The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc
The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. It makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Key facts about The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc
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.
- EIN
- 13-3151548
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $14,157,316
- Grants made (2025)
- 44
- Average grant
- $321,757
- Median grant
- $17,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (7 of 39, 2025)
- Total assets
- $50,635,429
- Primary geography
- New York (85% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. 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
$50.6M
-16.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$14.2M
+95.2% YoY
Grant Count
44
-13.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$322K
+126.3% YoY
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.
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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. The listed grants show support for a range of charitable organizations and purposes, including collaborative innovation, a community organization’s building and immigration legal services, public service fellowships, and programs serving children and families.
Among organizations that received grants in 2024, the Connecticut Bar Foundation describes its mission as advancing civil justice for all. The Center for Children’s Advocacy says it promotes the legal rights and interests of children dependent on Connecticut’s judicial, child welfare, health, mental health, education, and juvenile systems. CLICC describes its work as mentoring and literacy activities for children and their incarcerated parents.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 44 grants totaling $14,157,316. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $10,000,000, with a median of $17,500.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, New York recipients received 85% of grant dollars, Connecticut recipients 14%, and Massachusetts recipients 1%. Indiana and Georgia each accounted for 0% as reported. Named 2025 recipients included organizations in New York and Connecticut.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 44 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
303 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
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 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $50,635,429 | $4,621,364 | $14,889,529 | $14,157,316 |
| 2024 | $60,903,594 | $11,565,213 | $8,328,456 | $7,251,938 |
| 2023 | $57,666,837 | $3,373,936 | $4,784,904 | $3,946,850 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $50,635,429 | $60,903,594 | $57,666,837 |
| Revenue | $4,621,364 | $11,565,213 | $3,373,936 |
| Expenses | $14,889,529 | $8,328,456 | $4,784,904 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $14,471,361 | $7,791,446 | $4,327,435 |
| Net Investment Income | $4,275,283 | $11,163,803 | $2,968,275 |
| Distributable Amount | $3,216,702 | $3,607,706 | $3,550,036 |
Data update history
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
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Shelley Leibowitz, David Sandak, Jay H Sandak, Mary E Sandak, and Stephen Sandak as directors. David Sandak is also listed as secretary, Jay H Sandak as president, and Mary E Sandak as treasurer.
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
Contact
Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
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?
No foundation mission statement is provided. The listed grants show support for a range of charitable organizations and purposes, including collaborative innovation, a community organization’s building and immigration legal services, public service fellowships, and programs serving children and families. Among organizations that received grants in 2024, the Connecticut Bar Foundation describes its mission as advancing civil justice for all. The Center for Children’s Advocacy says it promotes th…
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 September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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