Richard a Henson Foundation Inc
The Richard A. Henson Foundation Inc. is a private foundation based in Salisbury, Maryland. It supports charitable projects and seeks to enrich quality of life primarily in the Greater Salisbury area.
Richard a Henson Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Richard a Henson Foundation Inc gave $2.6M across 37 grants in 2025 (avg $70K), mostly in Maryland. 19% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,599,977
- +81.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 37
- +15.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $70,270
- +57.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $38,551,344
- +5.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (7 of 36, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (97% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Richard a Henson Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
Begin with a Letter of Inquiry. The foundation reviews inquiries on an ongoing basis and may invite organizations whose projects appear viable to submit a full application. The filing says there is no specific application form and asks applicants to include a summary of the project’s scope and activities. The foundation only considers organizations exempt under section 501(c)(3) that are not private foundations under section 509(a); it does not make grants to individuals or for political activities. An organization may submit an inquiry or application no more than once every 12 months; recipients of multi-year funding may reapply after the grant is completed.
- Review Cycle
- None stated.
- Deadline
- None stated.
- Contact
Application contact: Stacey Mcmichael
Mailing address: 200 West Main Street, Salisbury, MD 21803
Phone: (410) 742-7057
Website: https://richardhensonfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Richard a Henson Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Friends Foundation of Wicomico Public Library ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $2.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
152 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 114 grants of 152 (75%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation generally funds nonprofit organizations located in or serving the Salisbury, Maryland area and states that it does not fund organizations outside Maryland. In its 2025 grant data, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland and 3% to recipients in Delaware.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 37 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Richard a Henson Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 36 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $171K; repeat grants $48K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $17K repeat.
- 69% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 69% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 115% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.4M (2024) to $2.6M (2025). In 2025 it made 37 grants totaling $2.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Friends Foundation of Wicomico Public Library Salisbury, MD | Capital Campaign | $1,000,000 |
| Hagerstown Aviation Museum Hagerstown, MD | Capital Campaign | $395,077 |
| Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore Salisbury, MD | Operating Expenses | $252,580 |
| Healthport Salisbury, MD | Capital Campaign | $125,000 |
| United Way of the Lower Easter Shore Salisbury, MD | Operating Expenses | $115,200 |
| YMCA of the Chesapeake Salisbury, MD | Operating Expenses | $90,000 |
| Delmarva Council Boy Scouts of America Dover, DE | Sustaining Membership and Capital Campaign | $83,639 |
| Eleven 21 Inc Epoch Dream Center Hebron, MD | Operating Expensesoperating Expenses | $72,000 |
| Salisbury Christian School Salisbury, MD | Operating Expenses | $50,000 |
| Salisbury University Foundation Salisbury, MD | Operating Expenses | $50,000 |
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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 | $38,551,344 | $4,782,134 | $2,902,000 | $2,599,977 | 37 | $2,702,987 | $4,586,715 | $2,360,520 |
| 2024 | $36,674,438 | $2,595,779 | $1,792,222 | $1,432,096 | 32 | $1,522,230 | $2,367,641 | $2,227,399 |
| 2023 | $35,866,913 | $2,602,213 | $2,464,683 | $2,143,120 | 29 | $2,230,611 | $2,271,477 | $1,992,488 |
| 2022 | $35,731,783 | $1,460,819 | $1,953,038 | $1,535,891 | 29 | $1,608,795 | $1,248,922 | $2,052,863 |
| 2021 | $36,223,958 | $6,449,087 | $2,492,592 | $2,108,875 | 25 | $2,226,301 | $6,240,331 | $2,356,782 |
| 2020 | $32,267,498 | $3,186,723 | $2,146,075 | $1,867,677 | 18 | — | $3,039,650 | $1,947,209 |
| 2019 | $31,227,044 | $2,137,870 | $2,012,099 | $1,738,197 | 21 | — | $1,956,047 | $1,891,065 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Richard a Henson Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $2.4M 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
The foundation’s stated purpose is to continue Richard A. Henson’s philanthropic spirit and ideals, enrich quality of life primarily in the Greater Salisbury area, and help improve the community.
Its grantees work in varied areas. For example, HealthPort describes its mission as providing psychiatric treatment, therapy, and primary care to Lower Eastern Shore residents. Salisbury University Foundation says it supports the university’s activities, educational programs, athletics, and scholarships. Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore describes its work as bringing knowledge of the private enterprise system to local education systems. These are grantees’ stated missions, not funding priorities specifically named by the foundation.
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 37 grants totaling $2,599,977 in 2025. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $1,000,000, with a median grant of $20,000. Recent large grants included $1,000,000 to Friends Foundation of Wicomico Public Library for a capital campaign, $395,077 to Hagerstown Aviation Museum for a capital campaign, and $252,580 to Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore for operating expenses. Other 2025 grants included $125,000 to HealthPort for a capital campaign and $115,200 to United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore for operating expenses.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Gregory J. Olinde as chairman; Susanne A. Holloway as vice chair/treasurer; Jon P. Sherwell as secretary; and Stephen R. Farrow, Thomas H. Evans, Victor H. Laws III, and Cynthia MacDonald as trustees.
Richard a Henson Foundation Inc is led by Gregory J. Olinde, Chairman since 2024 (on filings since 2019); none of the 7 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gregory J. Olinde
Chairman
Chairman → Vice Chairman, 2022
Vice Chairman → Chairman, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas H. Evans
Trustee
Vice Chairman → Chairman, 2022
Chairman → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Victor H. Laws III
Trustee
Chairman → Trustee, 2020
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephen R. Farrow
Trustee
Secretary → Trustee, 2022
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cynthia Macdonald
Trustee
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jon P. Sherwell
Secretary
Trustee → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susanne A. Holloway
Vice Chair & Treasurer
Trustee → Treasurer, 2021
Treasurer → Vice Chair & Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Gordon D. Gladden (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Steven R. Farrow (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Thomas L. Trice IV (2019) — Treasurer
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.
Frequently asked questions about Richard a Henson Foundation Inc
How much does Richard a Henson Foundation Inc give each year?
Richard a Henson Foundation Inc gave $2.6M across 37 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.4M across 32 grants.
What is Richard a Henson Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Richard a Henson Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $70,270, across 37 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Richard a Henson Foundation Inc that year got $171K on average.
Where does Richard a Henson Foundation Inc give grants?
Richard a Henson Foundation Inc gives mostly in Maryland: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Salisbury, MD (30 grants).
Does Richard a Henson Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 84% of Richard a Henson Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (31 of 37) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Capital Campaign" (5 grants).
Who are Richard a Henson Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Richard a Henson Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Friends Foundation of Wicomico Public Library ($1,000,000), Hagerstown Aviation Museum ($395,077) and Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore ($252,580), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Richard a Henson Foundation Inc?
Richard a Henson Foundation Inc reported $38.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Richard a Henson Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s stated purpose is to continue Richard A. Henson’s philanthropic spirit and ideals, enrich quality of life primarily in the Greater Salisbury area, and help improve the community. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Richard a Henson Foundation Inc?
Begin with a Letter of Inquiry. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Richard a Henson Foundation Inc's EIN?
Richard a Henson Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1642558. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 20, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 28, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 4, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 27, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 1, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 28, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Richard a Henson Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Richard a Henson Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/richard-a-henson-foundation-inc-morg_39733dc2380040bda2087be7e8481794
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_521642558_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Richard a Henson Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/richard-a-henson-foundation-inc-morg_39733dc2380040bda2087be7e8481794},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Richard a Henson Foundation Inc'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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