Swartz Foundation Trust

FORKED RIVER, NJ EIN: 22-6554026

Arts and culture Performing arts Education Higher education Religion

The Swartz Foundation Trust is a private non-operating foundation established in 1993 and granted tax-exempt status by the IRS in March of that year. Based in Forked River, New Jersey, the foundation operates as an independent charitable organization classified as a trust. It functions primarily as a grantmaking entity, distributing gifts, grants, and loans to other organizations aligned with its philanthropic priorities.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$105.3M

+6.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$4.9M

-43.0% YoY

Grant Count

-4.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$73K

-40.5% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Swartz Foundation Trust reported a distributable amount of $5.9M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation does not maintain a publicly stated mission statement. However, its grantmaking reflects diverse interests across several key areas:

Arts and Culture — including visual arts and museums
Human Services — particularly YMCAs and community-based organizations
Christian Faith-Based Initiatives — evangelical Christian organizations and churches
Education — including higher education institutions
Environmental Conservation
Health Research — including Lyme disease research
Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Grantmaking

Grant Range

$500 to $500,000+

Invitation Only

and operates on an invitation-only basis.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's giving emphasizes national distribution with particular concentration in:

Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
Park City, Utah
New Jersey
Massachusetts
Utah
District of Columbia

Grant Distribution by State

Massachusetts $21.3M (49%)

Pennsylvania $10.0M (23%)

District of Columbia $7.0M (16%)

Utah $2.2M (5%)

California $768K (2%)

New York $721K (2%)

Virginia $515K (1%)

Rhode Island $300K (1%)

+7 more states

States

Arizona California Connecticut District of Columbia Florida Illinois Kansas Massachusetts North Carolina New York Pennsylvania Rhode Island Utah Virginia Washington

Cities

ArlingtonBerkeleyBostonBristolCambridgeChandlerChicagoChilmarkCoraopolisDavisEdgartownEdinboroEmeryvilleFalmouthGreenvilleHolandJamaica PlainMalibuMarionMission

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets and Annual Giving (2024):

Total assets: $105,287,931
Total revenues: $4,489,726
Total expenses: $5,519,597
Investment income and dividends: $1,740,824

Historical Asset Growth:

December 2012: $44,881,470
December 2015: $64,848,945
December 2019: $82,487,111
December 2020: $95,289,932
December 2021: $107,316,033
December 2023: $98,796,146
December 2024: $105,287,931

The foundation maintains zero employees and generates income primarily through investment returns rather than contributions.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$105,287,931	$98,796,146	$93,116,548
Revenue	$4,489,726	$8,088,898	$3,926,191
Expenses	$5,519,597	$8,989,868	$7,828,180
Qualifying Distributions	$4,939,985	$8,633,775	$7,314,836
Net Investment Income	$3,940,581	$7,724,757	$3,612,847
Distributable Amount	$5,918,067	$5,469,500	$6,282,416

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 2024

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include International Justice Mission ($2,500,000), National Museum of Women in the Arts ($500,000), Bethel Ame Church35th Anniversary ($100,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ANTI-CORRUPTION FOUNDATION INC BOSTON, MA	CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION	$50,000
BELLINGCAT FUND INC MISSION, KS	CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION	$50,000
BETHEL AME CHURCH JAMAICA PLAIN, MA	CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION	$25,000
BETHEL AME CHURCH35TH ANNIVERSARY JAMAICA PLAIN, MA	CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION	$100,000
BOSTON COMMUNITY PEDIATRICS ORG BOSTON, MA	CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION	$25,000
BOSTON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA INC BOSTON, MA	CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION	$25,000
BOSTON PHILHARMONIC YOUTH ORCHESTRA BOSTON, MA	CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION	$10,000
CAMPUS CRUSADE FOR CHRIST ORLANDO, FL	CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION	$2,000
CAMPUS CRUSADE FOR CHRIST ORLANDO, FL	CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION	$2,000
CHRISTIAN CENTER OF PARK CITY PARK CITY, UT	CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION	$25,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation was established by James R. Swartz, co-founder of global venture capital firm Accel Partners, and his wife Susan Shallcross Swartz, an accomplished artist. James Swartz received the National Venture Capital Association's 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award. Through Impact Partners, the couple has won two Academy Awards for documentary films addressing social issues.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
SEE ATTACHED	PRESIDENT	—	—

Contact Information

Address: Main St CPA, 124 N Main St, Forked River, NJ 08731

Phone: (609) 242-9600

Website: None

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Arts and culture Performing arts Education Higher education Religion

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Swartz Foundation Trust fund?

The foundation does not maintain a publicly stated mission statement. However, its grantmaking reflects diverse interests across several key areas: • **Arts and Culture** — including visual arts and museums • **Human Services** — particularly YMCAs and community-based organizations • **Christian Faith-Based Initiatives** — evangelical Christian organizations and churches • **Education** — including higher education institutions • **Environmental Conservation** • **Health Research** — including …

How do I apply for a grant from Swartz Foundation Trust?

The Swartz Foundation Trust operates without formal grant programs. Instead, grants are made at the discretion of trustees to preselected organizations. The foundation does not have a public application process and operates on an invitation-only basis. **Grant Activity (2024):** • Total grants distributed: approximately $4.9 million • Number of grants: 61 awards • Grant range: $500 to $500,000+ • Notable recent grants include $2.5 million to International Justice Mission, $500,000 to The Nation…

Where does Swartz Foundation Trust make grants?

The foundation's giving emphasizes national distribution with particular concentration in: • **Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts** • **Park City, Utah** • **New Jersey** • **Massachusetts** • **Utah** • **District of Columbia**

What size grants does Swartz Foundation Trust award?

In 2024, Swartz Foundation Trust awarded 67 grants totaling $4.9M — an average of about $73K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Swartz Foundation Trust required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Swartz Foundation Trust reported a distributable amount of $5.9M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.