The Sarkowsky Foundation concentrates its giving in the Seattle/King County area with an emphasis on arts and cultural institutions and Jewish communal life. Major support goes to large cultural anchors (notably multi-year, sizable gifts to the Seattle Art Museum) alongside funding for Jewish historical, social service, and federation organizations, with occasional support for higher education and broad community agencies.
Concentrated, high-dollar local giving: a small number of sizable grants (including repeat multi-grant support to flagship partners), focused geographically on Seattle/King County and thematically on arts and Jewish communal organizations.
A defining feature of the Herman & Faye Sarkowsky Charitable Foundation is its repeated, sizable support for Seattle Art Museum, including grants of $432,558 in 2023, $386,040 in 2024, and $332,685 in 2025 for general support. That pattern sits alongside a broader local portfolio centered on Seattle cultural institutions, Jewish communal organizations, and select community-serving nonprofits. The foundation’s recent giving also includes general support for Seattle Colleges, United Way of King County, and The 5th Avenue Theater, showing a mix of arts, education, and community welfare priorities within a tightly local footprint. The grant list points to an approach built around core support rather than narrow project funding. Jewish infrastructure appears prominently through organizations such as the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, Jewish Family Service Seattle, and the Washington State Jewish Historical Society, while arts giving reaches both large anchor institutions and smaller local groups. Recipients are concentrated in Seattle and nearby King County communities, with Mercer Island appearing among the grantee locations as well.
In arts and culture, the foundation backed Seattle Repertory Theatre with $40,000 in 2024 and $15,000 in 2023, and supported Arts Fund with $20,000 in 2024, $17,000 in 2025, and $17,000 in 2023. The 5th Avenue Theater also received general support of $110,573 in 2023 and $5,000 in 2025, reinforcing a sustained interest in performing arts institutions. Jewish communal life is another clear thread. The foundation gave $75,622 to Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle in 2023 and additional grants of $25,000 in 2024 and $25,000 in 2025. Jewish Family Service Seattle received $50,539 in 2025, while Jewish Family Services received $50,271 in 2023 and $50,000 in 2024. The foundation also supports community and youth-serving organizations. United Way of King County received $200,083 in 2023, and Seattle Children's Hospital received $10,000 in 2024.
Typical grant size centers on the middle of the range at a median of $17,000, with a lower quartile of $5,000 and an upper quartile of $50,136. The pattern includes both large anchor grants and smaller recurring awards. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Seattle Art Museum, Arts Fund, Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, Jewish Family Services, The 5th Avenue Theater, Kavana Cooperative, Teentix, Hillel Uw, and Seattle Repertory Theatre. The foundation is a charitable foundation and the recent grants are listed as general support or general support equivalents, indicating flexible operating support.
$505K
$275K
$915K
$513K
Most grants fall between $5K and $50K, with a median of $17K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$17K
75th Percentile
$50K
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Notable grantees: Seattle Art Museum, The 5th Avenue Theater, Washington State Jewish Historical Society, Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, Seattle Colleges
Grantmaking is fully concentrated in Washington, with 100% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Seattle is the main recipient city, including Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Colleges, United Way of King County, The 5th Avenue Theater, and Seattle Repertory Theatre. Mercer Island also appears through the Washington State Jewish Historical Society and The Friendship Circle of Washington. Across the recent grants list, all recipient country distribution is in the US.
Its recent grants center on arts and cultural institutions, Jewish communal organizations, and local community-serving groups. Examples include Seattle Art Museum, Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, Jewish Family Service Seattle, United Way of King County, and Seattle Colleges.
The typical grant size is $17,000 at the median. The lower quartile is $5,000 and the upper quartile is $50,136, showing a mix of smaller awards and larger operating grants.
The recent grant list shows a strictly local pattern: 100% of grants went to recipients in Washington, and the recipient country distribution is entirely in the US.
Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Seattle Art Museum, Arts Fund, Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, Jewish Family Services, The 5th Avenue Theater, Teentix, Hillel Uw, Kavana Cooperative, and Seattle Repertory Theatre. That points to recurring support for a set of local organizations.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEATTLE ART MUSEUM | SEATTLE, WA | $332,685 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE SEATTLE | SEATTLE, WA | $50,539 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SEATTLE ART MUSEUM | SEATTLE, WA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER SEATTLE | SEATTLE, WA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ARTS FUND | SEATTLE, WA | $17,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SEATTLE REP THEATRE | SEATTLE, WA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TEENTIX | SEATTLE, WA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE 5TH AVENUE THEATER | SEATTLE, WA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| KAVANA COOPERATIVE | SEATTLE, WA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TEMPLE DE HIRSCH SINAI | SEATTLE, WA | $250 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SEATTLE ART MUSEUM | SEATTLE, WA | $386,040 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES | SEATTLE, WA | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SEATTLE REPERTORY THEATRE | SEATTLE, WA | $40,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WASHINGTON STATE JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY | MERCER ISLAND, WA | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER SEATTLE | SEATTLE, WA | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ARTS FUND | SEATTLE, WA | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SEATTLE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | SEATTLE, WA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE OF WASHINGTON | MERCER ISLAND, WA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HILLEL UW | WASHINGTON DC, WA | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TEENTIX | SEATTLE, WA | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NORTHWEST KIDNEY CENTERS | SEATTLE, WA | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NORTHWEST HARVEST | SEATTLE, WA | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SEATTLE ART MUSEUM | SEATTLE, WA | $432,558 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SEATTLE COLLEGES | SEATTLE, WA | $202,837 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNITED WAY OF KING COUNTY | SEATTLE, WA | $200,083 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE 5TH AVENUE THEATER | SEATTLE, WA | $110,573 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WASHINGTON STATE JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY | MERCER ISLAND, WA | $80,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER SEATTLE | SEATTLE, WA | $75,622 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES | SEATTLE, WA | $50,271 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| KAVANA COOPERATIVE | SEATTLE, WA | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ARTS FUND | SEATTLE, WA | $17,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SEATTLE REPERTORY THEATRE | SEATTLE, WA | $15,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HILLEL UW | SEATTLE, WA | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TEENTIX | SEATTLE, WA | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WASHINGTON WOMEN'S FOUNDATION | SEATTLE, WA | $2,500 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| STROUM JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER | MERCER ISLAND, WA | $2,500 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FARESTART | SEATTLE, WA | $1,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NORTHWEST KIDNEY CENTERS | SEATTLE, WA | $1,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HILLEL INTERNATIONAL | SEATTLE, WA | $1,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE SEATTLE
$50,539GENERAL SUPPORT
SEATTLE REP THEATRE
GENERAL SUPPORT
TEENTIX
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE 5TH AVENUE THEATER
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
KAVANA COOPERATIVE
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TEMPLE DE HIRSCH SINAI
$250GENERAL SUPPORT
SEATTLE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HILLEL UW
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TEENTIX
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NORTHWEST HARVEST
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SEATTLE COLLEGES
$202,837GENERAL SUPPORT
THE 5TH AVENUE THEATER
$110,573GENERAL SUPPORT
KAVANA COOPERATIVE
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HILLEL UW
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TEENTIX
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
STROUM JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
$2,500GENERAL SUPPORT
HILLEL INTERNATIONAL
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT