Sarkes and Mary Tarzian Foundation Inc

BLOOMINGTON, IN EIN: 45-5354049

Sarkes and Mary Tarzian Foundation Inc is a private, independent foundation based in Bloomington, Indiana. The foundation is a corporate foundation connected to Sarkes Tarzian Inc, an electronics manufacturing and broadcasting company founded by Sarkes and Mary Tarzian in 1944.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

Annual Giving

$444K

-25.4% YoY

Grant Count

18

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$25K

-25.4% YoY

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation primarily funds general support initiatives. Its grantmaking focuses on:

  • Education
  • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
  • Human Services

Grantmaking

The foundation provides general support grants to its grantees.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on Indiana, Virginia, and Tennessee.

Grant Distribution by State

10states
+2 more states

Cities

ALEXANDRIAARLINGTONAlexandriaBLOOMINGTONBloomingtonCHARLOTTESVILLECHATTANOOGACharlottesvilleChattanoogaFISHERSFORT WAYNEFort WayneHILLSDALEINDIANAPOLISIndianapolisLAFAYETTENEW YORKNew YorkOLDENBURGPHILADELPHIA

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of Fiscal Year Ending August 2024:

  • Total assets: $1,541,479
  • Total revenues: $866,279
  • Total expenses: $599,492
  • Number of employees: 0
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$0.275$0.55$0.8250000000000001$1.1201920212022202320242025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
Distributable Amount

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$149K$298K$446K$595K22 grants201920 grants202116 grants202216 grants202318 grants202418 grants2025

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

INDIANA RIGHT TO LIFE ED…$125KINSTITUTE FOR CATHOLIC L…$80KST PAUL STREET EVANGELISM$80KJAMES WILSON INSTITUTE F…$25KST PAUL CATHOLIC CENTERF…$25KBLOOMINGTON SOCIETY OF S…$20KINSTITUTE FOR FAMILY STU…$20KNATIONAL CATHOLIC BIOETH…$18KINSTITUTE ON RELIGION AN…$15KFRANCISCAN CENTER OF FOR…$10K

Grant Size Distribution

88 grants across all recorded years

74<$50K9$50–100K3$100–250K2$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Founders:

  • Sarkes Tarzian (October 5, 1900 – October 7, 1987): Ottoman-born American engineer, inventor, and broadcaster. He founded Sarkes Tarzian Inc. in 1944 and was instrumental in establishing broadcasting operations in Bloomington, including experimental station W9XHZ (1947) and WTTS-AM (1949), as well as WTTV (Channel 4), Indiana's second television station, founded November 11, 1949.

  • Mary Mangigian Tarzian (August 22, 1905 – June 7, 1998): American businesswoman and philanthropist. She was vice president of Sarkes Tarzian Inc. beginning in 1952. Mary was born in Philadelphia to Armenian immigrant parents and earned a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania (1927), a master's degree (1928), and a Ph.D. (1935), all from Penn. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and studied at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

No officer/director data available.

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Related Funders

Similar funders by location and focus area

Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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