The Robert and Karen Sobel
The Robert and Karen Sobel is a private foundation based in Purchase, New York. It reported 13 grants totaling $67,790 in 2024, supporting charitable organizations that include a federation, a children’s hospital, a university, and organizations working in areas such as substance use disorders and mental health.
The Robert and Karen Sobel at a glance
In short: The Robert and Karen Sobel gave $68K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $5K), mostly in New York. 54% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $67,790
- +127.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +116.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $5,215
- +5.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $3,600
- Total assets
- $302,028
- -15.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 54% first-time grantees (7 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (94% 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 Robert and Karen Sobel
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 20 Westerleigh Road, Purchase, NY 10577
Phone: (212) 681-9797
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Robert and Karen Sobel funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was UJA Federation of New York ($25K). Together the top 10 received $66K.
Grant Size Distribution
59 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 56 grants of 59 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 5% to Connecticut, and 1% to New Jersey.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Robert and Karen Sobel open to new grantees?
54%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 13 grantees (54%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $7K repeat.
- 38% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 64% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 569% 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 $30K (2023) to $422K (2020). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $68K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| UJA Federation of New York New York, NY | Charitable IRC 170(C)(2) | $25,000 |
| CMC Foundation for Change New York, NY | Charitable IRC 170(C)(2) | $10,000 |
| Blythedale Children's Hospital Valhalla, NY | Charitable IRC 170(C)(2) | $8,500 |
| Columbia University New York, NY | Charitable IRC 170(C)(2) | $5,000 |
| Fidf New York, NY | Charitable IRC 170(C)(2) | $5,000 |
| Temple Sholom Greenwich, CT | Charitable IRC 170(C)(2) | $3,600 |
| The 1898 Foundation Purchase, NY | Charitable IRC 170(C)(2) | $3,600 |
| Community Access New York, NY | Charitable IRC 170(C)(2) | $2,500 |
| JCCA New York, NY | Charitable IRC 170(C)(2) | $1,800 |
| Harlem Childrens Zone New York, NY | Charitable IRC 170(C)(2) | $1,250 |
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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 | $302,028 | $17,898 | $68,000 | $67,790 | 13 | $67,790 | $17,898 | $11,912 |
| 2023 | $356,708 | $7,928 | $29,900 | $29,800 | 6 | $29,800 | $7,928 | $13,240 |
| 2022 | $374,079 | $44 | $67,560 | $67,460 | 9 | $67,460 | $44 | $15,691 |
| 2021 | $441,595 | $29 | $189,531 | $189,374 | 15 | $189,374 | $29 | $23,691 |
| 2020 | $631,097 | $136,482 | $422,042 | $421,942 | 16 | — | $2,562 | $27,181 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Robert and Karen Sobel reported a distributable amount of $12K for 2024 — 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 2024 grantees included CMC Foundation for Change, which says it develops training and shares resources to support people with substance use disorders and their families. Blythdale Children’s Hospital describes its work as improving children’s health and well-being, including diagnosing and treating children with complex medical conditions. Community Access says it expands opportunities for people living with mental health concerns through affordable housing, training, advocacy, and healing-focused services.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $67,790. Grant amounts ranged from $180 to $25,000, with a median grant of $3,600. Among its largest grants were $25,000 to UJA Federation of New York, $10,000 to CMC Foundation for Change, $8,500 to Blythdale Children’s Hospital, and $5,000 each to Columbia University and FIDF. Each was listed for a charitable purpose.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Robert J Sobel as president, Karen Sobel as vice president, and Louis Sultan as treasurer.
The Robert and Karen Sobel is led by Robert J. Sobel, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Robert J. Sobel
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Karen Sobel
Vice President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Louis Sultan
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
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 Robert and Karen Sobel
How much does The Robert and Karen Sobel give each year?
The Robert and Karen Sobel gave $68K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $30K across 6 grants.
What is The Robert and Karen Sobel's typical grant size?
The Robert and Karen Sobel's median grant in 2024 was $3,600, and its average grant was $5,215, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Robert and Karen Sobel that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Robert and Karen Sobel give grants?
The Robert and Karen Sobel gives mostly in New York: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Connecticut (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (9 grants).
Does The Robert and Karen Sobel give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on The Robert and Karen Sobel's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable IRC 170(C)(2)" (13 grants).
Who are The Robert and Karen Sobel's largest grantees?
The Robert and Karen Sobel's largest 2024 grantees include UJA Federation of New York ($25,000), CMC Foundation for Change ($10,000) and Blythedale Children's Hospital ($8,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Robert and Karen Sobel?
The Robert and Karen Sobel reported $302K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $68K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $12K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Robert and Karen Sobel fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grantees included CMC Foundation for Change, which says it develops training and shares resources to support people with substance use disorders and their families. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Robert and Karen Sobel?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and 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 Robert and Karen Sobel's EIN?
The Robert and Karen Sobel's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-7196988. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Robert and Karen Sobel 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Robert and Karen Sobel funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Robert and Karen Sobel funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-robert-and-karen-sobel-morg_ac3cab3e777f4c6a87f92740e13cbc59
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_137196988_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Robert and Karen Sobel funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-robert-and-karen-sobel-morg_ac3cab3e777f4c6a87f92740e13cbc59},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Robert and Karen Sobel'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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