The Herman Karpel Memorial
The Herman Karpel Memorial is a private foundation based in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. In its 2025 filing, it reported 17 grants totaling $71,222 to organizations in several states.
The Herman Karpel Memorial at a glance
In short: The Herman Karpel Memorial gave $71K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in New York. 29% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $71,222
- -17.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +6.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,190
- -21.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $19,315
- -60.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 29% first-time grantees (5 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (61% 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 Herman Karpel Memorial
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists Roberta Silman as the contact and states that no application form or materials are required, there are no deadlines, and there are no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Roberta Silman
Mailing address: 317 Blue Hill Rd, Great Barrington, MA 01230
Phone: (617) 330-7923
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Herman Karpel Memorial funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Cornell University ($40K). Together the top 10 received $67K.
Grant Size Distribution
74 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 73 grants of 74 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in New York (61%), Massachusetts (36%), and Kentucky (3%); the filing also lists Minnesota at 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Herman Karpel Memorial open to new grantees?
29%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 17 grantees (29%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $950; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $2K repeat.
- 71% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 250% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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 $20K (2022) to $86K (2024). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $71K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cornell University Ithaca, NY | Support Charitable Works | $40,000 |
| Hevreh Great Barrington, MA | Support Charitable Works | $5,100 |
| Global Narratives Somerville, MA | Support Charitable Works | $5,000 |
| Tanglewood Music Center Lenox, MA | Support Charitable Works | $5,000 |
| Mahaiwe Theatre Great Barrington, MA | Support Charitable Works | $3,500 |
| Fitch Fdn Millwood, NY | Support Charitable Works | $2,500 |
| Temple Adath Israel Lexington, KY | Support Charitable Works | $1,872 |
| Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Pittsfield, MA | Support Charitable Works | $1,500 |
| Jewish Women's Federation of the Be Pittsfield, MA | Support Charitable Works | $1,500 |
| The Mount Lenox, MA | Support Charitable Works | $1,500 |
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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 | $19,315 | $44,714 | $74,327 | $71,222 | 17 | $71,222 | $41,579 | $4,071 |
| 2024 | $48,915 | $31,744 | $90,389 | $85,800 | 16 | $85,800 | $27,077 | $6,814 |
| 2023 | $107,643 | $7,258 | $26,147 | $22,410 | 12 | $22,410 | $3,264 | $5,641 |
| 2022 | $229,806 | $-1,926 | $24,275 | $20,360 | 13 | $20,360 | — | $6,817 |
| 2021 | $236,084 | $51,537 | $53,516 | $44,000 | 16 | $44,000 | $2,935 | $8,162 |
| 2020 | $153,711 | $47,296 | $43,802 | $37,650 | 20 | — | $281 | $8,521 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Herman Karpel Memorial reported a distributable amount of $4K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations including Cornell University, Tanglewood Music Center, Mahaiwe Theatre, and Jewish Federation of the Berkshires.
The Jewish Federation of the Berkshires describes its own mission as caring for people in need and sustaining the Jewish community locally, in Israel, and around the world. Triplex Cinema, which received $500 in 2025, says it partners with local schools and nonprofits on community programming and showcases foreign-language and independent films.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 17 grants totaling $71,222. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $40,000, with a median grant of $1,500. The largest awards included $40,000 to Cornell University, $5,100 to Hevreh, $5,000 each to Global Narratives and Tanglewood Music Center, and $3,500 to Mahaiwe Theatre. The listed grant purposes were “support charitable works.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Roberta Silman is listed as president on the 2025 filing.
The Herman Karpel Memorial is led by Roberta Silman, President on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Roberta Silman
President
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Ruth Silman (2020–2021) — Vice President
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Herman Karpel Memorial
How much does The Herman Karpel Memorial give each year?
The Herman Karpel Memorial gave $71K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $86K across 16 grants.
What is The Herman Karpel Memorial's typical grant size?
The Herman Karpel Memorial's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $4,190, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Herman Karpel Memorial that year got $950 on average.
Where does The Herman Karpel Memorial give grants?
The Herman Karpel Memorial gives mostly in New York: 61% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Massachusetts (36%). The most frequent recipient cities were Great Barrington, MA (4 grants), Lenox, MA (3 grants) and Pittsfield, MA (2 grants).
Does The Herman Karpel Memorial give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on The Herman Karpel Memorial's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support Charitable Works" (17 grants).
Who are The Herman Karpel Memorial's largest grantees?
The Herman Karpel Memorial's largest 2025 grantees include Cornell University ($40,000), Hevreh ($5,100) and Global Narratives ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 70% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Herman Karpel Memorial?
The Herman Karpel Memorial reported $19K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $71K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Herman Karpel Memorial fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations including Cornell University, Tanglewood Music Center, Mahaiwe Theatre, and Jewish Federation of the Berkshires. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Herman Karpel Memorial?
The filing lists Roberta Silman as the contact and states that no application form or materials are required, there are no deadlines, and there are no restrictions on awards. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Herman Karpel Memorial's EIN?
The Herman Karpel Memorial's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3137962. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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 May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Herman Karpel Memorial funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-herman-karpel-memorial-morg_ea980779691646b18f6b7a11f20c6bd9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133137962_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Herman Karpel Memorial funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-herman-karpel-memorial-morg_ea980779691646b18f6b7a11f20c6bd9},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Herman Karpel Memorial'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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