SNL Foundation
SNL Foundation is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. In its 2025 filing, it reported 19 grants totaling $205,272 to organizations in California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.
SNL Foundation at a glance
In short: SNL Foundation gave $205K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $205,272
- +50.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- +26.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,804
- +18.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,076
- Total assets
- $2,071,342
- -5.2% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (57% 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 SNL Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states on its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2000 Avenue Of The Stars Ste 1200N, Los Angeles, CA 90067
Phone: (310) 474-2192
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who SNL Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Food Forward ($26K). Together the top 10 received $189K.
Grant Size Distribution
52 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 52 grants of 52 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 57% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 28% to New York, 12% to Pennsylvania, and 2% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
How SNL Foundation gives
- 58% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 2040% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 88% 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 (2025). 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 2022 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $10K (2022) to $205K (2025). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $205K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Food Forward North Hollywood, CA | General | $25,866 |
| Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression Philadelphia, PA | General | $25,045 |
| Just Detention International Los Angeles, CA | General | $25,041 |
| Moca Los Angeles, CA | General | $25,027 |
| Amnesty International USA New York, NY | General | $25,000 |
| The Marshall Project New York, NY | General | $25,000 |
| UCLA Foundation Los Angeles, CA | Center for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Center for Reproductive Health Law & Policy | $15,130 |
| New Village Grls Academy Los Angeles, CA | General | $10,000 |
| CalMatters Sacramento, CA | General | $7,500 |
| RepresentUS Florence, MA | General | $5,076 |
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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 | $2,071,342 | $189,788 | $235,904 | $205,272 | 19 | $206,102 | $159,986 | $233,744 |
| 2024 | $2,186,088 | $94,350 | $171,776 | $136,573 | 15 | $139,235 | $66,809 | $211,451 |
| 2023 | $2,252,897 | $283,719 | $57,408 | $30,000 | 3 | $30,220 | $257,422 | $191,526 |
| 2022 | $2,023,191 | $61,223 | $38,091 | $9,590 | 15 | $10,796 | $38,641 | $204,081 |
| 2021 | $1,973,063 | $129,900 | $23,758 | — | — | — | $106,187 | $175,817 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, SNL Foundation reported a distributable amount of $234K for 2025 — 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 foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations working in areas such as food access, human rights, criminal justice reporting, journalism, and higher education, as reflected in the grantees’ own descriptions. Food Forward says it fights hunger and prevents food waste by rescuing surplus produce and connecting it with people experiencing food insecurity. The Marshall Project describes itself as a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization covering criminal justice. Just Detention International says it seeks to end sexual abuse in all forms of detention. UCLA Foundation describes its role as supporting UCLA through private philanthropy.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 19 grants totaling $205,272. Grant amounts ranged from $21 to $25,866, with a median grant of $5,076. Among the largest grants were $25,866 to Food Forward, $25,045 to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, $25,041 to Just Detention International, $25,027 to MOCA, and $25,000 each to Amnesty International USA and The Marshall Project. UCLA Foundation received $15,130, with the stated purpose of supporting its Center for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Center for Reproductive Health Law & Policy.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Shari Leinwand was listed as trustee on the 2025 filing.
SNL Foundation is led by Shari Leinwand, Trustee on every filing since 2021 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Shari Leinwand
Trustee
On filings since 2021
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 SNL Foundation
How much does SNL Foundation give each year?
SNL Foundation gave $205K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $137K across 15 grants.
What is SNL Foundation's typical grant size?
SNL Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,076, and its average grant was $10,804, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does SNL Foundation give grants?
SNL Foundation gives mostly in California: 57% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (28%) and Pennsylvania (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (9 grants), New York, NY (4 grants) and Philadelphia, PA (2 grants).
Does SNL Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 89% of SNL Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (17 of 19) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are SNL Foundation's largest grantees?
SNL Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Food Forward ($25,866), Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression ($25,045) and Just Detention International ($25,041), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is SNL Foundation?
SNL Foundation reported $2.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $206K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $234K (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 SNL Foundation fund?
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations working in areas such as food access, human rights, criminal justice reporting, journalism, and higher education, as reflected in the grantees’ own descriptions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from SNL Foundation?
The foundation states on its 2024 filing 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 SNL Foundation's EIN?
SNL Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-4705094. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does SNL 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in SNL Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). SNL Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/snl-foundation-morg_0c70ca27c05045ffb324d3f1fada04be
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_954705094_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{SNL Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/snl-foundation-morg_0c70ca27c05045ffb324d3f1fada04be},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 SNL 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.
SNL Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?