The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc
The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Indiana, and Georgia, with most grant dollars going to recipients in New York and Connecticut.
The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc gave $14.2M across 44 grants in 2025 (avg $322K), mostly in New York. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $14,157,316
- +95.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 44
- -13.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $321,757
- +126.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $17,500
- Total assets
- $50,635,429
- -16.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (7 of 39, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (85% 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 The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Rockefeller University ($11.5M across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $13.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
303 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 202 grants of 303 (67%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 85% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York and 14% to recipients in Connecticut. Massachusetts received 1%; Indiana and Georgia each accounted for 0% as reported in the filing.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 44 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 39 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $65K; repeat grants $428K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $13K repeat.
- 69% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 270% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 450% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $3.3M (2021) to $14.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 44 grants totaling $14.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rockefeller University New York, NY | To endow, and support in perpetuity, the Herbert Singer award for collaborative innovation fund | $10,000,000 |
| Rockefeller University New York, NY | Herbert Singer Award fund for collaborative innovation | $1,500,000 |
| Building One Community Corp Stamford, CT | for the purchase of Building One Community's building | $1,000,000 |
| Central Park Conservancy Inc New York, NY | Improvement to Nell Singer Lilac Walk fund | $350,000 |
| Connecticut Bar Foundation Inc Hartford, CT | Singer Public Service Fellowship fund | $155,816 |
| Catholic Charities of Fairfield County Inc Shelton, CT | The Thomas Merton Center | $150,000 |
| Clicc Inc New Haven, CT | General & Unrestricted | $107,500 |
| American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Inc New York, NY | Taub Center for Social Policy Studies-Israel | $100,000 |
| Building One Community Corp Stamford, CT | B1C's Immigration Legal Services (ILS) fund | $100,000 |
| Domus Kids Inc Stamford, CT | Domus' Juvenile Review Board (JRB) Program | $100,000 |
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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 | $50,635,429 | $4,621,364 | $14,889,529 | $14,157,316 | 44 | $14,471,361 | $4,275,283 | $3,216,702 |
| 2024 | $60,903,594 | $11,565,213 | $8,328,456 | $7,251,938 | 51 | $7,791,446 | $11,163,803 | $3,607,706 |
| 2023 | $57,666,837 | $3,373,936 | $4,784,904 | $3,946,850 | 60 | $4,327,435 | $2,968,275 | $3,550,036 |
| 2022 | $59,077,805 | $2,572,954 | $4,535,956 | $3,826,788 | 78 | $4,074,725 | $2,145,717 | $3,598,848 |
| 2021 | $61,040,198 | $5,617,664 | $4,002,012 | $3,253,904 | 70 | $3,494,320 | $3,875,786 | $3,963,997 |
| 2020 | $59,424,546 | $3,134,917 | $3,988,398 | $3,286,021 | 69 | — | $2,741,705 | $3,515,824 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $3.2M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available filings do not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants support a range of charitable purposes, including biomedical research, immigration services, civil justice, services for young people, and community programs.
Grantee descriptions illustrate this range. Rockefeller University describes itself as a center for biomedical and other scientific research and graduate education. Building One Community says it provides services to educate, employ, empower, and engage immigrants and the broader community. The Connecticut Bar Foundation describes its mission as advancing civil justice, while Domus Kids says it builds relationships with young people facing adversity and supports their path to self-sufficiency.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 44 grants totaling $14,157,316. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $10,000,000, with a median of $17,500.
The largest 2025 grant was $10,000,000 to Rockefeller University to endow and support in perpetuity the Herbert Singer Award for Collaborative Innovation Fund. The university also received $1,500,000 for the Herbert Singer Award Fund for Collaborative Innovation. Other notable grants included $1,000,000 to Building One Community for the purchase of its building; $350,000 to Central Park Conservancy for improvement to the Nell Singer Lilac Walk fund; and $155,816 to the Connecticut Bar Foundation for the Singer Public Service Fellowship fund. Catholic Charities of Fairfield County received $150,000 for the Thomas Merton Center, and CLICC Inc received $107,500 for general and unrestricted purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Shelley Leibowitz as a director; David Sandak as director and secretary; Jay H Sandak as director and president; Mary E Sandak as director and treasurer; and Stephen Sandak as a director.
The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc is led by Jay H Sandak, Director & President on every filing since 2020; 2 of 5 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jay H Sandak
Director & President
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$75K (2020) → $138K (2025)
David Sandak
Director & Secretary
Director → Director & Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$66K (2023) → $8K (2025)
Mary E Sandak
Director & Treasurer
Director, Secretary & Treasurer → Director, Sec* & Treasurer, 2021
Director, Sec* & Treasurer → Director & Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephen Sandak
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shelley Leibowitz
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Thomas Sandak (2020–2024) — 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 $138K, to Jay H Sandak (Dir, Pres). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc
How much does The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc give each year?
The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc gave $14.2M across 44 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $7.3M across 51 grants.
What is The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $17,500, and its average grant was $321,757, across 44 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc that year got $65K on average.
Where does The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc give grants?
The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Connecticut (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Stamford, CT (17 grants), New York, NY (6 grants) and Shelton, CT (2 grants).
Does The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 55% of The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (24 of 44) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Rockefeller University ($11,500,000 across 2 grants), Building One Community Corp ($1,110,000 across 3 grants) and Central Park Conservancy Inc ($350,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 92% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc?
The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc reported $50.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $14.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc fund?
The available filings do not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants support a range of charitable purposes, including biomedical research, immigration services, civil justice, services for young people, and community programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc?
The foundation 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 The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3151548. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc 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 October 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 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-herbert-and-nell-singer-foundation-inc-morg_6923680afc154076bf570a74bc6a9089
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133151548_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Herbert \& Nell Singer Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-herbert-and-nell-singer-foundation-inc-morg_6923680afc154076bf570a74bc6a9089},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc'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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