Catholic Human Services Foundation
Catholic Human Services Foundation (CHSF) is a private foundation based in Ringoes, New Jersey. Its primary focus is supporting Catholic organizations that provide health and human services, while also directing resources to other worthy charitable causes.
Catholic Human Services Foundation at a glance
In short: Catholic Human Services Foundation gave $626K across 61 grants in 2025 (avg $10K), mostly in New Jersey. 35% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $625,630
- +1.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 61
- -4.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,256
- +6.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,147
- Total assets
- $4,363,346
- -4.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 35% first-time grantees (21 of 60, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New Jersey (54% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Catholic Human Services Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
CHSF accepts unsolicited requests. The initial step is to send a letter of inquiry on the organization’s letterhead stating its legal name and mission, the grant purpose, and the amount requested. The foundation’s 2025 filing says to request a grant application package by letter of inquiry. The board reviews applications quarterly.
- Review Cycle
- The board meets in March, June, September, and December to review applications and approve awards.
- Deadline
- The board meets in March, June, September, and December to review applications and approve awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Catholic Human Services Foundation
Mailing address: PO Box 216, Ringoes, NJ 08551
Phone: (908) 730-6883
Website: https://catholichumanservicesfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Catholic Human Services Foundation
Who Catholic Human Services Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Make-a-Wish New Jersey ($15K). Together the top 10 received $148K.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($23,041), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
294 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 294 grants of 294 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grants are primarily given to Catholic organizations, including domestic and foreign missions, located in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, but the foundation’s guidelines say its giving is not limited to those locations. In 2025, 54% of grant dollars went to recipients in New Jersey, 24% to Pennsylvania, 5% to Delaware, 4% to Illinois, and 3% to Connecticut.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 61 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Catholic Human Services Foundation open to new grantees?
35%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 21 of 60 grantees (35%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $11K repeat.
- 40% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 22% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 106% 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 $444K (2021) to $626K (2025). In 2025 it made 61 grants totaling $626K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Make-a-Wish New Jersey Monroe TWP, NJ | Funding for a Security System. | $15,000 |
| Mercy Neighborhood Ministries Inc Philadelphia, PA | Funding to purchase a new server that will aide them in running programs more smoothly. | $15,000 |
| Nativity Preparatory School of Wilmington Wilmington, DE | Funding to purchase a new hvac unit for the school. | $15,000 |
| Church of the Sacred Heart Camden, NJ | Funding to purchase classroom materials for pre-k students in need. | $14,999 |
| St Christopher's Foundation for Children Philadelphia, PA | Funding to Purchase Dental Supplies and Like Equipment. | $14,987 |
| Cistercian Abbey of Spencer Inc Spencer, MA | Funding to purchase medical equipment, furniture, a commercial washer/dryer and 24 blankets for the monks. | $14,880 |
| Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Delware Wilmington, DE | Funding to purchase 49 pack and plays for patients families with younger siblings. | $14,698 |
| Bloom for Women Bethlehem, PA | Funding to renovate one of their safe houses bathroom. | $14,606 |
| Seton Hall University South Orange, NJ | Funding to purchase a nursing kelly manikin for training purposes. | $14,601 |
| 2 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $23,041 |
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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 | $4,363,346 | $765,270 | $955,528 | $625,630 | 61 | $860,802 | $680,543 | $812,060 |
| 2024 | $4,544,545 | $805,274 | $920,551 | $613,772 | 64 | $835,694 | $725,416 | $827,139 |
| 2023 | $4,641,164 | $831,092 | $1,054,399 | $594,475 | 59 | $925,412 | $706,821 | $743,884 |
| 2022 | $4,877,445 | $535,504 | $870,728 | $514,572 | 57 | $766,679 | $436,384 | $763,878 |
| 2021 | $5,212,673 | $696,286 | $804,388 | $443,597 | 53 | $693,693 | $595,590 | $729,185 |
| 2020 | $5,323,605 | $407,635 | $906,516 | $563,828 | 62 | — | $334,715 | $627,393 |
| 2019 | $5,825,848 | $860,616 | $846,911 | $534,764 | 67 | — | $756,455 | $673,838 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Catholic Human Services Foundation reported a distributable amount of $812K 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
The foundation’s mission is “to promote and enhance the quality of life to those in need.” It primarily supports Catholic organizations providing health and human services, but its guidelines also allow grants to other worthy charitable causes.
Its 2025 grants illustrate support for varied nonprofit services and practical needs. For example, Mercy Neighborhood Ministries describes its mission as responding to underserved community needs and helping families thrive; St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children Foundation says it supports children’s health and well-being through care, outreach, research, and education. Other 2025 grantees include Bloom for Women, which provides sanctuary and care for survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation, and Cheshire Home, which operates services for physically disabled adults.
Grantmaking
In 2025, CHSF awarded 61 grants totaling $625,630. Individual grants ranged from $1,700 to $15,000, with a median of $10,147. The largest awards included $15,000 each to Make-A-Wish New Jersey for a security system, Mercy Neighborhood Ministries for a server, and Nativity Preparatory School of Wilmington for an HVAC unit. Other notable grants included $14,999 to the Church of the Sacred Heart for pre-K classroom materials and $14,987 to St. Christopher’s Foundation for Children for dental supplies and equipment.
The foundation’s guidelines state that grants typically range from $500 to $15,000, or another amount at the board’s discretion. Grants are primarily for supplies and equipment. Applicants must be U.S.-based nonprofits exempt under section 501(c)(3). The foundation does not consider requests for individuals, scholarships, endowments, fellowships, salaries, administrative expenses, matching funds, reimbursement for items already ordered or purchased, demonstration projects, or capital campaigns. Grants are not provided to non-U.S. organizations or supporting organizations with 509(a)(3) status. Awards are not made on an ongoing basis to the same organization or project.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s 2025 filing lists Kerri Smith as President/CEO; Colleen Kelly as Vice President, Secretary, and Program Officer; and John DeGraaf and Thomas Ruvo as directors.
Catholic Human Services Foundation is led by Kerri Smith, President & CEO on every filing since 2023; 2 of 4 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kerri Smith
President & CEO
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$94K (2023) → $152K (2025)
John Degraaf
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas Ruvo
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Colleen Kelly
Vice President, Secretary & Program Officer
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$54K (2023) → $87K (2025)
Former officers (3)
- Former: Margaret Hackett (2019–2023) — Vice President, Secretary & Grant Program
- Former: R. Kevin Hackett (2019–2023) — President, CEO & Director
- Former: Ray Burns (2019–2022) — Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $152K, to Kerri Smith (President/CEO). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Catholic Human Services Foundation
How much does Catholic Human Services Foundation give each year?
Catholic Human Services Foundation gave $626K across 61 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $614K across 64 grants.
What is Catholic Human Services Foundation's typical grant size?
Catholic Human Services Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,147, and its average grant was $10,256, across 61 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Catholic Human Services Foundation that year got $10K on average.
Where does Catholic Human Services Foundation give grants?
Catholic Human Services Foundation gives mostly in New Jersey: 54% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Pennsylvania (24%). The most frequent recipient cities were Allentown, PA (4 grants), Philadelphia, PA (3 grants), Camden, NJ (3 grants) and Flemington, NJ (3 grants).
Does Catholic Human Services Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 61 grants with a stated purpose on Catholic Human Services Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Catholic Human Services Foundation's largest grantees?
Catholic Human Services Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Make-a-Wish New Jersey ($15,000), Mercy Neighborhood Ministries Inc ($15,000) and Nativity Preparatory School of Wilmington ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($23,041), which are not listed by name. Together they received 7% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Catholic Human Services Foundation?
Catholic Human Services Foundation reported $4.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $861K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $812K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Catholic Human Services Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is “to promote and enhance the quality of life to those in need.” It primarily supports Catholic organizations providing health and human services, but its guidelines also allow grants to other worthy charitable causes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Catholic Human Services Foundation?
CHSF accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Catholic Human Services Foundation's EIN?
Catholic Human Services Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-2967521. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Catholic Human Services Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 16, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 9, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
Explore Open Grants
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Catholic Human Services Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/catholic-human-services-foundation-morg_3b1c2a593f094ecf9e289582920766e4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_262967521_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Catholic Human Services Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/catholic-human-services-foundation-morg_3b1c2a593f094ecf9e289582920766e4},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Catholic Human Services Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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