The Rhea S Schwartz & Paul Martin Wolff
The Rhea S Schwartz & Paul Martin Wolff Foundation is a private family foundation established in December 1993 in the District of Columbia. Based in Chevy Chase, Maryland, the foundation is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, literary, and scientific purposes, with a primary focus on supporting art, legal, education, and service organizations.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$652K
-11.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$119K
+2.5% YoY
Grant Count
38
+40.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$3K
-27.2% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Rhea S Schwartz & Paul Martin Wolff reported a distributable amount of $187K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary purpose is to provide support to charitable institutions with an emphasis on aiding art, legal, education, and service organizations. The foundation supports program initiatives, events, new building projects, and memorials.
Primary funding areas include:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
Grantmaking
The foundation made 36 grants in 2024. Notable recent grants include:
Ready to take the next step with The Rhea S Schwartz & Paul Martin Wolff?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in:
- Idaho
- District of Columbia
- New York
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Financial Data (2024):
- Total Assets: $652,344
- Total Revenue: $52,539
- Total Expenses: $135,565
- Number of Employees: 0
Prior Year Data (2023):
- Total Assets: $735,370
- Total Giving: $115,850
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $652,344 | $735,370 | $763,865 |
| Revenue | $52,539 | $102,654 | $142,409 |
| Expenses | $135,565 | $131,149 | $121,347 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $124,050 | $120,950 | $109,794 |
| Net Investment Income | $24,862 | $72,455 | $14,939 |
| Distributable Amount | $186,679 | $104,288 | $86,804 |
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
179 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Jewish Federation of Greater Washington ($27,500), Jcc Associations of North America ($20,000), National Yiddish Book Center ($15,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ALLIANCE OF IDAHO BELLEVUE, ID | TO SUPPORT PROGRAM INITIATIVES | $1,000 |
| ARGYROS THEATER KETCHUM, ID | TO SUPPORT PROGRAM INITIATIVES | $5,000 |
| BALLET SUN VALLEY SUN VALLEY, ID | TO SUPPORT PROGRAM INITIATIVES | $2,500 |
| BETHESDA CHEVY CHASE RESCUE SQUAD BETHESDA, MD | TO SUPPORT PROGRAM INITIATIVES | $2,500 |
| EDLAVITCH DCJCC WASHINGTON, DC | TO SUPPORT PROGRAM INITIATIVES | $2,900 |
| FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER CENTER SEATTLE, WA | TO SUPPORT PROGRAM INITIATIVES | $500 |
| FRIENDS OF PATIENTS AT NIH BETHESDA, MD | TO SUPPORT PROGRAM INITATIVES | $500 |
| GATHERDC WASHINGTON, DC | TO SUPPORT PROGRAM INITIATIVES | $1,000 |
| GSCNC WASHINGTON, DC | TO SUPPORT PROGRAM INITIATIVES | $5,000 |
| I HAVE A DREAM IDAHO HAILEY, ID | TO SUPPORT PROGRAM INITIATIVES | $1,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Rhea S Schwartz – Chairman
- Paul Martin Wolff – President (BA, History, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1963)
- Michael Levitt – Vice President
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEA S SCHWARTZ | CHAIRMAN | — | — |
| MICHAEL LEVITT | VICE PRESIDENT | — | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has been active in establishing major educational initiatives:
**Penn State University Partnership (2020):** Rhea Schwartz and Paul Wolff became the most generous donors ever to Penn State's Division of Undergraduate Studies, establishing the largest endowed scholarship in the division's history through their $100,000 gift.
Alumna and spouse establish largest ever endowed scholarship in DUS | Penn**University of Wisconsin-Madison Fellowship (2022):** The Wolff Fellows program was launched as the first fellowship of its kind at UW-Madison, modeled after similar programs at Harvard University. The program empowers graduating seniors to pursue a year of travel, service, or study abroad without financial burden.
Benefactor creates first fellowship program for Liberal Arts graduating seniorsFrequently Asked Questions
What does The Rhea S Schwartz & Paul Martin Wolff fund?
The foundation's primary purpose is to provide support to charitable institutions with an emphasis on aiding art, legal, education, and service organizations. The foundation supports program initiatives, events, new building projects, and memorials. Primary funding areas include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services
How do I apply for a grant from The Rhea S Schwartz & Paul Martin Wolff?
**Grant Characteristics:** • Typical grant awards range from $50 to $30,500 • Median grant amount: $1,000 • Maximum grant amount: $28,000 **Recent Grantmaking Activity:** The foundation made 36 grants in 2024. Notable recent grants include: • Jewish Federation of Greater Washington: $27,500 (2024) for program initiatives support The foundation has also established major endowed scholarships and fellowships: • **Rhea S. Schwartz Educational Equity Achievement Scholarship** at Penn State Universi…
Where does The Rhea S Schwartz & Paul Martin Wolff make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • Idaho • District of Columbia • New York
What size grants does The Rhea S Schwartz & Paul Martin Wolff award?
In 2024, The Rhea S Schwartz & Paul Martin Wolff awarded 38 grants totaling $119K — an average of about $3K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Rhea S Schwartz & Paul Martin Wolff required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Rhea S Schwartz & Paul Martin Wolff reported a distributable amount of $187K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Rhea S Schwartz & Paul Martin Wolff's EIN?
The Rhea S Schwartz & Paul Martin Wolff's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1852485. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Rhea S Schwartz & Paul Martin Wolff's focus areas in our free grants database
Related Funders
Similar funders by location and focus area
The Abell Foundation Inc
BALTIMORE, MD
Assets
$296.4M
Grants
391
Total Given
$13.4M
Rotary Club of Columbia Patuxent
COLUMBIA, MD
Assets
$376K
Grants
1
Total Given
$12K
American Federation for Children Growth
COLUMBIA, MD
Assets
$9.4M
Grants
11
Total Given
$2.4M
Mayfield Scholastic Ltd
BALTIMORE, MD
Assets
—
Grants
1
Total Given
$38K
Baltimore Curriculum Project Inc
BALTIMORE, MD
Assets
$17.3M
Grants
6
Total Given
$2.7M
Government Employees' Benefit
HANOVER, MD
Assets
$3K
Grants
43
Total Given
$108K
Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with The Rhea S Schwartz & Paul Martin Wolff on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
- Monitor for new funding opportunities
Go from researching The Rhea S Schwartz & Paul Martin Wolff to a real strategy.