The Sondheimer Foundation
The Sondheimer Foundation is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations working in areas including humanitarian response, reproductive health, food assistance, medicine, and the arts.
The Sondheimer Foundation at a glance
In short: The Sondheimer Foundation gave $721K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $29K), top state California. 32% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $720,825
- +20.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- +25.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $28,833
- -3.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $1,101,201
- +3.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (8 of 25, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (39% 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 Sondheimer Foundation
- 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: 2346 Westwood Blvd Ste 8, Los Angeles, CA 90064
Phone: (310) 475-6861
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Sondheimer Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Americares ($100K). Together the top 10 received $620K.
Grant Size Distribution
109 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 81 grants of 109 (74%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Los Angeles. In 2025, grant dollars went primarily to recipients in California (39%) and New York (36%), followed by Connecticut (14%) and Washington, DC (10%). Ohio accounted for 0% of grant dollars.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Sondheimer Foundation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 25 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $40K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $30K repeat.
- 68% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 26% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 97% 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 (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 $406K (2019) to $721K (2025). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $721K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Americares Stamford, CT | Charitable | $100,000 |
| International Rescue Committee New York, NY | Charitable | $100,000 |
| ACLU Foundation New York, NY | Charitable | $75,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Charitable | $75,000 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | Charitable | $75,000 |
| Center for Reproductive Rights New York, NY | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Los Angeles Food Bank Los Angeles, CA | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Cedars-Sinai Los Angeles, CA | Medical | $35,000 |
| Center Theatre Group Los Angeles, CA | Charitable | $30,000 |
| NRDC New York, NY | Charitable | $30,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Sondheimer 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 | $1,101,201 | $923,204 | $882,327 | $720,825 | 25 | $764,378 | $841,450 | $787,056 |
| 2024 | $1,060,324 | $693,802 | $750,624 | $600,070 | 20 | $642,879 | $622,186 | $693,245 |
| 2023 | $1,117,146 | $542,992 | $699,101 | $564,150 | 22 | $600,175 | $480,597 | $580,720 |
| 2022 | $1,273,255 | $490,266 | $707,408 | $571,020 | 22 | $615,923 | $437,924 | $548,993 |
| 2021 | $1,490,397 | $206,209 | $581,454 | $458,900 | 20 | $499,685 | $160,583 | $541,096 |
| 2020 | $1,915,642 | $281,574 | $602,954 | $487,513 | 24 | — | $243,049 | $435,935 |
| 2019 | $2,187,022 | $381,791 | $537,098 | $406,450 | 21 | — | $345,578 | $401,384 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Sondheimer Foundation reported a distributable amount of $787K 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 missions. The International Rescue Committee says it responds to humanitarian crises and helps people affected by conflict and disaster. World Central Kitchen says it provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. Planned Parenthood Los Angeles says it provides reproductive health care and sexual health information through patient services, education, and advocacy.
Other 2025 recipients included Baby2Baby, which says it provides children in need with essentials such as diapers, formula, and clothing; and Geffen Playhouse, which says it provides theater productions and related programs to Los Angeles communities and UCLA students.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 25 grants totaling $720,825. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $100,000, with a median of $10,000.
Among the largest grants were $100,000 each to Americares and the International Rescue Committee; $75,000 each to the ACLU Foundation, Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, and World Central Kitchen; and $50,000 each to the Center for Reproductive Rights and Los Angeles Food Bank.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jane Rissman as vice president and Richard J. Sondheimer as executive director and treasury.
The Sondheimer Foundation is led by Richard J. Sondheimer, Executive Director & Treasury since 2023 (on filings since 2019); 1 of 2 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Richard J. Sondheimer
Executive Director & Treasury
Executive Director & Treasurer → Executive Director & Treasury, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jane Rissman
Vice President
Second Vice President → Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
$72K (2019) → $72K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Ida N. Sondheimer (2019–2022) — First Vice President
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $72K, to Jane Rissman (Vice President).
Frequently asked questions about The Sondheimer Foundation
How much does The Sondheimer Foundation give each year?
The Sondheimer Foundation gave $721K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $600K across 20 grants.
What is The Sondheimer Foundation's typical grant size?
The Sondheimer Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $28,833, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Sondheimer Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Sondheimer Foundation give grants?
The Sondheimer Foundation's top state is California, with 39% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (36%) and Connecticut (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (10 grants), New York, NY (5 grants) and Costa Mesa, CA (2 grants).
Does The Sondheimer Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 25 grants with a stated purpose on The Sondheimer Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (23 grants).
Who are The Sondheimer Foundation's largest grantees?
The Sondheimer Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Americares ($100,000), International Rescue Committee ($100,000) and ACLU Foundation ($75,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Sondheimer Foundation?
The Sondheimer Foundation reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $764K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $787K (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 Sondheimer Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. The International Rescue Committee says it responds to humanitarian crises and helps people affected by conflict and disaster. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Sondheimer 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 Sondheimer Foundation's EIN?
The Sondheimer Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-3060699. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Sondheimer Foundation 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 30, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 28, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 13, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 1, 2024)
Live grants for the work The Sondheimer Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Sondheimer Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Sondheimer Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-sondheimer-foundation-morg_bc5490b5c6314000866fcccb85834e20
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_263060699_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Sondheimer Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-sondheimer-foundation-morg_bc5490b5c6314000866fcccb85834e20},
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 Sondheimer 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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