Gloria Wilcher Foundation
The Gloria Wilcher Foundation is a private foundation based in Swampscott, Massachusetts. It made 20 charitable grants totaling $24,343 in 2024, with recipients including arts, educational, health, and food-assistance organizations.
Gloria Wilcher Foundation at a glance
In short: Gloria Wilcher Foundation gave $24K across 20 grants in 2024 (avg $1K), mostly in Massachusetts. 30% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $24,343
- +27.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 20
- +11.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $1,217
- +14.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $904
- Total assets
- $196,775
- +2.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (6 of 20, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (89% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Gloria Wilcher Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Submit a written request outlining charitable purposes to Sandra Sheckman. Awards are restricted to charitable organizations located within the U.S., U.S. possessions, or Israel.
- Contact
Application contact: Sandra Sheckman
Mailing address: 217 Humphrey Street, Swampscott, MA 01904
Phone: (781) 599-8263
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Gloria Wilcher Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Symphony by the Sea ($5K). Together the top 10 received $20K.
Grant Size Distribution
73 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 73 grants of 73 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Swampscott, Massachusetts. In 2024, 89% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts, 7% to New York, 2% to Minnesota, 1% to Maryland, and 1% to the District of Columbia. Its filing also lists award eligibility for charitable organizations located in the U.S., U.S. possessions, or Israel.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Gloria Wilcher Foundation open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 20 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $1K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $1K repeat.
- 50% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 157% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 127% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $9K (2020) to $24K (2024). In 2024 it made 20 grants totaling $24K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Symphony by the Sea Marblehead, MA | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Celebrity Series of Boston Boston, MA | Charitable | $3,688 |
| Essex County Community Fdn Beverly, MA | Charitable | $3,000 |
| JCC of the North Shore Marblehead, MA | Charitable | $2,000 |
| Brigham & Women's Hospital Boston, MA | Charitable | $1,129 |
| Resistance Committee-Ukraine New York, NY | Charitable | $1,129 |
| Wellesley College Wellesley, MA | Charitable | $1,129 |
| WGBH Educational Fdn Boston, MA | Charitable | $1,064 |
| The Resolution Center Beverly, MA | Charitable | $1,000 |
| Salem Food Pantry Salem, MA | Charitable | $1,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $196,775 | $29,715 | $26,646 | $24,343 | 20 | $24,343 | $29,512 | $19,115 |
| 2023 | $191,427 | $8,174 | $19,470 | $19,100 | 18 | $19,100 | $7,880 | $17,748 |
| 2022 | $202,723 | $374 | $19,839 | $17,600 | 15 | $17,600 | $5,492 | $19,041 |
| 2021 | $222,223 | $11,176 | $10,860 | $9,456 | 11 | $9,456 | $10,643 | $19,776 |
| 2020 | $225,568 | $5,063 | $10,927 | $8,605 | 9 | — | $4,644 | $17,849 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gloria Wilcher Foundation reported a distributable amount of $19K for 2024 — 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 2024 grants included support for arts organizations, educational institutions, a hospital, community organizations, and food pantries. Wellesley College describes its mission as providing an excellent liberal arts education for women who will make a difference in the world. Brookline Food Pantry describes its mission as providing food and related items to people and families in need of basic food assistance in Brookline and, if it chooses, surrounding communities. Support Our Aging Religious describes its mission as helping secure financially stable futures for elderly and frail members of Catholic religious congregations.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 20 grants totaling $24,343. Grants ranged from $100 to $5,000, with a median of $904.
Largest listed grants included $5,000 to Symphony by the Sea, $3,688 to Celebrity Series of Boston, $3,000 to Essex County Community Fdn, and $2,000 to JCC of the North Shore. Other listed recipients included Brigham & Women’s Hospital ($1,129), Resistance Committee-Ukraine ($1,129), Wellesley College ($1,129), WGBH Educational Fdn ($1,064), The Resolution Center ($1,000), Salem Food Pantry ($1,000), Brookline Food Pantry ($807), and Coolidge Corner Theatre Fdn ($500). The filing lists the purposes as charitable.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Marilyn Benson as trustee and Sandra Sheckman as trustee.
Gloria Wilcher Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Sandra Sheckman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marilyn Benson
Trustees
On filings since 2021
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Herbert And Marilyn Benson (2020) — Trustees
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Gloria Wilcher Foundation
How much does Gloria Wilcher Foundation give each year?
Gloria Wilcher Foundation gave $24K across 20 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $19K across 18 grants.
What is Gloria Wilcher Foundation's typical grant size?
Gloria Wilcher Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $904, and its average grant was $1,217, across 20 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Gloria Wilcher Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Gloria Wilcher Foundation give grants?
Gloria Wilcher Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (5 grants), Marblehead, MA (3 grants), Brookline, MA (3 grants) and Beverly, MA (2 grants).
Does Gloria Wilcher Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 20 grants with a stated purpose on Gloria Wilcher Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (20 grants).
Who are Gloria Wilcher Foundation's largest grantees?
Gloria Wilcher Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Symphony by the Sea ($5,000), Celebrity Series of Boston ($3,688) and Essex County Community Fdn ($3,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Gloria Wilcher Foundation?
Gloria Wilcher Foundation reported $197K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $24K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $19K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Gloria Wilcher Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for arts organizations, educational institutions, a hospital, community organizations, and food pantries. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Gloria Wilcher Foundation?
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Gloria Wilcher Foundation's EIN?
Gloria Wilcher Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-2642710. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Gloria Wilcher Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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