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

+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

Indiana $1.6M (71%)

Virginia $285K (12%)

California $210K (9%)

Pennsylvania $73K (3%)

New York $70K (3%)

Tennessee $31K (1%)

District of Columbia $13K (1%)

Kentucky $3K (0%)

+2 more states

States

California District of Columbia Indiana Kentucky Michigan Nevada New York Pennsylvania Tennessee Virginia

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

Metric	2025	2024	2023
Total Assets	—	—	—
Revenue	—	—	—
Expenses	—	—	—
Qualifying Distributions	—	—	—
Net Investment Income	—	—	—
Distributable Amount	—	—	—

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 2025

Grant Size Distribution

88 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include Indiana Right to Life Educational Trust Fund ($125,000), Institute for Catholic Liberal Education ($80,000), St Paul Street Evangelism ($80,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
BLOOMINGTON SOCIETY OF ST VINCENT DEPAUL BLOOMINGTON, IN	GENERAL SUPPORT	$20,000
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF BLOOMINGTON BLOOMINGTON, IN	GENERAL SUPPORT	$500
CHOICES PREGNANCY CENTER CHATTNOOGA CHATTANOOGA, TN	GENERAL SUPPORT	$6,000
FORT WAYNE RESCUE MISSION FORT WAYNE, IN	GENERAL SUPPORT	$5,000
FORT WAYNE SOCIETY OF ST VINCENT DEPAUL FORT WAYNE, IN	GENERAL SUPPORT	$7,500
FRANCISCAN CENTER OF FORT WAYNE FORT WAYNE, IN	GENERAL SUPPORT	$10,000
HANNAH CENTER BLOOMINGTON, IN	GENERAL SUPPORT	$5,000
INDIANA RIGHT TO LIFE EDUCATIONAL TRUST FUND INDIANAPOLIS, IN	GENERAL SUPPORT	$125,000
INSTITUTE ON RELIGION AND PUBLIC LIFE NEW YORK, NY	GENERAL SUPPORT	$15,000
INSTITUTE FOR CATHOLIC LIBERAL EDUCATION VENTURA, CA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$80,000

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

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Sarkes and Mary Tarzian Foundation Inc fund?

The foundation primarily funds general support initiatives. Its grantmaking focuses on: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services

How do I apply for a grant from Sarkes and Mary Tarzian Foundation Inc?

**Grant Activity:** • Total giving (2024): $595,200 • Number of grants (2024): 16 grants made • Typical award range: $500–$285,000 **Recent Grants (2024):** • Indiana Right To Life Educational Trust Fund: $276,200 (General Support) • JM Educational Group: $80,000 (General Support) • James Wilson Institute for Natural Rights and the American Founding: $25,000 (General Support) The foundation provides general support grants to its grantees.

Where does Sarkes and Mary Tarzian Foundation Inc make grants?

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

What size grants does Sarkes and Mary Tarzian Foundation Inc award?

In 2025, Sarkes and Mary Tarzian Foundation Inc awarded 18 grants totaling $444K — an average of about $25K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

What is Sarkes and Mary Tarzian Foundation Inc's EIN?

Sarkes and Mary Tarzian Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-5354049. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.