Seidler Foundation

The Seidler Foundation takes a focused, family-driven approach to philanthropy centered on educational opportunity, arts and culture, and food insecurity. Led by President Stanley B. Seidler with directors Carol Seidler Mavrakis and Susan Seidler Nerman (all serving without compensation), the foundation operates as a traditional private family foundation. Their signature program is a need-based scholarship initiative for students at Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School in the Cedar Rapids Iowa Community School District, designed to provide renewable financial support through college completion. This reflects a place-based, longitudinal approach where the foundation commits to students over multiple years rather than providing one-time awards. The foundation supplements its scholarships with college planning workshops, on-campus resources, and a student ambassador program, indicating a wraparound support model that addresses both financial and navigational barriers to degree completion. Beyond scholarships, the foundation makes grants to organizations in arts and culture, higher education, children and youth services, and Jewish community organizations, distributing funding across major metropolitan areas nationwide.

The Seidler Foundation holds approximately $88 million in assets and distributed $2.88 million in grants in 2023. In the most recent fiscal year, the foundation reported total expenses of approximately $3.1 million and revenue of approximately $33.1 million, suggesting significant asset growth. The foundation supports organizations across multiple cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Cedar Rapids, indicating both local and national grantmaking. Focus areas by funding volume include higher education (the largest category, driven by scholarship programs), arts and culture, children and youth services, Judaism, and food insecurity. The scholarship program appears to be the foundation's flagship initiative with documented cohorts from 2023 through 2026, while organizational grants are distributed more broadly. Grant sizes likely range from modest scholarship awards to larger institutional grants. The foundation's focus on Cedar Rapids provides a strong local anchor, while national grants to arts and Jewish organizations reflect the family's broader philanthropic interests.

Among Iowa-based foundations, the Seidler Foundation occupies a mid-tier position by assets and giving. It is smaller than the Carver Charitable Trust but larger than many Iowa family foundations. Its distinctive niche is the combination of place-based scholarships in Cedar Rapids with national arts and Jewish community grantmaking. Unlike the Carver Trust or Principal Foundation, which operate open competitive processes, the Seidler Foundation is more family-directed with limited public application pathways.

The Seidler Foundation has continued its scholarship program with documented cohorts through 2026, indicating active and ongoing selection of new scholars. The 2025 and 2026 scholarship awardees are listed on the foundation website, demonstrating consistent annual commitment to Cedar Rapids students. The foundation has developed its support infrastructure with college planning workshops and a student ambassador program to improve scholarship recipients persistence through college. The foundation reported approximately $33.1 million in revenue in the most recent fiscal year against $3.1 million in expenses, suggesting significant investment gains that have grown the asset base from approximately $74 million to $88 million. The website features Cornell University as a notable partner institution for awardees. Leadership remains stable with the Seidler family maintaining direct oversight of philanthropic direction.

1. Scholarship applicants must be Cedar Rapids students: The flagship scholarship program is specifically for students at Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School in the Cedar Rapids Iowa Community School District. Students from other districts or cities are not eligible.

2. Organizational grants are primarily invitation-based: The foundation does not appear to have a public application portal for organizational grants. Building relationships with the Seidler family and demonstrating alignment with their focus areas is the primary pathway.

3. Align with core focus areas: The foundation supports four main areas — education, arts and culture, food insecurity, and Jewish community organizations. Proposals outside these areas are unlikely to receive consideration.

4. Demonstrate educational impact for youth: Given the centrality of their scholarship program, organizations that can show measurable educational outcomes for young people, particularly from underserved backgrounds, have the strongest alignment.

5. Consider the wraparound model: The foundation supplements financial awards with planning workshops, on-campus resources, and peer ambassadors. Organizations offering holistic student support rather than just financial aid align with this philosophy.

6. Geographic considerations: While organizational grants go to cities nationwide, the foundation has particular affinity for Iowa and Cedar Rapids. Local organizations may have an advantage.

7. Arts and cultural organizations: Given the arts and culture focus, organizations in this sector should emphasize their educational programming and community impact when seeking support.

8. Patience is key: As a family foundation with a small board, decision-making may be slower and more relationship-dependent than larger institutional funders. Build connections over time.