Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable
Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable is a private foundation based in New Rochelle, New York. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including Jewish community, Israel-related, health, refugee, environmental, and public-policy organizations.
Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable at a glance
In short: Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable gave $162K across 35 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in New York. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $162,387
- +17.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 35
- +6.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,640
- +11.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $4,590,335
- +16.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (5 of 35, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (84% 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 Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable
- 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: 12 Piping Rock Way, New Rochelle, NY 10804
Phone: (914) 723-0633
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was UJA-Federation of New York ($40K). Together the top 10 received $114K.
Grant Size Distribution
198 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 198 grants of 198 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 84% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York. The remaining reported shares went to recipients in Washington, DC (6%), California (4%), Illinois (3%), and Maryland (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 35 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 35 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 86% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 44% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 93% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $80K (2019) to $162K (2025). In 2025 it made 35 grants totaling $162K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| UJA-Federation of New York White Plains, NY | Unrestricted Use | $40,000 |
| Westchester Jewish Community Services White Plains, NY | Unrestricted Use | $25,000 |
| Beth El Synagogue Center New Rochelle, NY | Unrestricted Use | $11,687 |
| Israel Policy Forum New York, NY | Unrestricted Use | $10,000 |
| American Friends of Shalva Israel New York, NY | Unrestricted Use | $5,000 |
| Anti-Defamation League New York, NY | Unrestricted Use | $5,000 |
| Friends of the Israel Defense Forces New York, NY | Unrestricted Use | $5,000 |
| Natural Resources Defense Council New York, NY | Unrestricted Use | $5,000 |
| American Friends of Soroka Medical Center Scarsdale, NY | Unrestricted Use | $3,600 |
| Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund New York, NY | Unrestricted Use | $3,500 |
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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 | $4,590,335 | $874,883 | $206,074 | $162,387 | 35 | $193,239 | $506,513 | $208,196 |
| 2024 | $3,929,926 | $711,990 | $180,371 | $137,709 | 33 | $168,571 | $297,103 | $181,580 |
| 2023 | $3,429,907 | $443,160 | $182,365 | $128,950 | 36 | $159,833 | $237,234 | $168,476 |
| 2022 | $3,169,112 | $584,493 | $694,986 | $112,830 | 45 | $144,305 | $459,804 | $163,329 |
| 2021 | $3,239,605 | $738,896 | $153,921 | $113,450 | 49 | — | $99,243 | $158,581 |
| 2020 | $2,654,630 | $262,430 | $147,896 | $94,300 | 48 | — | $70,038 | $131,417 |
| 2019 | $2,540,096 | $206,937 | $123,358 | $79,900 | 46 | — | $271,779 | $119,329 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable reported a distributable amount of $208K 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 for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including Jewish community services, Israel-related causes, health care, refugee support, environmental protection, reproductive health, and gun-violence prevention.
The grantees describe their work in their own terms: Israel Policy Forum says it builds support for U.S. policies advancing a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; Friends of the Israel Defense Forces says it supports the health, well-being, and education of Israel’s protectors; and American Friends of Shalva Israel says it provides grants for Shalva’s operations serving children with disabilities and their families. Other supported organizations describe work in anti-hate advocacy (Anti-Defamation League), support for Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheva (American Friends of Soroka Medical Center), reproductive and complementary health care (Planned Parenthood Federation of America), gun-violence research and prevention (Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund), and refugee welcome and support (HIAS).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 35 grants totaling $162,387. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $40,000, with a median of $2,500. The largest awards included $40,000 to UJA-Federation of New York, $25,000 to Westchester Jewish Community Services, and $11,687 to Beth El Synagogue Center. Each was listed for unrestricted use. Other notable awards included $10,000 to Israel Policy Forum and $5,000 each to American Friends of Shalva Israel, Anti-Defamation League, and Friends of the Israel Defense Forces.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Avi Gelboim and Ricky Gelboim as trustees.
Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; 1 of 2 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Avi Gelboim
Trustee
On filings since 2019
8 hrs/week
$18K (2019) → $40K (2025)
Ricky Gelboim
Trustee
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
$18K (2019) → $0 (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Ellen Gelboim (2019–2024) — Trustee
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $40K, to AVI Gelboim (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable
How much does Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable give each year?
Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable gave $162K across 35 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $138K across 33 grants.
What is Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable's typical grant size?
Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $4,640, across 35 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable that year got $2K on average.
Where does Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable give grants?
Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable gives mostly in New York: 84% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (12 grants), Washington, DC (4 grants), Scarsdale, NY (2 grants) and Chicago, IL (2 grants).
Does Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (35 of 35) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable's largest grantees?
Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable's largest 2025 grantees include UJA-Federation of New York ($40,000), Westchester Jewish Community Services ($25,000) and Beth El Synagogue Center ($11,687), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 47% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable?
Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable reported $4.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $193K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $208K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including Jewish community services, Israel-related causes, health care, refugee support, environmental protection, reproductive health, and gun-violence prevention. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable?
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 Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable's EIN?
Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3972066. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 13, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS January 28, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 17, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sylvia-and-robert-scher-charitable-morg_c2dc4efd26cf4e6798434fc4a932b237
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133972066_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sylvia \& Robert Scher Charitable funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sylvia-and-robert-scher-charitable-morg_c2dc4efd26cf4e6798434fc4a932b237},
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 Sylvia & Robert Scher Charitable'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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