The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family
The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family is a private foundation based in Baltimore, Maryland. Its 2024 filing reports grants to organizations including arts and cultural institutions, a public library, Jewish organizations, media outlets, health organizations, and community-service nonprofits.
The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family at a glance
In short: The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family gave $344K across 39 grants in 2024 (avg $9K), mostly in Maryland. 18% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $343,934
- +23.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 39
- +18.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $8,819
- +4.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $6,136,258
- +35.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (7 of 39, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (85% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4309 St Paul Street, Baltimore, MD 21218
Phone: (410) 467-0829
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Baltimore Symphony Orchestra ($50K). Together the top 10 received $213K.
Grant Size Distribution
167 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 165 grants of 167 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2024, 85% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland, 7% to New York, 4% to California, and 4% to recipients whose state is unspecified.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 39 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 39 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $7K repeat.
- 82% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 23% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 135% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $221K (2020) to $344K (2024). In 2024 it made 39 grants totaling $344K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Baltimore, MD | Unrestricted | $50,000 |
| Beth Am - Carob Tree Fund Baltimore, MD | Unrestricted | $50,000 |
| Planned Parenthood National Baltimore, MD | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Enoch Pratt Free Library Baltimore, MD | Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| Jewish National Fund Baltimore, MD | Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| Wypr Baltimore, MD | Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| Technion | Unrestricted | $12,500 |
| Maryland Public Television Owings Mills, MD | Unrestricted | $12,000 |
| Planned Parenthood of MD Baltimore, MD | Unrestricted | $12,000 |
| Beth Am Baltimore, MD | Unrestricted | $11,934 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $6,136,258 | $1,990,402 | $383,222 | $343,934 | 39 | $343,934 | $1,951,189 | $255,334 |
| 2023 | $4,529,078 | $155,410 | $294,874 | $279,500 | 33 | $279,500 | $140,036 | $267,847 |
| 2022 | $4,668,542 | $131,275 | $369,081 | $328,100 | 33 | $328,100 | $90,294 | $286,156 |
| 2021 | $4,906,348 | $628,289 | $299,168 | $278,500 | 31 | $278,500 | $107,621 | $344,629 |
| 2020 | $4,577,227 | $1,121,675 | $221,380 | $221,125 | 31 | — | $109,545 | $218,256 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family reported a distributable amount of $255K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas such as arts and culture, libraries, health, food assistance, utility assistance, and environmental conservation.
The grantees describe their work in their own terms. The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra says its mission is to maintain a symphony orchestra and present musical concerts. The Baltimore Museum of Art says it connects art to Baltimore and Baltimore to the world, with a commitment to artistic excellence and social equity. The Maryland Food Bank describes itself as a hunger-relief organization dedicated to feeding people, strengthening communities, and ending hunger in Maryland. Other supported organizations include the Fuel Fund of Maryland, which provides utility assistance to BGE residential customers at risk of losing power, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, whose stated mission is to save the Bay.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 39 grants totaling $343,934. Grants ranged from $500 to $50,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest reported grants included $50,000 each to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Beth Am - Carob Tree Fund; $20,000 to Planned Parenthood National; and $15,000 each to Enoch Pratt Free Library, Jewish National Fund, and WYPR. The listed grants were reported as unrestricted.
Additional 2024 grants included $9,000 to the Fuel Fund of Maryland, $7,500 to the Maryland Food Bank, $5,000 to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, $2,000 to Blue Water Baltimore, $1,000 to Baltimore Clayworks, and $500 to Love & Cornbread.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Sara Fishman as Vice-President and Jonathan Fishman as President & Treasurer.
The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family is led by Jonathan Fishman, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jonathan Fishman
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sara Fishman
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Nelson & Sara Fishman Family
How much does The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family give each year?
The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family gave $344K across 39 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $280K across 33 grants.
What is The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family's typical grant size?
The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $8,819, across 39 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family that year got $9K on average.
Where does The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family give grants?
The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family gives mostly in Maryland: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Baltimore, MD (28 grants), New York, NY (4 grants) and Owings Mills, MD (2 grants).
Does The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (39 of 39) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family's largest grantees?
The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family's largest 2024 grantees include Baltimore Symphony Orchestra ($50,000), Beth Am - Carob Tree Fund ($50,000) and Planned Parenthood National ($20,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family?
The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family reported $6.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $344K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $255K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas such as arts and culture, libraries, health, food assistance, utility assistance, and environmental conservation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family?
The foundation states that it 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 Nelson & Sara Fishman Family's EIN?
The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-3853840. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Nelson & Sara Fishman Family funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-nelson-and-sara-fishman-family-morg_41c178e5194e46cfb9d82c20662941ea
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_263853840_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Nelson \& Sara Fishman Family funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-nelson-and-sara-fishman-family-morg_41c178e5194e46cfb9d82c20662941ea},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Nelson & Sara Fishman Family'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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