The Sarah and Paul Densen
The Sarah and Paul Densen is a private foundation based in Cranford, New Jersey. In its 2025 filing, it reported 11 grants totaling $119,000 to charitable organizations.
The Sarah and Paul Densen at a glance
In short: The Sarah and Paul Densen gave $119K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), top state Pennsylvania. 36% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $119,000
- +84.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- +22.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,818
- +51.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,699,240
- -0.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (4 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (34% 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 Sarah and Paul Densen
- 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: Co M Kurtz 354 North Ave East, Cranford, NJ 07016
Phone: (908) 276-3380
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Sarah and Paul Densen funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Eluna ($41K). Together the top 10 received $117K.
Grant Size Distribution
35 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 34 grants of 35 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars were distributed among recipients in Pennsylvania (34%), New Jersey (30%), New York (17%), California (13%), and Illinois (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Sarah and Paul Densen open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 11 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $7K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 45% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 62% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 102% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $38K (2021) to $134K (2023). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $119K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Eluna Philadelphia, PA | Provides support for children & families impacted by grief or addiction | $40,700 |
| United Jewish Appeal of Metrowest Whippany, NJ | Various Charitable Activities | $20,000 |
| Israaid US Global Humanitarian Assistance Beverly Hills, CA | Gives Assistance and Aid in Disasters and Crisis | $15,000 |
| Israel Cancer Research Fund New York, NY | Cancer Research | $12,500 |
| Imagine Mountainside, NJ | Supports Children and Families Coping with Loss | $8,600 |
| Lungevity Chicago, IL | Provides Funding for Lung Cancer Research Projects | $5,000 |
| Sharsheret Teaneck, NJ | Supports Women Diagnosed with Breast and Ovarian Cancer | $5,000 |
| Anti-Defamation League New York, NY | Provides Services to Protect Civil Rights | $3,600 |
| Friends of Israeli Defense Forces New York, NY | Supports the health,well being,and education of israeli defense forces | $3,600 |
| Jewish Family Services of Central New Jersey Elizabeth, NJ | Various Charitable Activities | $2,500 |
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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 | $1,699,240 | $111,635 | $126,684 | $119,000 | 11 | $119,000 | $105,029 | $117,229 |
| 2024 | $1,714,289 | $155,077 | $78,373 | $64,418 | 9 | $64,418 | $148,831 | $102,179 |
| 2023 | $1,637,585 | $313,608 | $142,950 | $134,160 | 8 | $134,160 | $301,293 | $92,556 |
| 2022 | $1,466,927 | $43,916 | $82,493 | $73,630 | 4 | $73,630 | $39,264 | $104,459 |
| 2021 | $1,505,504 | $159,928 | $41,266 | $37,500 | 3 | — | $157,153 | $103,786 |
| 2020 | $1,386,842 | $17,957 | $114,590 | $101,090 | 5 | — | $25,708 | $89,368 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Sarah and Paul Densen reported a distributable amount of $117K 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations working in areas such as support for children and families affected by grief or addiction, humanitarian disaster response, cancer research, civil rights, and education.
The grantees describe their work in their own terms: ELUNA says it supports children, teens, and families impacted by grief or addiction; IsraAID US Global Humanitarian Assistance says it provides disaster response and long-term support to communities affected by humanitarian crises; and the Israel Cancer Research Fund says it supports cancer research in Israel. Sharsheret describes providing support, education, financial assistance, and genetic counseling related to breast and ovarian cancer. The Anti-Defamation League describes its mission as opposing antisemitism and other forms of hate and securing justice and fair treatment for all. Bricolage Academy says it advances educational equity through its school.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave 11 grants totaling $119,000. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $40,700, with a median of $5,000.
Notable 2025 grants included $40,700 to ELUNA, $20,000 to United Jewish Appeal of MetroWest, $15,000 to IsraAID US Global Humanitarian Assistance, $12,500 to Israel Cancer Research Fund, and $8,600 to Imagine.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Sarah Densen, Robert Densen, Mark Densen, and Michael Kurtz as trustees.
The Sarah and Paul Densen's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Mark Densen
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Kurtz
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Robert Densen
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Densen
Trustee
On filings since 2020
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 Sarah and Paul Densen
How much does The Sarah and Paul Densen give each year?
The Sarah and Paul Densen gave $119K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $64K across 9 grants.
What is The Sarah and Paul Densen's typical grant size?
The Sarah and Paul Densen's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $10,818, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Sarah and Paul Densen that year got $8K on average.
Where does The Sarah and Paul Densen give grants?
The Sarah and Paul Densen's top state is Pennsylvania, with 34% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New Jersey (30%) and New York (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (3 grants).
Does The Sarah and Paul Densen give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on The Sarah and Paul Densen's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Sarah and Paul Densen's largest grantees?
The Sarah and Paul Densen's largest 2025 grantees include Eluna ($40,700), United Jewish Appeal of Metrowest ($20,000) and Israaid US Global Humanitarian Assistance ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Sarah and Paul Densen?
The Sarah and Paul Densen reported $1.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $119K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $117K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Sarah and Paul Densen fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations working in areas such as support for children and families affected by grief or addiction, humanitarian disaster response, cancer research, civil rights, and education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Sarah and Paul Densen?
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 Sarah and Paul Densen's EIN?
The Sarah and Paul Densen's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1669426. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Sarah and Paul Densen 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 2020–2025
Live grants for the work The Sarah and Paul Densen funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Sarah and Paul Densen's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Sarah and Paul Densen funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-sarah-and-paul-densen-morg_29f912ceb9e74d98a5659bae75b6dd96
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_521669426_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Sarah and Paul Densen funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-sarah-and-paul-densen-morg_29f912ceb9e74d98a5659bae75b6dd96},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 Sarah and Paul Densen'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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