The Riss Foundation
The Riss Foundation is a private foundation based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. In its 2025 filing, it reported giving $14,000 through 10 grants to charitable organizations, with grants supporting organizations working in areas including food access, crisis response, civil liberties, reproductive rights, health, immigration, and transgender rights.
The Riss Foundation at a glance
In short: The Riss Foundation gave $14K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $1K), top state District of Columbia. 10% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $14,000
- -15.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- -23.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,400
- +10.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $113,884
- -12.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (1 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (43% 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 Riss Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; it states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3916 Aspen Street, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Phone: (301) 951-0834
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Riss Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Capital Area Food Bank ($3K). Together the top 10 received $14K.
Grant Size Distribution
58 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 58 grants of 58 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in the following states: District of Columbia, 43%; New York, 29%; California, 14%; Illinois, 7%; and Massachusetts, 7%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Riss Foundation open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 10 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $1K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 90% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 25% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 86% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $14K (2025) to $19K (2022). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $14K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Area Food Bank Washington, DC | Unrestricted | $2,500 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | Unrestricted | $2,500 |
| American Civil Liberties Union Foundation New York, NY | Unrestricted | $2,000 |
| Center for Reproductive Rights New York, NY | Unrestricted | $1,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | Unrestricted | $1,000 |
| Compass Pro Bono Washington, DC | Unrestricted | $1,000 |
| Lungevity Foundation Chicago, IL | Unrestricted | $1,000 |
| National Immigration Law Center Los Angeles, CA | Unrestricted | $1,000 |
| Transgender Law Center Oakland, CA | Unrestricted | $1,000 |
| Undue Medical Debt Boston, MA | Unrestricted | $1,000 |
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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 | $113,884 | $15,002 | $16,578 | $14,000 | 10 | $16,205 | $15,002 | $18,793 |
| 2024 | $130,460 | $20,004 | $19,069 | $16,500 | 13 | $18,400 | $20,004 | $18,127 |
| 2023 | $149,525 | $20,111 | $19,240 | $17,300 | 10 | $19,100 | $20,109 | $17,635 |
| 2022 | $168,754 | $21,031 | $20,814 | $18,700 | 13 | $20,440 | $20,001 | $16,743 |
| 2021 | $188,537 | $18,244 | $20,550 | $18,500 | 12 | $20,270 | $18,002 | $21,592 |
| 2020 | $208,843 | $20,522 | $19,654 | $17,200 | 10 | — | $20,002 | $19,859 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Riss Foundation reported a distributable amount of $19K 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 included organizations whose own stated missions address food access and opportunity (Capital Area Food Bank), meals during humanitarian, climate, and community crises (World Central Kitchen), and civil liberties and civil rights (American Civil Liberties Union Foundation). Other grantees included organizations focused, in their own descriptions, on lung cancer research and support (LUNGevity Foundation) and changing law, policy, and attitudes so people can live safely and free from discrimination regardless of gender identity or expression (Transgender Law Center).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 10 grants totaling $14,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $2,500, with a median grant of $1,000. The two largest grants were $2,500 each, to Capital Area Food Bank and World Central Kitchen. Other grants included $2,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation and $1,000 each to the Center for Reproductive Rights, Doctors Without Borders, Compass Pro Bono, LUNGevity Foundation, National Immigration Law Center, Transgender Law Center, and Undue Medical Debt. The filing describes the grants as unrestricted.
The foundation states that 10 organizations benefited from its gifts in 2025. It makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Susan L. Mayer as president and Seth Berlin as secretary.
The Riss Foundation is led by Susan L. Mayer, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Susan L. Mayer
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Seth Berlin
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 Riss Foundation
How much does The Riss Foundation give each year?
The Riss Foundation gave $14K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $17K across 13 grants.
What is The Riss Foundation's typical grant size?
The Riss Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,400, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Riss Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does The Riss Foundation give grants?
The Riss Foundation's top state is District of Columbia, with 43% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (29%) and California (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (3 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does The Riss Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Riss Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Riss Foundation's largest grantees?
The Riss Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Capital Area Food Bank ($2,500), World Central Kitchen ($2,500) and American Civil Liberties Union Foundation ($2,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Riss Foundation?
The Riss Foundation reported $114K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $16K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $19K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Riss Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Riss Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; it states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Riss Foundation's EIN?
The Riss Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-4195832. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Riss Foundation 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 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 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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