Child Development Foundation
Child Development Foundation (CDF) is a private foundation based in Norristown, Pennsylvania. It provides support and resources to organizations that assist children with special needs in Montgomery County, from birth through age 21, and their families.
Child Development Foundation at a glance
In short: Child Development Foundation gave $406K across 42 grants in 2025 (avg $10K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $406,240
- +2.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 42
- +5.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,672
- -2.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $8,000
- Total assets
- $8,835,987
- +5.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (6 of 42, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (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 Child Development Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Request or download CDF’s application and instructions, complete the application and required materials, and submit them to the foundation by the stated deadline. Eligibility requirements include nonprofit status and service to children with special needs in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, ages 0–21. The application instructions specify an office or service facility in the county.
- Review Cycle
- March 31, 2026, for the 2026 cycle; this deadline has passed.
- Deadline
- March 31, 2026, for the 2026 cycle; this deadline has passed.
- Contact
Application contact: Patricia Ewing
Mailing address: 401 W Johnson Highway 7, Norristown, PA 19401-1983
Phone: (610) 277-4000
Website: https://childdevelopmentfoundation.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 Child Development Foundation
Who Child Development Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Norristown Zoological Society ($29K). Together the top 10 received $198K.
Grant Size Distribution
204 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 204 grants of 204 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
CDF’s stated grant purpose is to support organizations serving children with special needs in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Its 2025 filing reports that 100% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 42 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Child Development Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 42 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $9K repeat.
- 86% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 104% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $365K (2021) to $423K (2022). In 2025 it made 42 grants totaling $406K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Norristown Zoological Society Norristown, PA | Unrestricted | $28,500 |
| Central Behavioral Health Norristown, PA | Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Gwynedd Mercy College Gwynedd Valley, PA | Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Mission Kids Blue Bell, PA | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Sebastian Riding Associates Inc Collegeville, PA | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Variety Club Camp Worcester, PA | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Theatre Horizon Norristown, PA | Unrestricted | $17,000 |
| Greater Philadelphia YMCA Conshohocken, PA | Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| Montgomery Child Advocacy Project Norristown, PA | Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| Center School Abington, PA | Unrestricted | $12,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Child Development Foundation?
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 | $8,835,987 | $481,386 | $540,913 | $406,240 | 42 | $440,166 | $347,968 | $424,707 |
| 2024 | $8,376,154 | $544,599 | $536,764 | $396,173 | 40 | $431,584 | $405,473 | $396,049 |
| 2023 | $7,733,313 | $136,671 | $484,056 | $369,500 | 38 | $400,061 | $224,425 | $369,900 |
| 2022 | $7,343,278 | $546,680 | $536,836 | $423,440 | 42 | $447,815 | $421,663 | $426,451 |
| 2021 | $9,087,582 | $417,346 | $468,675 | $365,382 | 42 | — | $298,927 | $412,105 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Child Development Foundation reported a distributable amount of $425K 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
CDF’s mission is to help organizations serving children with special needs in Montgomery County support those children in maximizing their abilities and reaching their goals, while helping their families meet everyday challenges.
Its 2025 grantees illustrate a range of services. For example, Center School describes its work as providing supportive education for students with learning difficulties, while Central Behavioral Health says it helps people improve emotional and behavioral health. Indian Creek Foundation describes its mission as empowering people with intellectual or developmental disabilities and/or autism. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
In 2025, CDF awarded 42 grants totaling $406,240. Awards ranged from $2,200 to $28,500, with a median grant of $8,000. Among the largest awards were $28,500 to Norristown Zoological Society; $25,000 each to Central Behavioral Health and Gwynedd Mercy College; and $20,000 each to Mission Kids, Sebastian Riding Associates, and Variety Club Camp. The listed grant purposes were unrestricted.
CDF’s website describes an annual application process: applications become available in January, are due March 31, and are reviewed by the board before awardees are notified. The 2026 application instructions set a March 31, 2026 deadline; that deadline has passed. The application calls for a cover page, financial information, a grant detail and narrative, and a history of previous CDF funding. Requested financial materials include proof of 501(c)(3) status, the most recent annual financial report, a current year-to-date treasurer’s report, and a salary, wage, and consultant-fee schedule. CDF’s filing instructions also describe a letter of no more than three pages including the budget and purpose.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists J. David Farrell, Esq., as president; Mark Constable as vice president; and Susan Battaglia as secretary. Directors listed are Christine P. Wiegand, Esq.; Michael Connolly; Sheila M. Darden; Thomas Natoli; and Gino DeSantis.
Child Development Foundation is led by J. David Farrell Esq., President since 2024 (on filings since 2021); none of the 8 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
J. David Farrell Esq.
President
Secretary → President, 2024
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Christine P. Wiegand Esq.
Director
President → Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Sheila M. Darden
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Thomas Natoli
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Gino Desantis
Director
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Michael Connolly
Director
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Mark Constable
Vice President
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Susan Battaglia
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Deborah Young MD (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Wendy Davis (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Judee Hashem-Rapoza DMD (2021) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Child Development Foundation
How much does Child Development Foundation give each year?
Child Development Foundation gave $406K across 42 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $396K across 40 grants.
What is Child Development Foundation's typical grant size?
Child Development Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $8,000, and its average grant was $9,672, across 42 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Child Development Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does Child Development Foundation give grants?
Child Development Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Norristown, PA (8 grants), Philadelphia, PA (5 grants), Blue Bell, PA (2 grants) and Plymouth Meeting, PA (2 grants).
Does Child Development Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Child Development Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (42 of 42) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Child Development Foundation's largest grantees?
Child Development Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Norristown Zoological Society ($28,500), Central Behavioral Health ($25,000) and Gwynedd Mercy College ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 19% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Child Development Foundation?
Child Development Foundation reported $8.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $440K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $425K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Child Development Foundation fund?
CDF’s mission is to help organizations serving children with special needs in Montgomery County support those children in maximizing their abilities and reaching their goals, while helping their families meet everyday challenges. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Child Development Foundation?
Request or download CDF’s application and instructions, complete the application and required materials, and submit them to the foundation by the stated deadline. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Child Development Foundation's EIN?
Child Development Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-1539361. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Child Development Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/child-development-foundation-morg_696f7041eb1940f7bd1696a73f37c9f0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_231539361_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Child Development Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/child-development-foundation-morg_696f7041eb1940f7bd1696a73f37c9f0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Child Development 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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