The Sunrise Foundation for Education and
Sunrise Foundation for Education and the is a private foundation based in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Its 2024 filing reports grants for silent-film music and restoration, film preservation and programming, and related cultural projects.
The Sunrise Foundation for Education and at a glance
In short: The Sunrise Foundation for Education and gave $1.1M across 18 grants in 2024 (avg $59K), top state New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,062,546
- -16.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 18
- +20.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $59,030
- -30.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $33,361
- Total assets
- $2,374,893
- -12.5% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- New York (35% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Sunrise Foundation for Education and
- How to Apply
-
Contact Sunrise Foundation. Written applications must include the qualifications and experience of interested musicians and may include recordings or materials regarding past performances. Educational grants are limited to qualified musicians accompanying live presentations of certain restored silent films.
- Review Cycle
- N/A on the filing.
- Deadline
- N/A on the filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Sunrise Foundation
Mailing address: 130 Cheshire Lane Suite 125, Minnetonka, MN 55305
Phone: (952) 476-6382
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Sunrise Foundation for Education and funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Metropolitan Opera Association Inc ($250K). Together the top 10 received $959K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($103,200), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
66 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 36 grants of 66 (55%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports grant dollars going to recipients in New York, California, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, as well as recipients in other locations. It lists shares of 35% for New York, 16% for California, 10% for Connecticut, and 2% for Massachusetts; the state corresponding to the reported 37% share is unspecified.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Sunrise Foundation for Education and gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−17%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 838% 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $389K (2020) to $1.3M (2021). In 2024 it made 18 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Metropolitan Opera Association Inc New York, NY | Support the Metropolitan Opera Recovery Fund. | $250,000 |
| Klezmer by Alicia Svigals LLC New York, NY | Grant to a qualified musician to accompany the live presentation of restored silent films by charitable organizations. | $122,000 |
| Deutsche Kinemathek | Support for restoration of three CCC films produced by Holocaust survivor, Artur Brauner. | $110,226 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $103,200 |
| Deutsche Kinemathek | Supplemental Grant in support of the Junior Archivist Program. | $90,220 |
| San Francisco Silent Film Festival San Francisco, CA | Support for German-interest programming at the 2024 San Francisco Silent Film Festival & Production Expenses | $75,000 |
| Munchner Filmzentrum EV | Support for restoration of Robert Wiene's I.N.R.I. (1923) and G. W. Pabst's DIE FREUDLOSE GASSE (1925). | $60,919 |
| Munchner Filmzentrum EV | Support for restoration of two titles by German silent film director, Robert Wiene: RASKOLNIKOW (1923) phase three and GENUINE (1920). | $49,213 |
| Deutsche Kinemathek | Underwrite "Der Deutsche Film" English Edition. | $33,389 |
| San Francisco Silent Film Festival San Francisco, CA | Support for a full-time Film Restorer Position at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival | $33,333 |
Ready to take the next step with The Sunrise Foundation for Education and?
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 | $2,374,893 | $825,235 | $1,132,495 | $1,062,546 | 18 | $1,066,546 | $369,385 | $127,255 |
| 2023 | $2,712,622 | $654,919 | $1,327,026 | $1,268,293 | 15 | $1,269,893 | $245,950 | $154,826 |
| 2022 | $3,410,539 | $500,074 | $1,032,562 | $970,797 | 14 | $972,397 | $157,190 | $202,169 |
| 2021 | $3,940,520 | $961,996 | $1,332,339 | $1,282,782 | 9 | $1,283,582 | $667,261 | $250,478 |
| 2020 | $3,919,071 | $398,201 | $512,140 | $389,249 | 10 | — | $165,437 | $230,591 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Sunrise Foundation for Education and reported a distributable amount of $127K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available filing does not state a general mission. Its grant purposes include support for silent-film restoration, archival work, film programming, and musicians accompanying live presentations of restored films. The filing says these educational grants are intended to promote the historic, educational, and artistic value of silent films.
Among its 2024 grantees, the National Center for Jewish Film describes its own mission as collecting, preserving, and exhibiting films with artistic and educational value relevant to the Jewish experience. Friends of Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House describes its mission as fostering German-American cultural exchange, remembering European exiles who settled in California, and preserving two residences in Pacific Palisades.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 18 grants totaling $1,062,546. Grants ranged from $2,793 to $250,000, with a median of $33,361. Notable awards included $250,000 to The Metropolitan Opera Association to support its Recovery Fund; $122,000 to Klezmer by Alicia Svigals LLC for a qualified musician to accompany live presentations of restored silent films; and $110,226 to Deutsche Kinemathek for restoration of three films produced by Holocaust survivor Artur Brauner.
Other reported awards included $103,200 to an individual recipient in Connecticut for a qualified musician to accompany live presentations of restored silent films, and $75,000 to San Francisco Silent Film Festival for German-interest programming and production expenses. The National Center for Jewish Film received $19,557, and Friends of Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House received $30,500, according to the grantee descriptions.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s 2024 filing lists Cynthia Walk as Chairman and Director, Charles Wolfinger as Director, and Richard Palmer as Secretary and Treasurer.
The Sunrise Foundation for Education and is led by Cynthia Walk, Chairman & Director since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 3 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Cynthia Walk
Chairman & Director
Chairman → Chairman & Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$10K (2024)
Charles Wolfinger
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Richard Palmer
Secretary & Treasurer
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $10K, to Cynthia Walk (Chairman, Director).
Frequently asked questions about The Sunrise Foundation for Education and
How much does The Sunrise Foundation for Education and give each year?
The Sunrise Foundation for Education and gave $1.1M across 18 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.3M across 15 grants.
What is The Sunrise Foundation for Education and's typical grant size?
The Sunrise Foundation for Education and's median grant in 2024 was $33,361, and its average grant was $59,030, across 18 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Sunrise Foundation for Education and give grants?
The Sunrise Foundation for Education and's top state is New York, with 35% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (16%) and Connecticut (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (2 grants), San Francisco, CA (2 grants) and Pacific Palisades, CA (2 grants).
Does The Sunrise Foundation for Education and give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on The Sunrise Foundation for Education and's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Sunrise Foundation for Education and's largest grantees?
The Sunrise Foundation for Education and's largest 2024 grantees include The Metropolitan Opera Association Inc ($250,000), Deutsche Kinemathek ($236,628 across 4 grants) and Klezmer by Alicia Svigals LLC ($122,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($103,200), which are not listed by name. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Sunrise Foundation for Education and?
The Sunrise Foundation for Education and reported $2.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $127K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Sunrise Foundation for Education and fund?
The available filing does not state a general mission. Its grant purposes include support for silent-film restoration, archival work, film programming, and musicians accompanying live presentations of restored films. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Sunrise Foundation for Education and?
Contact Sunrise Foundation. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Sunrise Foundation for Education and's EIN?
The Sunrise Foundation for Education and's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-5203749. 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 October 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). The Sunrise Foundation for Education and funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sunrise-foundation-for-education-and-the-morg_086c81591b93435892849d2088309c83
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_475203749_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Sunrise Foundation for Education and funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sunrise-foundation-for-education-and-the-morg_086c81591b93435892849d2088309c83},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 The Sunrise Foundation for Education and'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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