The Schwedel Foundation
The Schwedel Foundation is a private foundation based in New Canaan, Connecticut. Its 2025 grants supported charitable organizations including an education advocacy organization, a university, local community organizations, a school, and other nonprofits; the listed grants were designated for general funds.
The Schwedel Foundation at a glance
In short: The Schwedel Foundation gave $89K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in District of Columbia. 50% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $89,435
- +6.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- +200.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,453
- -64.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $1,384,376
- +9.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (6 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (56% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Schwedel Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 15 Maple Street Apt 401, New Canaan, CT 06840
Phone: (860) 463-1949
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Schwedel Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was 50CAN ($50K). Together the top 10 received $89K.
Grant Size Distribution
113 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 109 grants of 113 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, DC (56%), New Jersey (22%), Connecticut (15%), Vermont (6%), and Massachusetts (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Schwedel Foundation open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 12 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $750 first-time, $2K repeat.
- 17% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 31% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 184% 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 (2021) to $130K (2022). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $89K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 50CAN Washington, DC | General Funds | $50,000 |
| Princeton University Princeton, NJ | General Funds | $20,000 |
| New Canaan Community Foundation New Canaan, CT | General Funds | $8,000 |
| Shelbourne Farms Shelbourne, VT | General Funds | $5,000 |
| Beth Sholom B'nai Israel Manchester, CT | General Funds | $2,500 |
| Kingswood Oxford School West Hartford, CT | General Funds | $2,000 |
| City Year Inc Dorchester, MA | General Funds | $1,000 |
| Woodway Scholarship Fund Darien, CT | General Funds | $500 |
| Phi Beta Kappa Society Washington, DC | General Funds | $135 |
| New Canaan Cares New Canaan, CT | General Funds | $100 |
Ready to take the next step with The Schwedel 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,384,376 | $1,210,242 | $94,569 | $89,435 | 12 | $89,885 | $1,206,963 | $48,947 |
| 2024 | $1,262,084 | $104,545 | $86,772 | $83,780 | 4 | $84,380 | $103,945 | $61,528 |
| 2023 | $1,157,812 | $109,287 | $123,235 | $120,550 | 32 | $121,025 | $108,774 | $63,000 |
| 2022 | $1,466,689 | $88,079 | $131,399 | $129,640 | 32 | $130,115 | $87,567 | $69,827 |
| 2021 | $1,437,587 | $53,127 | $65,938 | $64,075 | 33 | $64,566 | $52,658 | $65,826 |
| 2020 | $1,268,570 | $51,312 | $71,529 | $69,885 | 35 | — | $50,652 | $60,125 |
| 2019 | $1,393,015 | $51,921 | $102,621 | $101,106 | 35 | — | $50,359 | $65,927 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Schwedel Foundation reported a distributable amount of $49K 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 show support for organizations with varied purposes. 50CAN describes its mission as improving public education through advocacy campaigns, fellowships, support for education innovators, and research. The New Canaan Community Foundation says it addresses community needs through local leadership, grants, and charitable giving. Kingswood Oxford School says it supports students’ talents and aims to help them lead lives of integrity and involvement. New Canaan CARES describes its work as advancing youth and family well-being through educational programs and professional development.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 12 grants totaling $89,435. Awards ranged from $100 to $50,000, with a median grant of $1,500. Notable grants included $50,000 to 50CAN, $20,000 to Princeton University, $8,000 to the New Canaan Community Foundation, and $5,000 to Shelburne Farms. All 12 grants listed for 2025 were for general funds.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Alan R Schwedel, H Andrew Schwedel, and Erica Allison Breckner Schwedel as trustees.
The Schwedel Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Alan R. Schwedel
Trustee
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Erica Allison Breckner Schwedel
Trustee
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
H. Andrew Schwedel
Trustee
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Marilyn C. Schwedel (2019–2020) — Outgoing Trustee
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 Schwedel Foundation
How much does The Schwedel Foundation give each year?
The Schwedel Foundation gave $89K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $84K across 4 grants.
What is The Schwedel Foundation's typical grant size?
The Schwedel Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $7,453, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Schwedel Foundation that year got $9K on average.
Where does The Schwedel Foundation give grants?
The Schwedel Foundation gives mostly in District of Columbia: 56% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New Jersey (22%) and Connecticut (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were New Canaan, CT (4 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does The Schwedel Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Schwedel Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Schwedel Foundation's largest grantees?
The Schwedel Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include 50CAN ($50,000), Princeton University ($20,000) and New Canaan Community Foundation ($8,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 87% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Schwedel Foundation?
The Schwedel Foundation reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $90K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $49K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Schwedel Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. 50CAN describes its mission as improving public education through advocacy campaigns, fellowships, support for education innovators, and research. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Schwedel Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and 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 Schwedel Foundation's EIN?
The Schwedel Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 06-6068790. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Schwedel Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 8, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 6, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 11, 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 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 2, 2024)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Schwedel Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Schwedel Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-schwedel-foundation-morg_0f0d3f1ac76640508fc0741ca57d2f8c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_066068790_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Schwedel Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-schwedel-foundation-morg_0f0d3f1ac76640508fc0741ca57d2f8c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Schwedel 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.
The Schwedel Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?