The Richard S Shineman Foundation is a private foundation established in 2013 in Oswego, New York. The foundation was created through the bequest of Richard S. Shineman, a longtime professor of chemistry at SUNY Oswego, who passed away in 2010. His wife, Barbara Shineman, worked with attorneys and consultants to establish the foundation and honor his wishes to benefit Central New York and Oswego County broadly.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$1.4M
+1.9% YoY
Grant Count
98
-11.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$14K
+15.5% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: The mission of the Richard S Shineman Foundation is to enhance the quality of life in Oswego County. The foundation will engage in charitable activities with integrity, honesty and compassion, and will pursue excellence through the highest professional grantmaking standards. The foundation will use its resources to stimulate economic vitality, to encourage strong social bonds that strengthen the community, and to build the capacity of its not-for-profit partners.
Vision: As a leading philanthropic organization, the Richard S Shineman Foundation aims to be a transformative "Catalyst for Change" to create a vibrant community life for the Oswego County region.
Primary Focus Areas:
- Arts and culture
- Education
- Historic preservation
- Economic development
- Environment
- Health and human services
- Food insecurity
- Youth development
Grantmaking
Typical awards range from $125–$200,000.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily serves Oswego County, New York, with a secondary focus on Central New York. Grantmaking also extends to select organizations in Connecticut and Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets:
- Total assets (2023): $35,628,932
- Total assets (2024): $38,627,400
Annual Giving & Revenue:
- Total giving (2024): $1,387,543
- Total revenues (2023): $1,163,390
- Total expenses (2023): $1,898,947
- Total revenues (2024): $1,930,000 (approximate)
- Total expenses (2024): $1,870,000 (approximate)
Revenue Composition (2023):
- Investment income and dividends: $703,097
- Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets: $291,697
- Total grants and contributions: $0
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Richard S Shineman Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Karen Goetz – Executive Director (original board member)
- Kathy Fenlon – Board Chairwoman
- Penny Halstead – Office Administrator & Grants Coordinator
- Chena Tucker – Foundation Director
The foundation operates with a staff of 2 employees.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAMELA CARACCIOLI | TREASURER | 3 | — |
| MARGARET BARCLAY | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| KATHY A BARKER | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| TARA FITZGIBBONS | CHAIR | 3 | — |
| FLORIS PALMER-NINO | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| ED ALBERTS | VICE CHAIR | 3 | — |
| DR MICHEAL STEPHENS | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| LINDA EAGAN | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| NEELESH SHAH | SECRETARY | 3 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation continues to be active in supporting Oswego County nonprofits through regular grant rounds. Recent announcements include Spring 2025 grant awards totaling $206,035 distributed across multiple focus areas including education, youth development, health services, and food insecurity support.
CiTi BOCES Receives Grant to Support Early Childhood Learning ...The foundation also made a significant naming gift to SUNY Oswego: $4 million over 10 years (supplemented by a $1 million gift from Barbara Shineman) for the Richard S. Shineman Center for Science, Engineering and Innovation.
Shineman Foundation supports OCO PATH program | News | oswegocountynewsnow.comSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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