Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation
The Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Reading, Massachusetts. It awarded 14 grants totaling $17,760 in 2025 to organizations working in areas including child welfare, education, food assistance, arts, health, and basic needs.
Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation gave $18K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $1K), top state Massachusetts. 43% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $17,760
- +12.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- -17.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,269
- +36.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $231,046
- -0.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 43% first-time grantees (6 of 14, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (32% 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 Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2024 filing says to contact William P Shack with a written request. It lists no deadline and no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: William P Shack
Mailing address: 154 Pleasant Street, No Andover, MA 01845
Phone: (978) 688-0292
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Foster Care Advocacy Center ($3K). Together the top 10 received $17K.
Grant Size Distribution
95 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 95 grants of 95 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts (32%), New York (23%), Maryland (23%), Texas (14%), and Florida (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
43%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 14 grantees (43%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $924; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 43% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−17%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 81% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $13K (2023) to $23K (2021). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $18K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Foster Care Advocacy Center Houston, TX | Advocacy for Foster Children | $2,500 |
| American Friends of Natal New York, NY | Assistance to Indigent Families | $2,000 |
| Baltimore School for the Arts Baltimore, MD | Education and Professional Training | $2,000 |
| Baltimore Hunger Project Timonium, MD | Food and Resources to Kids in Baltimore | $2,000 |
| Temple Emanuel Andover, MA | Innovative Jewish Programming | $1,692 |
| Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence Lawrence, MA | A safe, inclusive, and engaging environment where young peopel can reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens | $1,500 |
| Tufts Medical Center Boston, MA | Research to Finding a Cure | $1,500 |
| Alliance for the Arts Fort Myers, FL | A creative space that supports self-expression in performing arts | $1,500 |
| Magen David Adom New York, NY | Medical and Disaster Relief to Israel | $1,000 |
| American Foundation for Suicide Prevention New York, NY | Raise awareness and advocate for policy change about suicide | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $231,046 | $18,020 | $22,261 | $17,760 | 14 | $19,670 | $16,610 | $24,140 |
| 2024 | $232,944 | $18,902 | $19,429 | $15,810 | 17 | $16,999 | $16,472 | $22,170 |
| 2023 | $227,858 | $15,185 | $17,281 | $12,822 | 16 | $14,235 | $12,305 | $20,463 |
| 2022 | $235,003 | $12,478 | $26,013 | $21,502 | 20 | $22,949 | $11,932 | $22,014 |
| 2021 | $242,992 | $41,559 | $28,361 | $23,485 | 28 | $25,245 | $38,743 | $22,025 |
| 2020 | $217,121 | $13,344 | $20,950 | $20,950 | 49 | — | $13,344 | $19,615 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $24K 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
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations addressing child welfare, education and professional training, food insecurity, arts, medical and disaster relief, suicide prevention, and emergency assistance.
Among its grantees, the Foster Care Advocacy Center describes its mission as providing holistic advocacy for children and parents involved in the child welfare system. The Baltimore Hunger Project says it provides food and resources to children facing food insecurity. The Baltimore School for the Arts Foundation says it provides financial assistance to the public high school. American Friends of NATAL says it helps fund services supporting recovery from trauma caused by terrorism, war, and military service.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 14 grants totaling $17,760. Grant amounts ranged from $18 to $2,500, with a median of $1,500.
The largest 2025 grants included $2,500 to the Foster Care Advocacy Center for advocacy for foster children; $2,000 each to American Friends of NATAL for assistance to indigent families, Baltimore School for the Arts for education and professional training, and Baltimore Hunger Project for food and resources for children; and $1,692 to Temple Emanuel for innovative Jewish programming. Other grants included $1,500 each to the Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence, Tufts Medical Center, and Alliance for the Arts.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
William P Shack is listed as trustee on the 2025 filing.
Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation is led by William P. Shack, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
William P. Shack
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Norman M. Shack (2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation
How much does Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation give each year?
Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation gave $18K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $16K across 17 grants.
What is Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $1,269, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation that year got $924 on average.
Where does Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation give grants?
Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 32% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (23%) and Maryland (23%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (3 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Foster Care Advocacy Center ($2,500), American Friends of Natal ($2,000) and Baltimore School for the Arts ($2,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation?
Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation reported $231K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $20K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $24K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations addressing child welfare, education and professional training, food insecurity, arts, medical and disaster relief, suicide prevention, and emergency assistance. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation?
The foundation’s 2024 filing says to contact William P Shack with a written request. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Norman M Shack Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3396602. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 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 2020 (received by the IRS September 7, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 28, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 21, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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