fels Fund restricts grants to nonprofit organizations located in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, or focused on local issues. Only a few grants support national organizations or organizations operating in other parts of the country.
What size grants does Samuel S Fels Fund award?
In 2024, Samuel S Fels Fund awarded 75 grants totaling $1.6M — an average of about $21K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Samuel S Fels Fund required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Samuel S Fels Fund reported a distributable amount of $2.3M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Samuel S Fels Fund's EIN?
Samuel S Fels Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-1365325. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Samuel S Fels Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
Related Funders
Similar funders by location and focus area
The Wolf Creek Operating Foundation
WEST CONSHOHOCKEN, PA
Assets
$7.1M
Grants
0
Total Given
—
The Best Little Cat House in PA
HARRISBURG, PA
Assets
$281K
Grants
0
Total Given
—
Willis and Elsie Shenk Foundation
LANCASTER, PA
Assets
$9.4M
Grants
35
Total Given
$304K
The Irene P Sorbara Charitable Foundation
PITTSBURGH, PA
Assets
$2.5M
Grants
2
Total Given
$131K
Howmet Aerospace Foundation
PITTSBURGH, PA
Assets
$141.5M
Grants
209
Total Given
$8.4M
Penn and Lisa Seiple Conservancy
SUNBURY, PA
Assets
$1.5M
Grants
0
Total Given
—
Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with Samuel S Fels Fund on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
- Monitor for new funding opportunities
Go from researching Samuel S Fels Fund to a real strategy.