The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation
The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation is a private foundation based in San Rafael, California. Established in 1997 by Reynold M. Sachs to honor his parents, the Foundation supports charitable work intended to improve quality of life and expand economic and educational opportunities for disadvantaged people and families.
The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation at a glance
In short: The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation gave $331K across 36 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), top state California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $330,566
- +1276.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 36
- +260.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,182
- +282.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $27,710,781
- +7.1% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (34% 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 The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Contact
Mailing address: 1000 4Th St Ste 875, San Rafael, CA 94901-3143
Phone: (917) 880-5725
Website: https://www.sachsfamilyfoundation.org/
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation
Who The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Watsi Inc ($61K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $261K.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($10,309), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
67 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 64 grants of 67 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s website says it operates in 13 states and two countries. In 2025, its grant dollars went primarily to organizations in California (34%), New York (30%), and Washington (19%), followed by Massachusetts (7%) and the District of Columbia (5%). The Foundation’s stated priorities include low-income inner-city neighborhoods and rural areas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 36 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation gives
- 6% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 984% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 36% 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 (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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $15K (2021) to $331K (2025). In 2025 it made 36 grants totaling $331K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia Land Trust Vancouver, WA | Environmental Support | $57,250 |
| Princeton University Brooklyn, NY | Education | $52,746 |
| Watsi Inc San Francisco, CA | Medical Support | $50,000 |
| Kiva Micro Fund San Francisco, CA | Micro Lending for Charities | $25,000 |
| Wikimedia Foundation Washington, DC | Educational | $15,000 |
| Blue Dragon Children's Foundation | Children's Welfare | $10,981 |
| Give Directly New York, NY | International Poverty | $10,918 |
| Watsi Inc San Francisco, CA | Medical Support | $10,918 |
| South Sudanese Enrichment for Families Lincoln, MA | Community Development | $10,000 |
| 2 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $10,309 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The 2025 filing also reports a direct charitable activity: a 3.50% below-market-rate loan to Community Housing Services, due April 11, 2030.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $27,710,781 | $1,674,326 | $594,579 | $330,566 | 36 | $1,561,101 | $875,701 | $4,361,744 |
| 2024 | $25,877,909 | $1,031,130 | $178,117 | $24,010 | 10 | $6,094,357 | $976,281 | $2,484,846 |
| 2023 | $24,646,404 | $796,724 | $216,053 | $18,500 | 7 | $4,482,921 | $610,269 | $4,263,183 |
| 2022 | $23,214,657 | $743,984 | $202,814 | $30,500 | 9 | $4,644,165 | $680,000 | $1,949,124 |
| 2021 | $25,363,639 | $1,652,706 | $179,761 | $15,000 | 5 | $5,358,940 | $1,541,802 | $4,330,350 |
| 2020 | $23,229,643 | $781,864 | $244,415 | $35,000 | 6 | — | $730,756 | $1,452,947 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.4M 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 Foundation’s stated mission is to improve quality of life for economically and/or educationally disadvantaged individuals and families who show a genuine desire to help themselves. Its stated areas of support include low-income housing, affordable day care, after-school programs, drug rehabilitation, juvenile intervention, job training, micro-loans, rural land and open-space preservation, college scholarships, community development, higher education, food banks, and medical assistance.
Recent grantees illustrate a range of activities. Columbia Land Trust describes its work as conserving landscapes and habitat with landowners and communities in the Columbia River region. WATSI says it connects people through technology to fund healthcare for patients around the world. South Sudanese Enrichment for Families describes whole-family education, cultural, and social programming for the Greater Boston South Sudanese community. Other 2025 recipients include Upstate Films, which says it connects the Hudson Valley with cinematic experiences; Billion Oyster Project, which works to restore New York Harbor’s oyster reefs through public education; Project Commotion, which provides movement arts programming for children and families, including children with special needs; and Committee on the Shelterless, which assists people experiencing homelessness.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation reported 36 grants totaling $330,566. Grant amounts ranged from $194 to $57,250, with a median of $5,000. Its largest reported grants included $57,250 to Columbia Land Trust for environmental support, $52,746 to Princeton University for education, $50,000 to WATSI for medical support, and $25,000 to Kiva Micro Fund for micro-lending for charities. It also gave $15,000 to Wikimedia Foundation for educational purposes, $10,981 to Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation for children’s welfare, and $10,918 to GiveDirectly for international poverty. WATSI received a second grant of $10,918 for medical support. Other grants included $10,000 each to South Sudanese Enrichment for Families, Northfield Mount Hermon, and an individual recipient, and $8,000 to Upstate Films.
The Foundation’s filing states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. A grant-program listing says proposals may be submitted at any time and encourages prospective applicants to call informally before submitting a written proposal; that guidance differs from the filing’s statement that contributions are limited to preselected organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Caryn P. Sachs, Susan Potter, Clayton Sachs, and Savanna Sachs as directors, and Robby Long as president.
The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation is led by Robby Long, President since 2025 (on filings since 2022); 1 of 5 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Robby Long
President
Executive Vice President → President, 2025
On filings since 2022
30 hrs/week
$26K (2022) → $46K (2025)
Caryn P. Sachs
Director
President, Treasurer & Director → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$83K (2020) → $0 (2025)
Clayton Sachs
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Savanna Sachs
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan Potter
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Reynold M. Sachs (2020–2023) — Secretary & Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $46K, to Robby Long (President).
Frequently asked questions about The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation
How much does The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation give each year?
The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation gave $331K across 36 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $24K across 10 grants.
What is The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation's typical grant size?
The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $9,182, across 36 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation give grants?
The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation's top state is California, with 34% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (30%) and Washington (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (5 grants), Rhinebeck, NY (5 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Kingston, NY (3 grants).
Does The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 36 grants with a stated purpose on The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (7 grants) and "Community Development" (5 grants).
Who are The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation's largest grantees?
The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Watsi Inc ($60,918 across 2 grants), Columbia Land Trust ($57,250) and Princeton University ($52,746), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($10,309), which are not listed by name. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation?
The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation reported $27.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.4M (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 The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to improve quality of life for economically and/or educationally disadvantaged individuals and families who show a genuine desire to help themselves. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation?
The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines. Check sachsfamilyfoundation.org for any change to that policy.
What is The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation's EIN?
The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-3337781. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Erich and Hannah Sachs 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 August 23, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-erich-and-hannah-sachs-foundation-morg_a1f181b6b9714741a6f4433df293f2ad
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_223337781_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-erich-and-hannah-sachs-foundation-morg_a1f181b6b9714741a6f4433df293f2ad},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 The Erich and Hannah Sachs 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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