George H and Estelle M Sands Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation accepts no unsolicited requests, so a small charity should not send one; approach it only if it has invited you, and check that your work matches the fields the filing records: community and social services, youth groups, libraries and cultural bodies, health and emergency services, and environmental and wildlife organisations.
- In the latest filing, 97% of grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded in one of the two filings before, so it is relationship-led and a cold first approach is unlikely to succeed.
- If you are invited, a typical grant falls between $5,000 and $105,000 with a median of $25,000, so a request in that middle range suits it best, although the largest grant was $520,000 and that band is not a ceiling.
- No geographic focus is stated in the filing, so location does not decide whether you may apply.
Overview
George H and Estelle M Sands Foundation is a US private foundation based in Princeton, NJ.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The filings record grants described only as general support, distributed among a varied group of charitable organisations. Recipients include community and social-service organisations, youth groups, libraries and cultural bodies, health and emergency-service organisations, and environmental and wildlife organisations. The grant history is concentrated in New Jersey, with grants also reaching organisations in other states. Repeated funding is a significant feature of the recorded giving. The return reports that contributions go only to preselected charitable organisations and that unsolicited requests are not accepted.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in New Jersey, Colorado and Pennsylvania.
How to apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; contributions are limited to preselected charitable organisations.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 97% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 244 grants to organisations were $25,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
4 other states: 2%
- The largest single recipient received 11% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 97% of grant dollars went to organisations George H and Estelle M Sands Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 2% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 80 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $25,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Kindersmile Foundation - Trenton · General$380,0002024 tax year
- Bucks County Playhouse · General$225,0002024 tax year
- The Watershed Institute · General$216,6672024 tax year
- Princeton Public Library · General$200,0002024 tax year
- Princeton First Aid Rescue Squad · General$130,0002024 tax year
- Warren Village · General$122,9502024 tax year
- Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania · General$120,0002024 tax year
- Princeton Medical Center Foundation · General$115,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Deborah Sands Gartenberg — Trustee
- Elizabeth Sands — Trustee
- Jeffrey H Sands — Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $6,992,741 | $4,216,256 | $80,297,459 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $7,246,280 | $4,104,083 | $85,433,082 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $6,585,414 | $3,962,367 | $85,809,260 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to George H and Estelle M Sands Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Princeton, NJ
Applying to George H and Estelle M Sands Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Princeton, NJ