Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation
The Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation is a private foundation based in Rockville, Maryland. It makes contributions to charitable organizations; its 2024 filing states that it contributes only to preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation at a glance
In short: Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation gave $191K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $14K), mostly in Maryland. 36% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $190,708
- +6.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- +7.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $13,622
- -0.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,170,703
- -7.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (5 of 14, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (99% 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 Walter & Sarah Diener 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: 5800 Nicholson Lane Apt 708, Rockville, MD 20852
Phone: (703) 754-2601
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Hebrew Home of Greater Washington ($44K). Together the top 10 received $185K.
Grant Size Distribution
65 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 62 grants of 65 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland and 1% to recipients in South Carolina. Listed Maryland recipients included organizations in Rockville, College Park, Bethesda, Columbia, and Hagerstown.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 14 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $17K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $16K repeat.
- 64% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 32% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 104% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $145K (2022) to $191K (2025). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $191K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hebrew Home of Greater Washington Rockville, MD | Contribution | $43,750 |
| Makom Rockville, MD | Contribution | $35,000 |
| Charles Smith Life Communities Rockville, MD | Contribution | $27,500 |
| University of Maryland Hillell College Park, MD | Contribution | $25,000 |
| Suburban Hospital Foundation Bethesda, MD | Contribution | $20,000 |
| The Diener School Rockville, MD | Contribution | $15,708 |
| Medstar Health Columbia, MD | Contribution | $5,000 |
| Childrens Inn Bethesda, MD | Contribution | $5,000 |
| Breakthrough T1D Hagerstown, MD | Contribution | $5,000 |
| Bnai Israel Rockville, MD | Contribution | $3,000 |
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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 | $1,170,703 | $96,918 | $195,939 | $190,708 | 14 | $190,708 | $94,399 | $182,520 |
| 2024 | $1,269,724 | $101,155 | $184,846 | $178,360 | 13 | $178,360 | $90,402 | $164,550 |
| 2023 | $1,353,415 | $96,396 | $160,026 | $154,000 | 12 | $154,000 | $82,471 | $150,745 |
| 2022 | $1,417,045 | $120,535 | $152,014 | $144,500 | 15 | $144,500 | $82,030 | $114,460 |
| 2021 | $1,448,534 | $99,760 | $161,292 | $155,500 | 11 | — | $81,336 | $136,361 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation reported a distributable amount of $183K 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 whose stated work spans elder care and rehabilitation, hospital programs, education and therapeutic services for students, and employment training for young adults and teens with learning differences. For example, Hebrew Home of Greater Washington describes its work as providing care and rehabilitation for frail elders in the Washington, D.C., region; Suburban Hospital Foundation says it raises and distributes gifts for Suburban Hospital’s programs and priorities; The Diener School describes providing a developmental, educational, and therapeutic environment for students needing smaller classes and individualized attention; and Sunflower Bakery describes workforce training in pastry arts, culinary arts, hospitality, and related industries.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 14 grants totaling $190,708. Grants ranged from $750 to $43,750, with a median grant of $5,000. Among the largest reported grants were $43,750 to Hebrew Home of Greater Washington, $35,000 to Makom, $27,500 to Charles Smith Life Communities, $25,000 to University of Maryland Hillell, $20,000 to Suburban Hospital Foundation, and $15,708 to The Diener School. Each was listed as a contribution.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jeffery Cohen as president.
Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation is led by Jeffery Cohen, President since 2023 (on filings since 2021) — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jeffery Cohen
President
Director → President, 2023
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Lewis K. Kest (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Marilyn Cohen (2021–2022) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation
How much does Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation give each year?
Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation gave $191K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $178K across 13 grants.
What is Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation's typical grant size?
Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $13,622, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation give grants?
Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation gives mostly in Maryland: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Rockville, MD (6 grants) and Bethesda, MD (3 grants).
Does Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Contribution" (14 grants).
Who are Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation's largest grantees?
Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Hebrew Home of Greater Washington ($43,750), Makom ($35,000) and Charles Smith Life Communities ($27,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation?
Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $191K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $183K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Walter & Sarah Diener 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 Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation's EIN?
Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1357403. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Walter & Sarah Diener 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Live grants for the work Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation funds
Health Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Walter & Sarah Diener Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/walter-and-sarah-diener-foundation-morg_1bc1432772ae4c7e9a706295d2c4c533
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_521357403_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Walter \& Sarah Diener Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/walter-and-sarah-diener-foundation-morg_1bc1432772ae4c7e9a706295d2c4c533},
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 Walter & Sarah Diener 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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