Surtman Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Smithfield, VA EIN: 56-6056565
EducationEnvironmentHuman services

Surtman Foundation is a private foundation based in Smithfield, Virginia. Its 2024 filing describes its awards as educational grants, primarily for medical research, education, and community service organizations; its 2025 filing reports 22 grants totaling $286,900.

Surtman Foundation at a glance

In short: Surtman Foundation gave $287K across 22 grants in 2025 (avg $13K), mostly in Virginia. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$286,900
+29.2% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
22
-18.5% vs 2024
Average grant
$13,041
+58.6% vs 2024
Median grant
$1,500
Total assets
$1,264,581
-14.1% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
18% first-time grantees (4 of 22, 2025; small sample)
Primary geography
Virginia (63% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

How to apply to Surtman Foundation

How to Apply

The 2024 filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists contact with “THE Surtman Foundation CO REBECCA C” and says applications may be submitted in any legible and orderly form. The filing lists educational grants, primarily medical research, education, and community service organizations, as restrictions on awards.

Review Cycle
None listed.
Deadline
None listed.
Contact

Application contact: The Surtman Foundation Co Rebecca C
Mailing address: 9 Moone Creek Circle, Smithfield, VA 23430
Phone: (540) 958-3236

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Surtman Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Liberty Live Church: $103KLiberty Live Church$103KBroken Chains Ministry: $50KBroken Chains Ministry$50KRecovery Alive: $50KRecovery Alive$50KACLU Foundation: $38KACLU Foundation$38KLiberty Baptist Church: $15KLiberty Baptist Church$15KEmotional Recovery Clinic: $6KEmotional Recovery Clinic$6KCalvary Road Baptist Church: $5KCalvary Road Baptist Church$5KDestiny Family Center: $5KDestiny Family Center$5KDavidson Community Players: $3KDavidson Community Players$3KRaices: $3KRaices$3K

The largest 2025 recipient was Liberty Live Church ($103K). Together the top 10 received $277K.

Grant Size Distribution

120 grants across all recorded years

114<$50K5$50–100K1$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 114 grants of 120 (95%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The 2025 grant dollars went primarily to recipients in Virginia (63%), followed by Ohio (17%), New York (13%), North Carolina (3%), and Florida (2%).

Grant Distribution by State

13states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.

Cities

DenverCharlotteNew YorkHamptonAlamedaDavidsonFort MillNewtonOaklandResearch Triangle ParkSan AntonioStuarts DraftWinston-SalemSmithfieldWashingtonFayettevilleNewport NewsAkronCarrolltonStaunton

Is Surtman Foundation open to new grantees?

18%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 4 of 22 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $15K. How we count

Medians: $3K first-time, $2K repeat.

  • 77% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 129% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 408% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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

$0$100K$200K$300K23 grants2021 25 grants2022 23 grants2023 27 grants2024 22 grants2025

From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $56K (2023) to $287K (2025). In 2025 it made 22 grants totaling $287K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Liberty Live Church Hampton, VAReligious$102,500
Broken Chains Ministry Akron, OHReligious$50,000
Recovery Alive Smithfield, VACommunity Service$50,000
ACLU Foundation New York, NYCommunity Service$38,000
Liberty Baptist Church Hampton, VAReligious$15,250
Emotional Recovery Clinic Oviedo, FLCommunity Service$6,150
Calvary Road Baptist Church Alexandria, VAReligious$5,000
Destiny Family Center Stuarts Draft, VAReligious$5,000
Davidson Community Players Davidson, NCCommunity Service$2,500
Raices San Antonio, TXCommunity Service$2,500
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$1,264,581$94,257$301,845$286,90022$286,900$84,312$70,251
2024$1,472,169$690,830$240,747$222,00027$222,000$35,193$70,889
2023$1,022,086$-106,124$73,759$56,25023$56,250—$49,384
2022$1,201,969$-1,085,246$153,470$125,35025$125,350—$60,679
2021$2,440,685$588,422$162,158$145,50023——$85,594

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Surtman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $70K 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 mission statement is provided. The foundation’s 2024 filing describes its awards as educational grants, primarily for medical research, education, and community service organizations.

Its 2025 grants included religious and community-service awards. Among the grantees, Broken Chains Jail & Prison Ministry describes its work as helping people recover from incarceration and homelessness and supporting employment and recovery from substance abuse, domestic violence, and sex trafficking. Peninsula Rescue Mission describes its services as including shelter, work rehabilitation, aid to families in need, and a summer camp for underprivileged children. Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation describes its support for the Parkway as including historical and cultural preservation, natural-resource protection, visitor amenities, and education and outreach.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the foundation awarded 22 grants totaling $286,900. Grants ranged from $500 to $102,500, with a median of $1,500.

Notable 2025 grants included $102,500 to Liberty Live Church in Hampton, Virginia; $50,000 to Broken Chains Ministry in Akron, Ohio; $50,000 to Recovery Alive in Smithfield, Virginia; and $38,000 to ACLU Foundation in New York, New York. Other listed awards included $15,250 to Liberty Baptist Church, $6,150 to Emotional Recovery Clinic, and $5,000 each to Calvary Road Baptist Church and Destiny Family Center.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Jefferry M Chanter and Rebecca Chanter as trustees.

Surtman Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; 1 of 2 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Jefferry M. Chanter

    Trustee

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    $5K (2025)

  • Rebecca Chanter

    Trustee

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (1)
  • Former: Jeffrey M. Chanter (2021–2024) — Trustee

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.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

Jefferry M Chanter — Trustee: $5KJefferry M ChanterTrustee$5K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $5K, to Jefferry M Chanter (Trustee).

Frequently asked questions about Surtman Foundation

How much does Surtman Foundation give each year?

Surtman Foundation gave $287K across 22 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $222K across 27 grants.

What is Surtman Foundation's typical grant size?

Surtman Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $13,041, across 22 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Surtman Foundation that year got $3K on average.

Where does Surtman Foundation give grants?

Surtman Foundation gives mostly in Virginia: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Ohio (17%) and New York (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Denver, NC (3 grants), Hampton, VA (2 grants) and Smithfield, VA (2 grants).

Does Surtman Foundation give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 22 grants with a stated purpose on Surtman Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Community Service" (13 grants) and "Religious" (7 grants).

Who are Surtman Foundation's largest grantees?

Surtman Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Liberty Live Church ($102,500), Broken Chains Ministry ($50,000) and Recovery Alive ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 71% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Surtman Foundation?

Surtman Foundation reported $1.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $287K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $70K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Surtman Foundation fund?

No mission statement is provided. The foundation’s 2024 filing describes its awards as educational grants, primarily for medical research, education, and community service organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Surtman Foundation?

The 2024 filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Surtman Foundation's EIN?

Surtman Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-6056565. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.

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

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Surtman Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/surtman-foundation-morg_19870bdf141d4dafa5bdc7d9ca5d1cd8

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_566056565_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Surtman Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/surtman-foundation-morg_19870bdf141d4dafa5bdc7d9ca5d1cd8},
  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 Surtman 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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