Sy Syms Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $2,188,320 (2024)
• Total Assets: $35 million (2024)
• Grant Range: $1,500 - $387,500
• Median Grant: $25,000
• Number of Grants: 39 awards (2024); 57 awards (2023)
• Geographic Focus: National, with emphasis on New York/New Jersey region
• Application Status: Currently not accepting new applications

Contact Details

Foundation Administrator:

• Annette Calgaro, BNY Mellon
• 3825 BNY Mellon Center, 500 Grant Street
• Pittsburgh, PA 15258
• Email: Annette.calgaro@bnymellon.com
• Fax: 866-230-3467

Foundation Information:

• Website: www.sysymsfoundation.org
• EIN: 22-2617727
• Founded: 1985
• Type: Private Foundation

Overview

Established in 1985 by retail entrepreneur and humanitarian Sy Syms (founder of Syms Corp.), the Sy Syms Foundation has distributed over $65 million to more than 100 organizations over its nearly 40-year history. With total assets of approximately $35 million and annual grant distributions exceeding $2 million, the foundation focuses on supporting education, medical research, public broadcasting, and cultural institutions. Led by President Marcy Syms since 1995, the foundation operates under the principle of "partnering with organizations to help individuals realize their own potential," inspired by the founder's family philosophy to "make the world a better place than how you found it." The foundation is particularly known for its long-term partnerships with organizations, including its decades-long support of PBS and NPR programming such as Frontline and Washington Week, and its signature relationship with the Sy Syms School of Business at Yeshiva University.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with set application cycles. Instead, it makes strategic grants based on trustee decisions and established relationships. Recent major commitments include:

• Sy Syms Endowment for Journalistic Excellence at The Forward: $1 million over five years (announced October 2024) to support recruitment, training, and development of early career journalists
• International Pemphigus & Pemphigoid Foundation: $75,000-$100,000 grants (six consecutive years of support for early diagnosis awareness programs)
• Sy Syms School of Business at Yeshiva University: Ongoing major benefactor since the school's establishment in 1987

Priority Areas

Education:

• Higher education institutions and business schools
• Scholarship programs including:
  • Inner City Scholarship Fund
  • Executive Women of New Jersey Scholarship Fund
  • Coro New York Leadership Center
  • Young People's Leadership Foundation

Public Broadcasting & Media:

• PBS and NPR programming support
• WNYC
• Origination funding for programs like Frontline, Washington Week, and Reel 13
• Jewish journalism and media (The Forward)

Medical Research:

• Focus on under-recognized health issues
• American Heart Association (particularly "Go Red" campaign for women's heart health)
• Barrow Neurological Institute & Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center
• Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
• Children's Cancer & Blood Foundation
• Crohn's & Colitis Foundation
• Fragile X Research Foundation
• Reuth Medical & Life Care Centers
• American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science

Arts & Culture:

• Lincoln Center Corporate Fund
• Museum of Jewish Heritage
• The Jewish Museum
• American Museum of Natural History
• Lower East Side Tenement Museum
• Manhattan Theatre Club
• Regional arts centers

Jewish Welfare & Organizations:

• Giving primarily for Jewish welfare and other Jewish organizations
• Emphasis on organizations that combine Jewish values with broader community impact

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

Marcy Syms Merns - Founding Trustee and President (since 1995)

• Described as a "social entrepreneur" committed to the foundation's mission
• Long-time member of The Forward Board of Directors
• Fellow at Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative
• Active advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment
• Compensation: $15,500

Mark Freiberg - Trustee and Treasurer

• Compensation: $15,500

Lynn Tamarkin Syms - Trustee

• Compensation: $15,500

Leadership Philosophy

Marcy Syms has articulated the foundation's approach in several public statements:

"The germ of the idea of philanthropy came from my bubbe, Clara Glickman, who, in the many philosophical conversations we had when I was a young girl and talked about the meaning of life, told me in no uncertain terms that the purpose of your life should be to make the world a better place than how you found it."

"It feels good to give back."

The foundation views "philanthropy as a form of investment" and describes its mission overall as "partnering with organizations to help individuals realize their own potential."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

IMPORTANT: The Sy Syms Foundation is currently not accepting new applications.

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and makes grants primarily through:

• Trustee-initiated relationships
• Long-term partnerships with established organizations
• Invitation-only consideration

Historically, the foundation developed relationships through:

• Community connections where Syms stores operated (store managers and sales teams recommended local nonprofits)
• Board member affiliations and personal networks
• Multi-year commitments to organizations aligned with the foundation's priorities

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation does not have an open application process.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation is not currently accepting new applications.

Application Success Factors

While the foundation is not accepting new applications, their historical grantmaking patterns reveal several key priorities:

Long-Term Partnership Approach:

• The foundation favors multi-year commitments (e.g., six consecutive years of support to IPPF)
• They invest in programs over time rather than making one-off grants
• Example: Decades-long partnership with PBS/NPR

Focus on Individual Potential:

• Organizations that help individuals realize their potential align with the mission
• Programs focused on education, skill-building, and personal development
• The Forward's journalism endowment exemplifies this: supporting early career journalists to develop their skills

Under-Recognized Causes:

• The foundation has shown particular interest in health issues that don't receive mainstream attention
• Example: Pemphigus and pemphigoid diseases, Fragile X syndrome
• Marcy Syms has emphasized supporting causes that need champions

Values-Based Work:

• Organizations combining Jewish values with broader community impact
• Work that addresses social justice issues (PEN America, Amnesty International)
• Programs promoting equality (Women's heart health, women's scholarships)

Quality Journalism and Fact-Based Information:

• Recent emphasis on supporting journalism "at a critical moment when fact-based journalism is more necessary than ever" (Marcy Syms quote about The Forward endowment)
• Long-standing support for public broadcasting and educational media

Community-Based Impact:

• Historical support for local organizations (Little League, Girl Scouts, community health initiatives)
• Organizations with direct community engagement

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• The foundation is currently closed to new applications - this is the most critical information for prospective applicants
• The foundation operates through trustee discretion and established relationships rather than competitive application processes
• Grant amounts range widely ($1,500 to $387,500) with a median of $25,000, suggesting flexibility based on project scope
• Multi-year commitments are common - the foundation prefers sustained partnerships over one-time grants
• Organizations aligned with Jewish values, education, under-recognized health issues, and quality journalism have received significant support
• The foundation's philosophy centers on helping individuals realize their potential and making the world better
• Personal connections and board relationships historically played a role in grant decisions
• If the foundation reopens to applications in the future, demonstrating long-term vision and measurable impact on individual lives would likely be critical

References

1. Sy Syms Foundation official website - https://sysymsfoundation.org/ (accessed February 2026)
2. "About Us" - Sy Syms Foundation - https://sysymsfoundation.org/about/ (accessed February 2026)
3. "Inquiries" - Sy Syms Foundation - https://sysymsfoundation.org/inquiries/ (accessed February 2026)
4. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Sy Syms Foundation Form 990-PF filings - https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/222617727 (accessed February 2026)
5. "LEADERS Interview with Marcy Syms, Founding Trustee, Sy Syms Foundation" - LEADERS Magazine, January 2025 - https://www.leadersmag.com/issues/2025.1_Jan/WL/LEADERS_Syms_Syms.html (accessed February 2026)
6. "The Forward Announces Launch of the Sy Syms Endowment for Journalistic Excellence" - PR Newswire, October 13, 2024 - https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-forward-announces-launch-of-the-sy-syms-endowment-for-journalistic-excellence-302578775.html (accessed February 2026)
7. "The IPPF Receives Grant from Sy Syms Foundation to Reduce Diagnostic Delays" - International Pemphigus & Pemphigoid Foundation - https://www.pemphigus.org/the-ippf-receives-grant-from-sy-syms-foundation-to-reduce-diagnostic-delays/ (accessed February 2026)
8. Instrumentl 990 Report - Sy Syms Foundation - https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/sy-syms-foundation-a-new-jersey-non-profit-corp (accessed February 2026)
9. Candid Foundation Directory - Sy Syms Foundation Profile - https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile?key=SYSI001 (accessed February 2026)
10. "Why I Give: Marcy Syms" - NPR, July 25, 2017 - https://www.npr.org/2017/07/25/535504804/why-i-give-marcy-syms (accessed February 2026)