Syncopation Foundation
Syncopation Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, New York. Its 2024 filing reports 14 grants totaling $737,640, with recipients including organizations whose stated missions concern Israel-related relief and democracy, journalism, education, health, and other causes.
Syncopation Foundation at a glance
In short: Syncopation Foundation gave $738K across 14 grants in 2024 (avg $53K), mostly in New York. 50% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $737,640
- +24.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 14
- +75.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $52,689
- -29.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $16,266,454
- +26.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (7 of 14, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (63% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Syncopation 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: 1177 Ave Of The Americas 18Th Fl, New York, NY 10036
Phone: (646) 213-5100
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Syncopation Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc ($370K). Together the top 10 received $721K.
Grant Size Distribution
67 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 50 grants of 67 (75%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars were distributed among recipients in New York (63%), Washington, DC (18%), Pennsylvania (14%), Massachusetts (4%), and Tennessee (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Syncopation Foundation open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 14 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $35K; repeat grants $70K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 29% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 62% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 81% 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 (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $210K (2020) to $738K (2024). In 2024 it made 14 grants totaling $738K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc New York, NY | General Use | $370,000 |
| America Israel Democracy Coalition Bryn Mawr, PA | General Use | $100,000 |
| The American Independent Foundation Washington, DC | General Use | $100,000 |
| Hospital for Special Surgery Fund Inc New York, NY | General Use | $50,000 |
| American Friends of Libi Inc Brighton, MA | General Use | $30,000 |
| Saint Ann's School Brooklyn, NY | General Use | $25,000 |
| New Israel Fund Washington, DC | General Use | $20,000 |
| GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer Washington, DC | General Use | $10,000 |
| Tess Majors Foundation Nashville, TN | General Use | $10,000 |
| American Support for Israel Inc New York, NY | General Use | $5,600 |
Ready to take the next step with Syncopation Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $16,266,454 | $4,182,899 | $748,159 | $737,640 | 14 | $742,165 | $178,905 | $917,104 |
| 2023 | $12,831,714 | $6,577,737 | $605,629 | $595,000 | 8 | $599,525 | $72,633 | $577,270 |
| 2022 | $6,859,606 | $1,432,190 | $498,050 | $492,500 | 15 | $495,200 | $13,478 | $424,741 |
| 2021 | $6,262,486 | $1,516,017 | $456,485 | $455,775 | 17 | $456,025 | $15,807 | $396,792 |
| 2020 | $5,202,956 | $751,570 | $218,651 | $209,691 | 13 | — | — | $279,372 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Syncopation Foundation reported a distributable amount of $917K for 2024 — 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 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, PEF Israel Endowment Funds says it supports relief, health care, and educational and religious institutions in Israel; America Israel Democracy Coalition says it works to strengthen Israel’s democratic foundations and aid people affected by the October 7, 2023 massacre and other attacks. The American Independent Foundation describes its mission as fostering independent journalism on progressive issues, while the New Israel Fund says it advances liberal democracy, equality, and minority rights in Israel.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 14 grants totaling $737,640. Grant amounts ranged from $2,040 to $370,000, with a median of $15,000. The largest listed grants were $370,000 to PEF Israel Endowment Funds, $100,000 to America Israel Democracy Coalition, and $100,000 to The American Independent Foundation. Other listed grants included $50,000 to Hospital for Special Surgery Fund, $30,000 to American Friends of LIBI, and $25,000 to Saint Ann’s School. The listed purposes were “general use.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists David Shainok and Diana D. Wu as trustees.
Syncopation Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
David Shainok
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Diana D. Wu
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Syncopation Foundation
How much does Syncopation Foundation give each year?
Syncopation Foundation gave $738K across 14 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $595K across 8 grants.
What is Syncopation Foundation's typical grant size?
Syncopation Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $52,689, across 14 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Syncopation Foundation that year got $35K on average.
Where does Syncopation Foundation give grants?
Syncopation Foundation gives mostly in New York: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (18%) and Pennsylvania (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (6 grants) and Washington, DC (3 grants).
Does Syncopation Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Syncopation Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (14 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Syncopation Foundation's largest grantees?
Syncopation Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc ($370,000), America Israel Democracy Coalition ($100,000) and The American Independent Foundation ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 77% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Syncopation Foundation?
Syncopation Foundation reported $16.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $742K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $917K (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 Syncopation Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Syncopation 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 Syncopation Foundation's EIN?
Syncopation Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-7158747. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Syncopation 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Syncopation Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/syncopation-foundation-morg_68dbbd106b9b47a69100210724fbcce1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_357158747_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Syncopation Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/syncopation-foundation-morg_68dbbd106b9b47a69100210724fbcce1},
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 Syncopation 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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