The Robert M Sinskey Foundation
The Robert M Sinskey Foundation is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. In its 2024 filing, it reported 10 grants totaling $1,497,905 to organizations in several states.
The Robert M Sinskey Foundation at a glance
In short: The Robert M Sinskey Foundation gave $1.5M across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $150K), top state Massachusetts. 30% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,497,905
- +4.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $149,791
- +4.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $150,000
- Total assets
- $21,232,652
- -1.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (3 of 10, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (23% 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 M Sinskey Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists Jeffrey Lapin as the contact and requests a letter. It states there are no restrictions or limitations on awards.
- Review Cycle
- June 1 and December 1; both 2026 dates are past as of September 29, 2026.
- Deadline
- June 1 and December 1; both 2026 dates are past as of September 29, 2026.
- Contact
Application contact: Jeffrey Lapin
Mailing address: 2232 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90404
Phone: (310) 453-8911
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Robert M Sinskey Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Foundation Mass Eye & Ear ($350K). Together the top 10 received $1.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
49 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 23 grants of 49 (47%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grants went to recipients in multiple states. The largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state were Massachusetts (23%), Maryland (17%), California (16%), South Carolina (10%), and New York (10%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Robert M Sinskey Foundation open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 10 grantees (30%) 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 $165K; repeat grants $143K. How we count
Medians: $216K first-time, $150K repeat.
- 60% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 31% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 128% 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 $413K (2020) to $1.6M (2022). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $1.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Mass Eye & Ear Boston, MA | General Use | $350,000 |
| Johns Hopkins Baltimore, MD | General Use | $250,000 |
| Napa Community Foundation Napa, CA | General Use | $215,905 |
| Musc Storm Eye Institute Charleston, SC | General Usegeneral Use | $150,000 |
| Hearing Health Foundation New York, NY | General Use | $150,000 |
| Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Coral Gables, FL | General Use | $150,000 |
| University of Washington Foundation Seattle, WA | General Use | $125,000 |
| Himalayan Cataractcure Blindness Waterbury, VT | General Use | $57,000 |
| Southern Smoke Foundation Houston, TX | General Use | $30,000 |
| Edward Charles Foundation Inc Beverly Hills, CA | General Use | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Robert M Sinskey Foundation?
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 | $21,232,652 | $1,501,786 | $1,736,573 | $1,497,905 | 10 | $1,497,905 | $1,436,479 | $1,173,503 |
| 2023 | $21,467,439 | $770,391 | $1,664,153 | $1,437,090 | 10 | $1,437,090 | $918,524 | $1,080,676 |
| 2022 | $22,361,201 | $1,020,105 | $1,867,509 | $1,615,850 | 12 | $1,615,850 | $889,705 | $1,238,244 |
| 2021 | $22,976,605 | $16,391,027 | $1,324,829 | $1,142,000 | 13 | $1,142,000 | $1,248,525 | $1,231,090 |
| 2020 | $7,918,957 | $1,161,498 | $489,935 | $413,000 | 4 | — | $780,917 | $396,864 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Robert M Sinskey Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.2M 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 include Hearing Health Foundation, whose stated mission is to prevent and cure hearing loss and tinnitus through research; Southern Smoke Foundation, which says it supports people in the food and beverage community and their suppliers in crisis; and Edward Charles Foundation, which says it fiscally sponsors charitable projects, funds, and events. The University of Washington Foundation says it facilitates private contributions for the benefit of the University of Washington.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $1,497,905. Grants ranged from $20,000 to $350,000, with a median grant of $150,000. Its largest grants were $350,000 to Foundation Mass Eye & Ear, $250,000 to Johns Hopkins, and $215,905 to Napa Community Foundation. Other grants included $150,000 each to MUSC Storm Eye Institute, Hearing Health Foundation, and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute; $125,000 to University of Washington Foundation; $57,000 to Himalayan CataractCure Blindness; $30,000 to Southern Smoke Foundation; and $20,000 to Edward Charles Foundation Inc. The listed purposes were general use.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jeffrey C Lapin Esq as trustee and secretary.
The Robert M Sinskey Foundation is led by Jeffrey C. Lapin Esq., Trustee & Secretary on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jeffrey C. Lapin Esq.
Trustee & Secretary
On filings since 2020
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 M Sinskey Foundation
How much does The Robert M Sinskey Foundation give each year?
The Robert M Sinskey Foundation gave $1.5M across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.4M across 10 grants.
What is The Robert M Sinskey Foundation's typical grant size?
The Robert M Sinskey Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $150,000, and its average grant was $149,791, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Robert M Sinskey Foundation that year got $165K on average.
Where does The Robert M Sinskey Foundation give grants?
The Robert M Sinskey Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 23% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Maryland (17%) and California (16%).
Does The Robert M Sinskey Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Robert M Sinskey Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Robert M Sinskey Foundation's largest grantees?
The Robert M Sinskey Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Foundation Mass Eye & Ear ($350,000), Johns Hopkins ($250,000) and Napa Community Foundation ($215,905), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Robert M Sinskey Foundation?
The Robert M Sinskey Foundation reported $21.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Robert M Sinskey Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Robert M Sinskey Foundation?
The filing lists Jeffrey Lapin as the contact and requests a letter. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Robert M Sinskey Foundation's EIN?
The Robert M Sinskey Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-4628223. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Robert M Sinskey Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-robert-m-sinskey-foundation-morg_444d7146e2ba429782a07070c10b19f7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_954628223_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Robert M Sinskey Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-robert-m-sinskey-foundation-morg_444d7146e2ba429782a07070c10b19f7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 M Sinskey Foundation'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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