The Morris & Sylvia Trachten Family
The Morris & Sylvia Trachten Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. The foundation was established by Morris N. Trachten and Sylvia "Shirley" (Romm) Trachten, who were devoted to philanthropic giving throughout their lives.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$4.4M
-3.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$424K
+60.3% YoY
Grant Count
81
-2.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$5K
+64.2% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Morris & Sylvia Trachten Family reported a distributable amount of $354K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's grant-making priorities include:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
- Jewish nonprofits
- Human rights
- Social justice
Grantmaking
Grant Types
How to Apply
information available in current sources.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in:
- New York
- California
- Connecticut
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
- Total Assets: $4,411,815
- Total Giving: $424,290
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,411,815 | $4,571,603 | $4,762,586 |
| Revenue | $375,847 | $156,791 | $215,488 |
| Expenses | $535,635 | $347,774 | $424,015 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $469,811 | $290,924 | $362,352 |
| Net Investment Income | $305,623 | $96,042 | $153,565 |
| Distributable Amount | $353,525 | $319,653 | $327,333 |
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 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Jewish Agency for Israel-north American Council ($50,000), Jewish Agency for Israel-north American Council ($26,600), Jewish Agency for Israel-north American Council ($25,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 70 FACES MEDIA INC NEW YORK, NY | General & Unrestricted | $360 |
| ALLIANCE FOR CHILDRENS RIGHTS LOS ANGELES, CA | Alliance of Moms (AOM) | $120 |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF JORDAN RIVER VILLAGE FOUNDATIO NEW YORK, NY | General & Unrestricted | $1,800 |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF NATAL INC NEW YORK, NY | General & Unrestricted | $680 |
| ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE OF BNAI BRITH - CONNECTICUT HAMDEN, CT | General & Unrestricted | $1,000 |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF LAGUNA BEACH LAGUNA BEACH, CA | General & Unrestricted | $100 |
| CHABAD CENTER AT UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO INC BOULDER, CO | Charitable Event | $3,600 |
| CHABAD JEWISH CENTER OF DANA POINT DANA POINT, CA | Charitable Event | $360 |
| CHABAD JEWISH CENTER OF DANA POINT DANA POINT, CA | General & Unrestricted | $1,000 |
| CHEBRA AGUDAS ACHIM CHESED SHEL EMETH NEW YORK, NY | General & Unrestricted | $360 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Morris N. Trachten (1925–2013) — Founder, devoted husband to Sylvia for more than 61 years. He was born in New Haven, Connecticut and later resided in Delray Beach, Florida. He was the father of Gary, Vicki, Roberta, and David Trachten.
Sylvia "Shirley" (Romm) Trachten (1929–2014) — Co-founder, born in Brooklyn, New York. She was the devoted wife of Morris for 61 years and mother of four children.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Trachten | Chairman of the Board, Trustee | 1 | — |
| Gary Trachten | Sec, Trustee | 1 | — |
| Vicki Trachten-Schwartz | Pres, Trustee | 1 | — |
| Roberta Trachten-Zeve | Trustee, Treas | 1 | — |
| Margo Zeve | Trustee | 1 | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Morris & Sylvia Trachten Family fund?
The foundation's grant-making priorities include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Jewish nonprofits • Human rights • Social justice
How do I apply for a grant from The Morris & Sylvia Trachten Family?
**Grant Amounts:** Typical awards range from $90 to $82,000. **Annual Giving:** The foundation distributed $424,290 in total giving according to its most recent financial data. **Grant Types:** The foundation supports a variety of nonprofit organizations across its focus areas, with no specific application process information available in current sources.
Where does The Morris & Sylvia Trachten Family make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • New York • California • Connecticut
What size grants does The Morris & Sylvia Trachten Family award?
In 2024, The Morris & Sylvia Trachten Family awarded 81 grants totaling $424K — an average of about $5K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Morris & Sylvia Trachten Family required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Morris & Sylvia Trachten Family reported a distributable amount of $354K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Morris & Sylvia Trachten Family's EIN?
The Morris & Sylvia Trachten Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-2518063. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Morris & Sylvia Trachten Family's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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