Sanders Family Foundation
The Sanders Family Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, New York. It makes charitable contributions to preselected organizations and, according to its 2024 filing, does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Sanders Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Sanders Family Foundation gave $598K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $60K), mostly in Maryland. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $597,500
- -9.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- -9.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $59,750
- +0.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $5,982,162
- +6.0% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Maryland (83% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Sanders Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 76 Crosby Street Apt 3, New York, NY 10012
Phone: (212) 837-6384
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sanders Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 7 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Maryland ($448K across 3 grants). Together the top 7 received $598K.
Grant Size Distribution
48 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 35 grants of 48 (73%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, recipients in Maryland received 83% of grant dollars, followed by recipients in New York (13%), Washington, DC (2%), and Virginia (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
How Sanders Family Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+9%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 187% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $215K (2020) to $656K (2024). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $598K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Maryland Baltimore, MD | Charitable | $400,000 |
| Turtle Athelectic Foundation Towson, MD | Charitable | $50,000 |
| University of Maryland Baltimore, MD | Charitable | $37,500 |
| Island Harvest Melville, NY | Charitable | $30,000 |
| Island Harvest Melville, NY | Charitable | $30,000 |
| The Washington Institute for Near East Policy Washington, DC | Charitable | $10,000 |
| American Friends of the Israel Museum New York, NY | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Anti-Defamation League Oper New York, NY | Charitable | $10,000 |
| University of Maryland Baltimore, MD | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Comfort Zone Camp Inc Richmond, VA | Charitable | $10,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,982,162 | $1,268,323 | $671,238 | $597,500 | 10 | $597,500 | $917,133 | $320,343 |
| 2024 | $5,644,077 | $2,171,478 | $730,430 | $656,250 | 11 | $656,250 | $968,287 | $298,349 |
| 2023 | $4,908,456 | $1,702,757 | $607,746 | $570,000 | 6 | $570,000 | $713,912 | $235,642 |
| 2022 | $4,303,900 | $722,029 | $573,939 | $550,000 | 8 | $550,000 | $359,590 | $240,812 |
| 2021 | $4,043,350 | $715,378 | $560,098 | $525,000 | 13 | — | $348,938 | $227,470 |
| 2020 | $3,891,385 | $587,305 | $243,802 | $215,000 | 5 | — | $223,091 | $196,260 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sanders Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $320K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $597,500. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $400,000, with a median grant of $20,000. Recipients included the University of Maryland, which received grants of $400,000, $37,500, and $10,000; Turtle Atheletic Foundation ($50,000); Island Harvest ($30,000 twice); the Washington Institute for Near East Policy ($10,000); American Friends of the Israel Museum ($10,000); the Anti-Defamation League ($10,000); and Comfort Zone Camp ($10,000).
Island Harvest describes its mission as ending hunger and reducing food waste on Long Island. Comfort Zone Camp says it provides grieving children with a voice, a place, and a community in which to heal, grow, and lead more fulfilling lives.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Harvey Sanders as foundation manager and Ellen Sanders, Dorie Reisman, and Adam Sanders as trustees.
Sanders Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ellen Sanders
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Adam Sanders
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dorie Reisman
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Harvey Sanders
Foundation Manager
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Samuel Sultanik (2022–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Comerica Bank NA (2020–2021) — Agent
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Sanders Family Foundation
How much does Sanders Family Foundation give each year?
Sanders Family Foundation gave $598K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $656K across 11 grants.
What is Sanders Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Sanders Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $59,750, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Sanders Family Foundation give grants?
Sanders Family Foundation gives mostly in Maryland: 83% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Baltimore, MD (3 grants), Melville, NY (2 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Sanders Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on Sanders Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (10 grants).
Who are Sanders Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Sanders Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include University of Maryland ($447,500 across 3 grants), Island Harvest ($60,000 across 2 grants) and Turtle Athelectic Foundation ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 93% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sanders Family Foundation?
Sanders Family Foundation reported $6.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $598K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $320K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
How do I apply for a grant from Sanders Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sanders Family Foundation's EIN?
Sanders Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-6038266. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Sanders Family Foundation 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.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 29, 2021)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sanders Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sanders Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sanders-family-foundation-morg_61409bbd18b84966a171b0673cf37199
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_206038266_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sanders Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sanders-family-foundation-morg_61409bbd18b84966a171b0673cf37199},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Sanders 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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