Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor logo

Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor

Public charity · Grantmaker Salisbury, MD EIN: 52-1326014 Website

The Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore is a public charity based in Salisbury, Maryland, established in 1984. It connects donors with community causes and supports local nonprofits through grants and other resources.

Key facts about Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor

In short: Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor gave $8.0M across 238 grants in 2025 (avg $34K), mostly in Maryland. 26% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.

EIN
52-1326014
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$8,008,101
Grants made (2025)
238
Average grant
$33,647
Median grant
$13,642
New grantees (estimate)
26% first-time grantees (59 of 231, 2025)
Total assets
$198,762,465
Primary geography
Maryland (92% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing

Total Assets

$198.8M

+10.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$8.0M

+29.7% YoY

Grant Count

238

+28.6% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$34K

+0.8% YoY

Is Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor open to new grantees?

26%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 59 of 231 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $42K. How we count

Medians: $9K first-time, $18K repeat.

  • 64% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 55% from 2022 to 2025. Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The Foundation’s mission is “Inspiring community philanthropy and connecting people who care with causes that matter.”

Its stated program areas include education, human services, health, animal-related causes, arts, culture and humanities, community development, environmental quality and protection, faith-based programs, and youth. The Foundation describes education support as including financial assistance and scholarships for schools, colleges, universities, and libraries, as well as support for nonprofit educational initiatives. Its program descriptions also include support for organizations providing emergency and social services and community health programs.

Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of its grantmaking. Wor-Wic Community College Foundation says its mission is to benefit Wor-Wic Community College through charitable and educational purposes. Horizons Delmarva describes its work as providing low-income Wicomico County students with academic summer learning and year-round support. Worcester County Developmental Center says it works to empower adults with developmental and physical disabilities, while the Art League of Ocean City says it promotes artistic expression and appreciation for the creative arts.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the Foundation reported 238 grants totaling $8,008,101. Grant amounts ranged from $5,123 to $663,465, with a median of $13,642. The Foundation’s 2025 filing reported that 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland.

Open Grants

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The Foundation serves Wicomico, Worcester, and Somerset Counties on Maryland’s Lower Eastern Shore. Its Community Needs Grants program specifies this three-county area as its geographic scope. In 2025, 92% of its grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland; smaller shares went to recipients in Delaware, Washington, D.C., North Carolina, and New York.

Grant Distribution by State

17states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 238 itemized grants.

Cities

SalisburyBerlinOcean CitySnow HillPrincess AnnePocomoke CityBaltimoreNewarkEastonFruitlandCrisfieldDoverWashingtonGeorgetownMardela SpringsHebronLewesPort WashingtonQueenstownSevern

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$2.5M$5M$7.5M$10M115 grants2019 114 grants2020 88 grants2021 101 grants2022 176 grants2023 185 grants2024 238 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $3.2M (2021) to $8.0M (2025). In 2025 it made 238 grants totaling $8.0M.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

WOR-WIC Community College Foundation Inc: $663KWOR-WIC Community CollegeFoundation Inc$663KHorizons Delmarva Inc: $376KHorizons Delmarva Inc$376KWicomico Presbyterian Church: $348KWicomico Presbyterian Church$348KTidalhealth Foundation Inc: $261KTidalhealth Foundation Inc$261KUnited Way of the Lower Eastern Shore Inc: $205KUnited Way of the LowerEastern Shore Inc$205KWorcester County Developmental Center Inc: $174KWorcester County DevelopmentalCenter Inc$174KWorcester County Commission on Aging Inc: $165KWorcester County Commission onAging Inc$165KSalvation Army - Richard Hazel Youth Center: $159KSalvation Army - Richard HazelYouth Center$159KOcean City Paramedics Foundation Inc: $150KOcean City ParamedicsFoundation Inc$150KEastern Shore Dental Society State of Maryland: $135KEastern Shore Dental SocietyState of Maryland$135K

The largest 2025 recipient was WOR-WIC Community College Foundation Inc ($663K). Together the top 10 received $2.6M.

Organizations only. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($43,000), which are not listed by name.

Grant Size Distribution

788 grants across all recorded years

655<$50K66$50–100K56$100–250K8$250–500K2$500K–1M1$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 655 grants of 788 (83%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
WOR-WIC Community College Foundation Inc Salisbury, MDEducation$663,465
Horizons Delmarva Inc Salisbury, MDEducation$375,540
Wicomico Presbyterian Church Salisbury, MDFaith Based Programs$348,300
Tidalhealth Foundation Inc Salisbury, MDHEALTH$260,597
United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore Inc Salisbury, MDCommunity Development$205,291
Worcester County Developmental Center Inc Newark, MDHuman Services$173,787
Worcester County Commission on Aging Inc Snow Hill, MDHuman Services$165,000
Salvation Army - Richard Hazel Youth Center Salisbury, MDHuman Services$158,770
Ocean City Paramedics Foundation Inc Ocean City, MDHEALTH$150,000
Eastern Shore Dental Society State of Maryland Salisbury, MDHEALTH$135,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants
2025 $198,762,465 $17,564,499 $10,370,247 $8,008,101
2024 $179,762,721 $16,943,866 $8,533,623 $6,174,755
2023 $159,381,501 $13,185,530 $7,632,340 $5,457,348
Revenue
Expenses
Net Investment Income
$0$5M$10M$15M$20M2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$198,762,465$179,762,721$159,381,501
Revenue$17,564,499$16,943,866$13,185,530
Expenses$10,370,247$8,533,623$7,632,340
Net Investment Income$7,403,359$6,636,550$4,760,041

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 24, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 28, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 3, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 15, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
  6. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 10, 2020)
  7. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 29, 2026)
  8. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Ed Barber, Dr. Richard Warren Jr., Gregory Tawes, Allen Brown Sr., Tyrone Mills, William McCain, Ginnie Malone, and Janice Perdue as directors; Dean Lewis as secretary; and Robin Evans as treasurer. The Foundation’s website identifies Erica Joseph as president.

Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor is led by Erica Joseph, President on every filing since 2019; 3 of 28 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Erica Joseph

    President

    On filings since 2019

    37.5 hrs/week

    $121K (2019) → $154K (2025)

  • Velda Henry

    Chairwoman

    Director → Vice Chairman, 2022

    Vice Chairman → Chairwoman, 2024

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Allen Brown Sr.

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Andy Kim

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Annette E. Wallace

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Gayle Widdowson

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • George I. Whitehead III

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ginnie Malone

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Gregory Tawes

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Janice Perdue

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Melody S. Nelson

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ed Barber

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Sonya Whited

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Tyrone Mills

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • John Phoebus

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • William McCain

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Gail Foltz

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jim Jones

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Michael Mathers

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Phyllis Mitchell

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Sharone Grant

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Lu Ann Goldsborough

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Richard Warren Jr.

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Veronique Diriker

    Chief Strategy Officer

    On filings since 2024

    37.5 hrs/week

    $101K (2024) → $106K (2025)

  • Sharon Dickson

    Vice President

    New on the 2025 filing

    37.5 hrs/week

    $103K (2025)

  • Daniel O'Connell II

    Vice Chairman

    Director → Vice Chairman, 2024

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Dean Lewis

    Secretary

    Director → Treasurer, 2022

    Treasurer → Secretary, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Robin Evans

    Treasurer

    Director → Treasurer, 2024

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (15)
  • Former: Carolyn Johnston (2019–2024) — Director
  • Former: Michael P. Truitt (2019–2024) — Director
  • Former: Dwight W. Marshall Jr. (2019–2023) — Director
  • Former: James P. Jones (2019–2023) — Chairman
  • Former: Julius Zant (2019–2023) — Director
  • Former: Stephanie Willey (2019–2023) — Director
  • Former: James R. Thomas Jr. (2019–2022) — Director
  • Former: W. Todd Hershey (2019–2022) — Secretary
  • Former: David A. Vorhis (2019–2021) — Director
  • Former: Ernest R. Satchell (2019–2021) — Director
  • Former: Kathleen G. McLain (2019–2021) — Director
  • Former: Lauren C. Taylor (2019–2021) — Director
  • Former: David Mitchell (2020) — Director
  • Former: John Allen (2019) — Director
  • Former: Thomas K. Coates (2019) — 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

Erica Joseph — President: $154KErica JosephPresident$154KVeronique Diriker — Chief Strategy Officer: $106KVeronique DirikerChief Strategy Officer$106KSharon Dickson — Vice - President: $103KSharon DicksonVice - President$103K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $154K, to Erica Joseph (President). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Contact

Mailing address: 1324 Belmont Avenue 401, Salisbury, MD 21804-4558
Phone: (410) 742-9911
Website: https://cfes.org

Frequently asked questions about Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor

How much does Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor give each year?

Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor gave $8.0M across 238 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $6.2M across 185 grants.

What is Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor's typical grant size?

Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor's median grant in 2025 was $13,642, and its average grant was $33,647, across 238 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor that year got $13K on average.

Where does Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor give grants?

Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor gives mostly in Maryland: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Salisbury, MD (97 grants), Berlin, MD (20 grants), Ocean City, MD (11 grants) and Snow Hill, MD (9 grants).

Does Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 238 grants with a stated purpose on Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (68 grants), "Human Services" (54 grants) and "Faith Based Programs" (28 grants).

Who are Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor's largest grantees?

Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor's largest 2025 grantees include WOR-WIC Community College Foundation Inc ($663,465), Horizons Delmarva Inc ($375,540) and Wicomico Presbyterian Church ($348,300), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($43,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 17% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor?

Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor reported $198.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $17.6M.

What does Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor fund?

The Foundation’s mission is “Inspiring community philanthropy and connecting people who care with causes that matter.” See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor?

Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check cfes.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.

What is Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor's EIN?

Community Foundation of the Eastern Shor's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1326014. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

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