The Franz W Sichel Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Arlington, MA EIN: 13-6115904

The Franz W Sichel Foundation is a private foundation based in Arlington, Massachusetts. In its 2025 filing, it reported 62 grants totaling $129,797 to charitable organizations, including organizations working in food access, reproductive justice, youth arts, education, and public information.

Key facts about The Franz W Sichel Foundation

In short: The Franz W Sichel Foundation gave $130K across 62 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), top state New York. 19% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
13-6115904
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$129,797
Grants made (2025)
62
Average grant
$2,094
Median grant
$1,500
New grantees (estimate)
19% first-time grantees (12 of 62, 2025)
Total assets
$1,513,197
Primary geography
New York (34% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$1.5M

-5.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$130K

+9.1% YoY

Grant Count

62

+10.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$2K

-1.4% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Franz W Sichel Foundation reported a distributable amount of $132K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is The Franz W Sichel Foundation open to new grantees?

19%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 12 of 62 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $2K. How we count

Medians: $3K first-time, $1K repeat.

  • 74% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+5%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 102% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Redwood Empire Food Bank describes its mission as feeding neighbors in need and leading the community to end hunger; Schoodic Food Pantry says it purchases and distributes food for needy families; and Yellowhammer Fund describes itself as a reproductive justice organization. NYC SALT says it works to empower underserved New York City youth through photography, video, and visual-industry education. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation gave 62 grants totaling $129,797. Grants ranged from $125 to $10,000, with a median of $1,500. Among the largest grants were $10,000 each to Doctors Without Borders and Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence; $7,500 to Redwood Empire Food Bank; and $5,000 each to Maine Community Foundation, Schoodic Food Pantry, School of Arts for All, Yellowhammer Fund, and Redwood Library and Athenaeum. The listed purposes for these grants were general operating purposes.

Your AI grants department

Ready to take the next step with The Franz W Sichel Foundation?

Fully replaces Grant database subscriptions Instrumentl · Foundation Directory · GrantStation & similar

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in New York (34%), California (23%), Maine (20%), Rhode Island (6%), and Alabama (5%).

Grant Distribution by State

18states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 62 itemized grants.

Cities

New YorkBrooklynWinter HarborBostonSan FranciscoWashingtonEllsworthSomervilleGouldsboroProvidenceSanta RosaElizabethHancockNapaPhiladelphiaPortlandSan Luis ObispoCharlestownElizavilleGlen Ellen

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$50K$100K$150K49 grants2020 48 grants2021 56 grants2022 59 grants2023 56 grants2024 62 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $93K (2021) to $145K (2023). In 2025 it made 62 grants totaling $130K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Doctors Without Borders: $10KDoctors Without Borders$10KGiffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence: $10KGiffords Law Center to PreventGun Violence$10KRedwood Empire Food Bank: $8KRedwood Empire Food Bank$8KMaine Community Foundation: $5KMaine Community Foundation$5KSchoodic Food Pantry: $5KSchoodic Food Pantry$5KSchool of Arts for All: $5KSchool of Arts for All$5KYellowhammer Fund: $5KYellowhammer Fund$5KRedwood Library and Athenaeum: $5KRedwood Library and Athenaeum$5KNYC Salt: $4KNYC Salt$4KBrigid Alliance: $3KBrigid Alliance$3K

The largest 2025 recipient was Doctors Without Borders ($10K). Together the top 10 received $60K.

Grant Size Distribution

281 grants across all recorded years

281<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 281 grants of 281 (100%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Doctors Without Borders New York, NYGeneral Operating Purposes$10,000
Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence San Francisco, CAGeneral Operating Purposes$10,000
Redwood Empire Food Bank Santa Rosa, CAGeneral Operating Purposes$7,500
Maine Community Foundation Ellsworth, MEGeneral Operating Purposes$5,000
Schoodic Food Pantry Gouldsboro, MEGeneral Operating Purposes$5,000
School of Arts for All Winter Harbor, MEGeneral Operating Purposes$5,000
Yellowhammer Fund Birmingham, ALGeneral Operating Purposes$5,000
Redwood Library and Athenaeum Newport, RIGeneral Operating Purposes$5,000
NYC Salt New York, NYGeneral Operating Purposes$4,000
Brigid Alliance New York, NYGeneral Operating Purposes$3,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants
2025 $1,513,197 $89,849 $174,273 $129,797
2024 $1,597,730 $468,048 $152,327 $118,925
2023 $1,282,222 $49,968 $178,346 $144,735
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$200K$400K$600K2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$1,513,197$1,597,730$1,282,222
Revenue$89,849$468,048$49,968
Expenses$174,273$152,327$178,346
Qualifying Distributions$134,627$125,622$151,116
Net Investment Income$62,519$441,311$46,192
Distributable Amount$131,680$116,107$120,317

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Kim Sichel as treasurer/director; Katharine Brown as secretary/director; Erich Hahn Jr, Sylvia Sichel, and Bettina Sichel as directors; and David Brown as president/director.

The Franz W Sichel Foundation is led by David Brown, President & Director since 2022 (on filings since 2020); none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • David Brown

    President & Director

    Director → President & Director, 2022

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Bettina Sichel

    Director

    Vice President & Director → Director, 2022

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Erich Hahn Jr.

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Katharine Brown

    Secretary & Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kim Sichel

    Treasurer & Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Sylvia Sichel

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (1)
  • Former: Peter Mf Sichel (2020–2024) — Assistant Treasurer & 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.

Contact

Application contact: David Brown
Mailing address: 43 Burch St, Arlington, MA 02474
Phone: (781) 507-5789

Frequently asked questions about The Franz W Sichel Foundation

How much does The Franz W Sichel Foundation give each year?

The Franz W Sichel Foundation gave $130K across 62 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $119K across 56 grants.

What is The Franz W Sichel Foundation's typical grant size?

The Franz W Sichel Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $2,094, across 62 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Franz W Sichel Foundation that year got $2K on average.

Where does The Franz W Sichel Foundation give grants?

The Franz W Sichel Foundation's top state is New York, with 34% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (23%) and Maine (20%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (17 grants), Winter Harbor, ME (4 grants), Brooklyn, NY (4 grants) and San Francisco, CA (3 grants).

Does The Franz W Sichel Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of The Franz W Sichel Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (62 of 62) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are The Franz W Sichel Foundation's largest grantees?

The Franz W Sichel Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Doctors Without Borders ($10,000), Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence ($10,000) and Redwood Empire Food Bank ($7,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 21% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is The Franz W Sichel Foundation?

The Franz W Sichel Foundation reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $135K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $132K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does The Franz W Sichel Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Franz W Sichel Foundation?

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is The Franz W Sichel Foundation's EIN?

The Franz W Sichel Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6115904. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Does The Franz W Sichel Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?

No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

Your AI grants department

Here's the math on researching The Franz W Sichel Foundation by hand.

Explore Open Grants

Browse active grant opportunities in The Franz W Sichel Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database

Similar Funders

Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in Massachusetts

Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Inc

Princeton, NJ

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation supports health-access initiatives for disproportionately affected populations, including cancer, blood disorders, brain health, and clinical-trial participation, in the United States and internationally. In 2024, its median grant was $134,090, though awards varied widely; it says application materials are available upon request and advises organizations to contact it about the process, but does not state whether unsolicited requests are accepted.

Assets

$83.3M

Grants

144

Total Given

$67.7M

The Chicago Community Trust

Chicago, IL

The Chicago Community Trust funds nonprofits addressing economic mobility, wealth gaps, and urgent community needs, with priorities including homeownership, small businesses, education, quality jobs, and investment in underinvested communities. Its 2025 itemized grants had a median of $26,500, though awards vary widely; grants generally benefit Chicago-region residents, and the Trust directs applicants to open opportunities but does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.

Assets

$7.1B

Grants

4,316

Total Given

$1.2B

Boston Foundation Inc

Boston, MA

The Boston Foundation funds equity-focused work in child well-being, economic opportunity, community wealth, and community leadership, primarily in Greater Boston. Its 2025 grants had a median of $25,000, while specific programs offer awards from up to $15,000 to $50,000; it accepts applications through some competitive initiatives, but whether it accepts unsolicited requests generally is not stated.

Assets

$2.1B

Grants

2,375

Total Given

$228.4M

Eastern Bank Foundation

Wakefield, MA

Eastern Bank Foundation funds systemic efforts to advance economic inclusion and mobility, including small-business equity, early childhood development, affordable housing, and workforce development. Its programs range from $1,000–$10,000 for Community Donations, up to $15,000 for CITC Grants, and $50,000–$150,000 for Impact Grants; it supports organizations primarily in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. The foundation accepts online applications, with no specific submission deadlines stated.

Assets

$266.7M

Grants

1,786

Total Given

$19.0M

Barr Foundation

Boston, MA

Barr Foundation funds arts and creativity, climate, education, and related initiatives, primarily supporting organizations and leaders in New England. Its 2024 grants ranged from $100 to $3.275 million, with a median of $80,000. It welcomes inquiries through program pages and occasionally issues open requests for proposals; most grants go to returning partners.

Assets

$1.9B

Grants

903

Total Given

$123.2M

Liberty Mutual Foundation Inc

Boston, MA

Liberty Mutual Foundation funds nonprofits working on basic needs such as food and shelter, education and workforce development, and climate and community infrastructure, primarily in the Boston area, with grants also made in other states. Its 2024 grants had a median of $35,000 and ranged from $2,500 to $11 million; it accepts online applications on a rolling basis, with no stated deadlines.

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Assets

$46.1M

Grants

706

Total Given

$50.6M

Cummings Foundation Grants Inc (FKA Oneworld Boston Inc)

Woburn, MA

The foundation supports nonprofits focused on human services, education, healthcare, fairness and justice, and environmental causes, primarily in greater Boston and eastern Massachusetts, with limited support for Rwanda’s recovery. Its 2024 grants ranged from $1,000 to $3.5 million, with a median of $35,000; it accepts letters of inquiry through an online portal for its local grant program.

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Assets

$258.2M

Grants

658

Total Given

$38.2M

American Tower Corporation Foundation

Boston, MA

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Assets

$15.4M

Grants

632

Total Given

$1.7M

Good Sports Inc

Braintree, MA

Good Sports provides free sports equipment, footwear, and apparel to established schools and community organizations running ongoing youth sports and physical-activity programs in high-need communities; it serves all 50 states and Puerto Rico. In 2025, grants ranged from $5,004 to $229,133, with a median of $12,781. Youth programs and schools can apply through its community-organization application process.

Assets

$13.8M

Grants

619

Total Given

$11.2M

The Stephen Phillips Memorial Scholarship Fund Inc

Boston, MA

The Stephen Phillips Memorial funds need- and merit-based scholarships for bachelor’s students, generally awarding $3,000–$17,000 (with typical annual awards of $6,000–$10,000). Applicants must be permanent residents of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont, but may attend college anywhere in the United States. Students apply through the online portal; the profile does not state whether unsolicited requests are accepted.

Education

Assets

$41.6M

Grants

520

Total Given

$5.1M

More Funders in Massachusetts

The Franz W Sichel Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?

Want AI to do this for you?