Syar Foundation
The Syar Foundation is a private foundation based in Napa, California, founded in 1998 by C.M. “Tony” Syar and B.M. “Boots” Syar. It describes itself as a gift to the communities where the Syars raised their family and built their business, and says it seeks to support the communities that supported them.
Syar Foundation at a glance
In short: Syar Foundation gave $823K across 38 grants in 2025 (avg $22K), mostly in California. 32% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $822,680
- -54.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 38
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $21,649
- -54.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $6,792,885
- -3.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (12 of 38, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (100% 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 Syar Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Its guidelines describe the organizations and purposes of interest to the board; the board may vary from them for organizations or projects it believes will have significant or lasting community impact.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 607, Napa, CA 94559
Phone: (707) 252-8711
Website: https://syarfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Syar Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital ($55K). Together the top 10 received $365K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($3,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
184 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 173 grants of 184 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says it concentrates grants in Napa, Solano, Sonoma, and Yolo counties. Its 2025 grant filing shows that all grant dollars went to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Syar Foundation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 38 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $18K; repeat grants $23K. How we count
Medians: $23K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 55% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 31% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 171% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $433K (2019) to $1.8M (2024). In 2025 it made 38 grants totaling $823K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital Santa Rosa, CA | Donation for Continued Support | $55,000 |
| Vacaville Boys & Girls Club Vacaville, CA | Donation for Continued Support | $50,000 |
| Via Heart Project (Napa Police Department) San Francisco, CA | Donation for Continued Support | $45,180 |
| Vallejo Police Department Vallejo, CA | Donation for Continued Support | $45,000 |
| Canine Companions for Independence Santa Rosa, CA | Donation for Continued Support | $30,000 |
| Parentscan Parent - Napa Valley Child Advocacy Network Incorporated Napa, CA | Donation for Continued Support | $30,000 |
| Russian River Kepper Healdsburg, CA | Donation for Continued Support | $30,000 |
| Sonoma County Fire District Windsor, CA | Donation for Continued Support | $30,000 |
| CASA of Solano County Fairfield, CA | Donation for Continued Support | $25,000 |
| Cope Family Center Napa, CA | Donation for Continued Support | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Syar Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The filing type is Form 990-PF (a private foundation).
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $6,792,885 | $632,946 | $853,738 | $822,680 | 38 | $822,680 | $610,446 | $481,043 |
| 2024 | $7,028,677 | $759,657 | $1,866,240 | $1,817,224 | 38 | $1,817,224 | $729,657 | $499,900 |
| 2023 | $8,135,260 | $1,224,745 | $594,351 | $549,902 | 26 | $549,902 | $194,745 | $471,422 |
| 2022 | $7,516,004 | $608,012 | $657,007 | $629,375 | 38 | $629,375 | $581,483 | $478,807 |
| 2021 | $7,570,424 | $400,176 | $681,573 | $648,505 | 44 | — | $373,674 | $505,801 |
| 2020 | $7,858,521 | $365,741 | $495,379 | $470,159 | 29 | — | $342,410 | $430,534 |
| 2019 | $7,991,581 | $234,016 | $453,625 | $433,190 | 28 | — | $213,914 | $412,894 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Syar Foundation reported a distributable amount of $481K for 2025 — 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 foundation says it seeks to make grants consistent with the Syars’ vision. Its grant guidelines identify children’s and families’ health and welfare; enrichment programs at public schools and community colleges, including vocational education; seniors’ health and welfare; animal welfare; and law enforcement canine programs as primary interests.
The foundation says it gives only to well-administered, non-controversial nonprofit organizations recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3). Its guidelines generally exclude grants for explicit religious activities, private and professional schools, hospitals, political activity, fraternal organizations, and courtesy advertising or benefit tickets.
Grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported. CASA of Solano County says it advocates for children in the court system who have experienced abuse or neglect. Cope Family Center says it works to empower parents, nurture children, and strengthen communities. Canine Companions for Independence says it provides trained service dogs and ongoing support to people with disabilities. Share the Care Napa Valley says it supports older adults and people with disabilities through health, independence, and quality-of-life resources.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 38 grants totaling $822,680. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $55,000, with a median of $25,000. The largest listed grants included $55,000 to Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital, $50,000 to Vacaville Boys & Girls Club, $45,180 to Via Heart Project (Napa Police Department), and $45,000 to Vallejo Police Department. Each was described as a donation for continued support.
Other 2025 grants included $30,000 to Canine Companions for Independence and $25,000 each to CASA of Solano County, Cope Family Center, and Share the Care Napa Valley.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Susan L. Syar as a director and also lists “All Other Directors” as directors.
Syar Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
All Other Directors
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Susan L. Syar
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Syar Foundation
How much does Syar Foundation give each year?
Syar Foundation gave $823K across 38 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.8M across 38 grants.
What is Syar Foundation's typical grant size?
Syar Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $21,649, across 38 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Syar Foundation that year got $18K on average.
Where does Syar Foundation give grants?
Syar Foundation gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Napa, CA (11 grants), Santa Rosa, CA (5 grants), Fairfield, CA (5 grants) and Vallejo, CA (4 grants).
Does Syar Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 38 grants with a stated purpose on Syar Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Donation for Continued Support" (38 grants).
Who are Syar Foundation's largest grantees?
Syar Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital ($55,000), Vacaville Boys & Girls Club ($50,000) and Via Heart Project (Napa Police Department) ($45,180), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($3,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Syar Foundation?
Syar Foundation reported $6.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $823K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $481K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Syar Foundation fund?
The foundation says it seeks to make grants consistent with the Syars’ vision. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Syar Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Syar Foundation's EIN?
Syar Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3315815. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Syar 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS December 12, 2019)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 29, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Syar Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Syar Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/syar-foundation-morg_e6d35f5834d94997af37c078c30647d0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_943315815_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Syar Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/syar-foundation-morg_e6d35f5834d94997af37c078c30647d0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Syar 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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