Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc
Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in New York, including cultural, educational, religious, and community organizations.
Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc gave $25K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in New York. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $25,300
- +8.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- -14.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,108
- +26.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $475
- Total assets
- $413,298
- +0.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (4 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (100% 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 Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: C/O Rita Sherr 440 West End Avenue, New York, NY 10024
Phone: (212) 873-3385
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Society for the Advancement of ($17K). Together the top 10 received $25K.
Grant Size Distribution
79 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 79 grants of 79 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars in 2025 went to recipients in New York State.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 12 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $175 first-time, $600 repeat.
- 50% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−9%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 121% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $23K (2024) to $60K (2021). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $25K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Society for the Advancement of New York, NY | To enable the institution to continue their public charitable role. | $17,165 |
| Temple Emanuel New York, NY | To enable the institution to continue their public charitable role. | $3,600 |
| The Museum of Modern Art New York, NY | To enable the institution to continue their public charitable role. | $1,385 |
| The Park Avenue Synagogue New York, NY | To enable the institution to continue their public charitable role. | $950 |
| The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, NY | To enable the institution to continue their public charitable role. | $600 |
| Search Care Inc New York, NY | To enable the institution to continue their public charitable role. | $600 |
| Whitney Museum of American Art New York, NY | To enable the institution to continue their public charitable role. | $350 |
| Friday Soup Kitchen New York, NY | To enable the institution to continue their public charitable role. | $200 |
| Guggenheim Museum New York, NY | To enable the institution to continue their public charitable role. | $150 |
| Sarah Lawrence College Bronxville, NY | To enable the institution to continue their public charitable role. | $100 |
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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 | $413,298 | $36,488 | $32,970 | $25,300 | 12 | $29,053 | $32,673 | $24,006 |
| 2024 | $409,780 | $19,878 | $31,281 | $23,425 | 14 | $27,288 | $15,885 | $23,125 |
| 2023 | $421,183 | $16,040 | $33,102 | $25,827 | 18 | $29,549 | $12,487 | $21,533 |
| 2022 | $438,245 | $12,121 | $34,971 | $27,900 | 16 | $31,851 | $9,001 | $22,544 |
| 2021 | $461,095 | $34,802 | $67,528 | $59,945 | 19 | $63,551 | $30,825 | $25,798 |
| 2020 | $493,821 | $13,467 | $62,249 | $55,225 | 19 | — | $9,935 | $23,833 |
| 2019 | $542,603 | $7,266 | $69,527 | $52,235 | 28 | — | $5,843 | $28,998 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $24K 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 went to organizations including museums, synagogues, a college, and a soup kitchen. The Whitney Museum of American Art describes its own mission as presenting, collecting, and inspiring dialogue around art of the United States from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Sarah Lawrence College describes its mission as graduating globally minded citizens who are diverse and take intellectual and creative risks.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $25,300 through 12 grants. Grants ranged from $100 to $17,165, with a median grant of $475. Its largest reported grants included $17,165 to The Society for the Advancement of, $3,600 to Temple Emanuel, and $1,385 to The Museum of Modern Art. Other recipients included The Park Avenue Synagogue ($950), The Metropolitan Museum of Art ($600), Search Care Inc ($600), the Whitney Museum of American Art ($350), Friday Soup Kitchen ($200), and the Guggenheim Museum ($150).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Rita M Sherr as President, Barbara Jean Sherr as Secretary, and Alan Sherr as Vice President.
Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc is led by Rita M Sherr, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Rita M Sherr
President
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Alan Sherr
Vice President
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Barbara Jean Sherr
Secretary
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc
How much does Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc give each year?
Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc gave $25K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $23K across 14 grants.
What is Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $475, and its average grant was $2,108, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc that year got $1K on average.
Where does Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc give grants?
Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (11 grants).
Does Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include The Society for the Advancement of ($17,165), Temple Emanuel ($3,600) and The Museum of Modern Art ($1,385), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 88% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc?
Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc reported $413K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $29K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $24K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including museums, synagogues, a college, and a soup kitchen. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and 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 Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc's EIN?
Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6100738. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Abraham I & Jean Sherr Foundation Inc 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 20, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 23, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 31, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 23, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 21, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 25, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 23, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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