Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation
The Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Canton, Ohio. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations addressing needs including food assistance, affordable housing, senior support, education, and fire protection.
Key facts about Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation
In short: Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation gave $78K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in Ohio. 7% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 88-0594845
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $78,350
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- Average grant
- $5,596
- Median grant
- $1,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (1 of 14, 2025)
- Total assets
- $1,388,929
- Primary geography
- Ohio (59% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.4M
+47.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$78K
+8.3% YoY
Grant Count
14
+7.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$6K
+0.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $49K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 14 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 86% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 106% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 159% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2022–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for hunger relief, affordable housing, senior citizens, education, fire protection, humane treatment of animals, historic preservation, and veterans.
The grantees describe their own missions in varied terms. Habitat for Humanity says it brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope, with a vision of a decent place to live for everyone. Stark County Hunger Task Force says it fights hunger by supporting a network of local emergency food pantries. Vermont Foodbank says it gathers and shares quality food and nurtures partnerships so that no one in Vermont will go hungry. Lehigh University describes a goal of advancing learning through teaching, research, and service to others.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $78,350 through 14 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $350 to $15,000, with a median of $1,500.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 59% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio, 36% to Vermont, 3% to New Jersey, and 1% to Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2022 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $38K (2022) to $78K (2025). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $78K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Salvation Army ($15K). Together the top 10 received $75K.
Grant Size Distribution
47 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 47 grants of 47 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Salvation Army Canton, OH | Help for those in need | $15,000 |
| Stark County Hunger Task Force Canton, OH | Providing food for those in need | $15,000 |
| Habitat for Humanity Canton, OH | Providing affordable housing for those in need | $15,000 |
| Thompson Senior Center Woodstock, VT | Support senior citizens in need | $12,500 |
| Vermont Foodbank Brattleboro, VT | Provide food to those in need | $10,000 |
| The Peddie School Hightstown, NJ | Educating youth | $2,500 |
| South Woodstock Fire Protection Assoc South Woodstock, VT | Providing fire protection | $2,000 |
| Lucy Mckenzie Humane Society Brownsville, VT | Humane treatment of animals | $1,000 |
| Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA | Educating youth | $1,000 |
| Green Mountain Horse Assoc South Woodstock, VT | Equestrian education | $1,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,388,929 | $383,080 | $78,350 | $78,350 | 14 |
| 2024 | $941,408 | $320,604 | — | $72,350 | 13 |
| 2023 | $547,326 | $258,769 | — | $49,850 | 13 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,388,929 | $941,408 | $547,326 |
| Revenue | $383,080 | $320,604 | $258,769 |
| Expenses | $78,350 | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | $78,350 | $72,350 | $49,850 |
| Net Investment Income | $13,101 | $9,544 | $5,755 |
| Distributable Amount | $49,339 | $31,751 | $15,644 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 22, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 16, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2022–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Fred S Sperling as Board President and Nancy H Sperling as SecretaryTreasurer.
Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation is led by Fred S. Sperling, Board President on every filing since 2022; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Fred S. Sperling
Board President
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nancy H. Sperling
Secretarytreasurer
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2022–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: 6103 Cedar Lane Nw, Canton, OH 44708
Phone: (330) 327-1298
Frequently asked questions about Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation
How much does Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation give each year?
Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation gave $78K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $72K across 13 grants.
What is Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $5,596, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation give grants?
Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 59% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Vermont (36%). The most frequent recipient cities were Canton, OH (4 grants) and South Woodstock, VT (3 grants).
Does Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Salvation Army ($15,000), Stark County Hunger Task Force ($15,000) and Habitat for Humanity ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation?
Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $78K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $49K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for hunger relief, affordable housing, senior citizens, education, fire protection, humane treatment of animals, historic preservation, and veterans. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation?
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 Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation's EIN?
Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 88-0594845. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2022–2025.
Does Fred and Nancy Sperling Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, 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.
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