The Sally M and Stephen Herman
The Sally M and Stephen Herman is a private foundation based in Bethesda, Maryland. It made 23 grants totaling $90,839 in filing year 2025, supporting charitable organizations including cultural, educational, religious, and community organizations.
The Sally M and Stephen Herman at a glance
In short: The Sally M and Stephen Herman gave $91K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), top state Virginia. 27% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $90,839
- +3.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- -20.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,950
- +30.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $132,018
- -15.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (6 of 22, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (47% 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 Sally M and Stephen Herman
- 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: 5229 Elliot Road, Bethesda, MD 20816
Phone: (301) 340-2020
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Sally M and Stephen Herman funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Virginia Humanities ($25K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $80K.
Grant Size Distribution
172 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 171 grants of 172 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars were distributed among recipients in Virginia (47%), the District of Columbia (21%), Ohio (17%), Minnesota (6%), and New York (3%). The listed recipients also included organizations in Oregon, Maryland, Louisiana, and Indiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Sally M and Stephen Herman open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 22 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 41% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 30% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 125% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $64K (2019) to $148K (2021). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $91K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia Humanities Charlottesville, VA | General Charitable Purposes | $25,018 |
| Anti-Defamation League Cincinnati, OH | General Charitable Purposes | $15,000 |
| Temple Micah Washington, DC | General Charitable Purposes | $12,500 |
| University of Virginia Law School Foundation Charlottesville, VA | General Charitable Purposes | $9,000 |
| Tidewater Jewish Foundation Virginia Beach, VA | General Charitable Purposes | $5,000 |
| Crow College Bonifacius, MN | General Charitable Purposes | $5,000 |
| Catlin Gabel School Portland, OR | General Charitable Purposes | $2,000 |
| Eastern Virginia Medical School Norfolk, VA | General Charitable Purposes | $2,000 |
| National Gallery of Art Landover, MD | General Charitable Purposes | $2,000 |
| National Park Association Washington, DC | General Charitable Purposes | $2,000 |
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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 | $132,018 | $45,414 | $94,258 | $90,839 | 23 | $90,839 | $42,584 | $72,840 |
| 2024 | $156,925 | $42,240 | $91,350 | $88,128 | 29 | $88,128 | $39,497 | $74,265 |
| 2023 | $161,471 | $42,133 | $106,635 | $100,704 | 48 | $100,704 | $37,339 | $71,684 |
| 2022 | $188,095 | $40,135 | $129,554 | $129,526 | 48 | $129,526 | $40,135 | $71,264 |
| 2021 | $234,520 | $32,914 | $150,026 | $147,846 | 24 | $147,846 | $30,734 | $63,242 |
| 2020 | $303,718 | $365,427 | $106,845 | $104,670 | 27 | — | $15,049 | $43,465 |
| 2019 | $354,705 | $22,845 | $65,880 | $63,700 | 19 | — | $20,665 | $43,899 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Sally M and Stephen Herman reported a distributable amount of $73K 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 support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Tidewater Jewish Foundation describes its work as providing grants and community programs on behalf of the Jewish community and the foundation’s agency funds. The National Gallery of Art says it welcomes people to explore and experience art, creativity, and shared humanity. Catlin Gabel School describes its mission as inspiring students’ love of learning and responsible action.
Other 2025 recipients include religious organizations, educational institutions, arts organizations, and organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League and the National Park Association. These descriptions reflect the grantees’ own missions, not a stated mission of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave 23 grants totaling $90,839. Grants ranged from $200 to $25,018, with a median grant of $2,000.
The largest grants included $25,018 to Virginia Humanities, $15,000 to the Anti-Defamation League, $12,500 to Temple Micah, $9,000 to the University of Virginia Law School Foundation, and $5,000 each to Tidewater Jewish Foundation and Crow College. The stated purpose for each of these grants was general charitable purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Stephen A Herman as president and Sally M Herman as secretary/treasurer.
The Sally M and Stephen Herman is led by Stephen A. Herman, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Stephen A. Herman
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sally M. Herman
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Sally M and Stephen Herman
How much does The Sally M and Stephen Herman give each year?
The Sally M and Stephen Herman gave $91K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $88K across 29 grants.
What is The Sally M and Stephen Herman's typical grant size?
The Sally M and Stephen Herman's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $3,950, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Sally M and Stephen Herman that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Sally M and Stephen Herman give grants?
The Sally M and Stephen Herman's top state is Virginia, with 47% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (21%) and Ohio (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (6 grants), Charlottesville, VA (3 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and New Orleans, LA (2 grants).
Does The Sally M and Stephen Herman give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Sally M and Stephen Herman's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (23 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Sally M and Stephen Herman's largest grantees?
The Sally M and Stephen Herman's largest 2025 grantees include Virginia Humanities ($25,239 across 2 grants), Anti-Defamation League ($15,000) and Temple Micah ($12,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 58% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Sally M and Stephen Herman?
The Sally M and Stephen Herman reported $132K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $91K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $73K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Sally M and Stephen Herman fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Tidewater Jewish Foundation describes its work as providing grants and community programs on behalf of the Jewish community and the foundation’s agency funds. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Sally M and Stephen Herman?
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 Sally M and Stephen Herman's EIN?
The Sally M and Stephen Herman's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1817835. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Sally M and Stephen Herman 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 20, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 30, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 11, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 1, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Live grants for the work The Sally M and Stephen Herman funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Sally M and Stephen Herman funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-sally-m-and-stephen-herman-morg_cc4d0ab9d86347faa27ded242b818895
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_201817835_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Sally M and Stephen Herman funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-sally-m-and-stephen-herman-morg_cc4d0ab9d86347faa27ded242b818895},
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 Sally M and Stephen Herman'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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