The Sollee Family Foundation
The Sollee Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2025 filing reports 16 grants totaling $70,200 to organizations in several states, including organizations whose stated missions address democracy, environmental protection, food access, education, and legal services.
Key facts about The Sollee Family Foundation
In short: The Sollee Family Foundation gave $70K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in District of Columbia. 38% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 83-1750975
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $70,200
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- Average grant
- $4,388
- Median grant
- $1,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (6 of 16, 2025)
- Total assets
- $1,740,853
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (60% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- 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. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.7M
-1.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$70K
-16.4% YoY
Grant Count
16
+45.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$4K
-42.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Sollee Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $79K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Sollee Family Foundation open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 16 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 56% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 20% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 99% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. Democracy Forward Foundation describes its work as protecting democratic rights and institutions through legal and administrative processes and public education. Earthjustice describes itself as a public-interest environmental law organization working on health, wildlife, clean energy, and climate change. Freedom From Religion Foundation says it works to keep church and state separate and educate the public about nontheism.
Other 2025 grantees include organizations whose stated missions concern education, food access, and legal services. Capital Area Food Bank describes its mission as improving equitable access to food and opportunity; the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center provides free legal services through pro bono lawyers; and the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia provides civil legal assistance to people who cannot afford a lawyer.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $70,200 through 16 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $25,000, with a median grant of $1,500. The largest awards included $25,000 to Democracy Forward Foundation, $10,000 each to Center for Science in the Public Interest, Earthjustice, and Freedom From Religion Foundation, and $5,000 to President and Fellows of Harvard College. Other grants included $2,000 each to Capital Area Food Bank, Corporation of Haverford College, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and $1,000 each to DC Bar Pro Bono Center and Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in the District of Columbia (60%), California (14%), Wisconsin (14%), Massachusetts (7%), and Pennsylvania (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $70K (2025) to $99K (2021). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $70K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Democracy Forward Foundation ($25K). Together the top 10 received $68K.
Grant Size Distribution
60 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 56 grants of 60 (93%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Democracy Forward Foundation Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Center for Science in the Public Interest Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Earthjustice San Francisco, CA | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Freedom from Religion Foundation Inc Madison, WI | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| President and Fellows of Harvard College Cambridge, MA | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Capital Area Food Bank Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $2,000 |
| Corporation of Haverford College Haverford, PA | General & Unrestricted | $2,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $2,000 |
| DC Bar Pro Bono Center Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $1,000 |
| Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $1,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,740,853 | $47,465 | $78,546 | $70,200 |
| 2024 | $1,771,934 | $5,002 | $94,895 | $84,000 |
| 2023 | $1,861,827 | −$281,236 | $97,698 | $85,750 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,740,853 | $1,771,934 | $1,861,827 |
| Revenue | $47,465 | $5,002 | $-281,236 |
| Expenses | $78,546 | $94,895 | $97,698 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $78,146 | $93,695 | $89,775 |
| Net Investment Income | $47,465 | $59,535 | $40,739 |
| Distributable Amount | $78,907 | $78,426 | $93,333 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 17, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 3, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 2, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 10, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 10, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 10, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John R Sollee and Katherine Sollee as vice presidents; Margaret E Sollee as co-president, director, and secretary; and William L Sollee Jr as director, treasurer, and co-president.
The Sollee Family Foundation is led by Margaret E Sollee, Co- President, Director & Secretary on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Margaret E Sollee
Co- President, Director & Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William L Sollee Jr.
Director, Treasurer & Co- President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John R Sollee
Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Katherine Sollee
Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/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.
Contact
Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Frequently asked questions about The Sollee Family Foundation
How much does The Sollee Family Foundation give each year?
The Sollee Family Foundation gave $70K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $84K across 11 grants.
What is The Sollee Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Sollee Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $4,388, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Sollee Family Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does The Sollee Family Foundation give grants?
The Sollee Family Foundation gives mostly in District of Columbia: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (14%) and Wisconsin (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (8 grants) and Cambridge, MA (2 grants).
Does The Sollee Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 94% of The Sollee Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (15 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Sollee Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Sollee Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Democracy Forward Foundation ($25,000), Center for Science in the Public Interest ($10,000) and Earthjustice ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Sollee Family Foundation?
The Sollee Family Foundation reported $1.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $78K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $79K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Sollee Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. Democracy Forward Foundation describes its work as protecting democratic rights and institutions through legal and administrative processes and public education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Sollee Family Foundation?
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 Sollee Family Foundation's EIN?
The Sollee Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-1750975. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Sollee Family 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.
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