Sylarn Foundation
Sylarn Foundation is a private foundation based in Marquette, Michigan. Its 2025 filing reports grants to six organizations, including recipients working in education, the arts, healthcare, and youth development.
Sylarn Foundation at a glance
In short: Sylarn Foundation gave $1.4M across 6 grants in 2025 (avg $239K), mostly in Michigan. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,431,600
- +8.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 6
- -40.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $238,600
- +80.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $60,000
- Total assets
- $5,358,636
- -10.8% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Michigan (88% 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 Sylarn 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 for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 128 West Spring Street, Marquette, MI 49855
Phone: (906) 226-2543
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sylarn Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 6 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Michigan ($1.1M). Together the top 6 received $1.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
51 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 26 grants of 51 (51%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 88% of grant dollars went to Michigan recipients, 5% to recipients in Washington, DC, 5% to New York, and 2% to Florida.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 6 itemized grants.
Cities
How Sylarn Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 383% 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.3M (2024) to $2.8M (2021). In 2025 it made 6 grants totaling $1.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI | Education Program & Scholarship FDS | $1,091,600 |
| NMU Foundation Marquette, MI | Siril Endowments for the Arts | $165,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Federation of Am New York, NY | General Operations for Healthcare | $75,000 |
| Beacon House Washington, DC | General Operations | $45,000 |
| Mikva Challenge - DC Washington, DC | Youth Development - Mikva DC | $30,000 |
| The Jewish Federation of Sarasota - Sarasota, FL | General Operations | $25,000 |
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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 | $5,358,636 | $879,139 | $1,531,198 | $1,431,600 | 6 | $1,431,600 | $799,593 | $373,694 |
| 2024 | $6,009,373 | $752,494 | $1,421,316 | $1,325,315 | 10 | $1,325,315 | $978,538 | $402,778 |
| 2023 | $6,672,008 | $603,273 | $2,073,095 | $1,984,125 | 11 | $1,984,125 | $515,215 | $414,865 |
| 2022 | $8,126,188 | $716,030 | $1,453,633 | $1,340,486 | 12 | $1,340,486 | $629,654 | $482,692 |
| 2021 | $8,870,753 | $1,287,063 | $2,885,823 | $2,784,642 | 12 | $2,784,642 | $1,192,177 | $610,073 |
| 2020 | $10,469,617 | $569,570 | $2,197,607 | $2,103,982 | 14 | — | $458,657 | $594,932 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sylarn Foundation reported a distributable amount of $374K 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
The available information does not state the foundation’s own mission. Its 2025 grants included support for a university education program and scholarship funds, arts endowments, healthcare, general operations, and youth development. The University of Michigan describes its mission as representing and advocating for its member physicians; that is the university’s mission, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $1,431,600 through six grants. Awards ranged from $25,000 to $1,091,600, with a median of $60,000.
The largest grant was $1,091,600 to the University of Michigan for an education program and scholarship funds. Other grants included $165,000 to NMU Foundation for arts endowments, $75,000 to Planned Parenthood Federation of America for general operations for healthcare, $45,000 to Beacon House for general operations, $30,000 to Mikva Challenge - DC for youth development, and $25,000 to the Jewish Federation of Sarasota for general operations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Howard L Cohodas as Director & P, Nadine R Cohodas as Director & V, and Kenneth J Seavoy as Director & A.
Sylarn Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Howard L. Cohodas
Director & P
Director, President, Secretary & T → Director & P, 2023
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kenneth J. Seavoy
Director & A
Director & Assistant Secretary → Director & A, 2023
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nadine R. Cohodas
Director & V
Director & Vice President → Director & V, 2023
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Sylarn Foundation
How much does Sylarn Foundation give each year?
Sylarn Foundation gave $1.4M across 6 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.3M across 10 grants.
What is Sylarn Foundation's typical grant size?
Sylarn Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $60,000, and its average grant was $238,600, across 6 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Sylarn Foundation give grants?
Sylarn Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (5%) and New York (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Sylarn Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 50% of Sylarn Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 6) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Sylarn Foundation's largest grantees?
Sylarn Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include University of Michigan ($1,091,600), NMU Foundation ($165,000) and Planned Parenthood Federation of Am ($75,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 93% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sylarn Foundation?
Sylarn Foundation reported $5.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $374K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Sylarn Foundation fund?
The available information does not state the foundation’s own mission. Its 2025 grants included support for a university education program and scholarship funds, arts endowments, healthcare, general operations, and youth development. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sylarn Foundation?
The foundation states 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 Sylarn Foundation's EIN?
Sylarn Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-4866886. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Sylarn 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Sylarn Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sylarn Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sylarn Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sylarn-foundation-morg_b7a8167a884043be9a2f0505b7da9a67
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_474866886_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sylarn Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sylarn-foundation-morg_b7a8167a884043be9a2f0505b7da9a67},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 Sylarn 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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