Samuels Family Foundation
The Samuels Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In filing year 2024, it reported 14 grants totaling $98,000 to organizations in Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, and Washington, DC; the listed grants include historical, cultural, conservation, education, humanitarian, and community organizations.
Samuels Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Samuels Family Foundation gave $98K across 14 grants in 2024 (avg $7K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 14% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $98,000
- +5.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 14
- +16.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $7,000
- -9.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $7,500
- Total assets
- $1,826,257
- +1.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (2 of 14, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (64% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Samuels Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2023 filing lists John Samuels as the contact, says no special forms are required, and states that applications are accepted at any time.
- Review Cycle
- Applications are accepted at any time, according to the 2023 filing.
- Deadline
- Applications are accepted at any time, according to the 2023 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: John Samuels Samuels Family Foundat
Mailing address: 1545 Saucon Valley Road, Bethelehem, PA 18015
Phone: (610) 866-9855
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Samuels Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Lower Saucon TWSP Historical Society ($11K). Together the top 10 received $86K.
Grant Size Distribution
74 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 74 grants of 74 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In filing year 2024, 64% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania, 20% to New York, 10% to Texas, and 5% to Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Samuels Family Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 14 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 86% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−17%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 95% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $93K (2023) to $118K (2021). In 2024 it made 14 grants totaling $98K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Saucon TWSP Historical Society Hellertown, PA | Unrestricted | $11,000 |
| ACLU Foundation New York, NY | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| American Friends Society Philadelphia, PA | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Bat Conservation International Austin, TX | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| George School Newtown, PA | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Lehigh University Special Collections Bethlehem, PA | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Allentown Symphony Association Allentown, PA | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Bethlehem Boys and Girls Club Bethlehem, PA | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence Washington, DC | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,826,257 | $134,074 | $113,552 | $98,000 | 14 | $100,725 | $123,247 | $106,471 |
| 2023 | $1,807,157 | $170,202 | $108,266 | $93,000 | 12 | $95,600 | $159,766 | $92,378 |
| 2022 | $1,763,965 | $173,800 | $132,139 | $115,010 | 16 | $117,535 | $162,518 | $101,965 |
| 2021 | $1,704,387 | $346,059 | $134,313 | $118,000 | 17 | — | $335,146 | $107,019 |
| 2020 | $1,584,065 | $89,390 | $113,188 | $102,000 | 15 | — | $81,270 | $101,787 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Samuels Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $106K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied activities. For example, Bat Conservation International describes its mission as conserving bats and their ecosystems; the Allentown Symphony Association says it provides an orchestra and hall, performing arts, and cultural education; and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence describes its work as freeing America from gun violence. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation gave $98,000 through 14 grants. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $11,000, with a median of $7,500. Listed recipients included the Lower Saucon Township Historical Society ($11,000), ACLU Foundation ($10,000), American Friends Society ($10,000), Bat Conservation International ($10,000), Doctors Without Borders ($10,000), George School ($10,000), and Lehigh University Special Collections ($10,000). The 2024 filing lists each of these grants as unrestricted.
The foundation’s 2023 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It states that no special forms are required, applications are accepted at any time, and awards have no restrictions or limitations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists John Samuels as president.
Samuels Family Foundation is led by John Samuels, President on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
John Samuels
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Samuels Family Foundation
How much does Samuels Family Foundation give each year?
Samuels Family Foundation gave $98K across 14 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $93K across 12 grants.
What is Samuels Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Samuels Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $7,500, and its average grant was $7,000, across 14 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Samuels Family Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Samuels Family Foundation give grants?
Samuels Family Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 64% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (20%) and Texas (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Bethlehem, PA (3 grants), Allentown, PA (3 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Hellertown, PA (2 grants).
Does Samuels Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Samuels Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (14 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Samuels Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Samuels Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Lower Saucon TWSP Historical Society ($11,000), ACLU Foundation ($10,000) and American Friends Society ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Samuels Family Foundation?
Samuels Family Foundation reported $1.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $101K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $106K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Samuels Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Samuels Family Foundation?
The 2023 filing lists John Samuels as the contact, says no special forms are required, and states that applications are accepted at any time. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Samuels Family Foundation's EIN?
Samuels Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-6259595. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Samuels Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/samuels-family-foundation-morg_817e9b6df9ce479b83cb6affeb805a38
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_236259595_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Samuels Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/samuels-family-foundation-morg_817e9b6df9ce479b83cb6affeb805a38},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Samuels Family Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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