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.
Ready to take the next step with Richard S Shineman Foundation?
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
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Food Bank of Cny (2-year Pledgeapril 2024december 2025) ($200,000), Oswego Health Foundation (ed Renovation Peds Pysch Rooms) ($150,000), Human Concerns (relocation) ($100,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CNY TICK AND LYME DISEASE ALLIANCE (PREVENTION AND EDUCATION) MANLIUS, NY | GENERAL OPERATING | $20,000 |
| CAC (NEW COMMUNITY ACTION TEAM COORDINATOR) FULTON, NY | GENERAL OPERATING | $32,013 |
| CCEOFBB (FULTON LIVING HISTORY TOUR) SYRACUSE, NY | GENERAL OPERATING | $14,300 |
| FULTON WRESTLING (SAFETY ROOFS) OSWEGO, NY | GENERAL OPERATING | $10,000 |
| KHOH (BASEMENT REMEDIATION) OSWEGO, NY | GENERAL OPERATING | $10,000 |
| JOHN AND DORIS HASTO PLAYGROUND (VILLAGE OF CENTRAL SQUARE) CENTRAL SQUARE, NY | GENERAL OPERATING | $5,000 |
| ON-POINT FOR COLLEGE (CAREER PATHWAYS IN OSWEGO COUNTY) SYRACUSE, NY | GENERAL OPERATING | $75,000 |
| OCECA (DIAPER BANK PILOT) ICP OSWEGO, NY | GENERAL OPERATING | $15,000 |
| RESTORE CNY (FALL SEMESTER) BREWERTON, NY | GENERAL OPERATING | $10,000 |
| RESEARCH FOUNDATION SUNY - RICE CREEK FIELD STATION OSWEGO, NY | GENERAL OPERATING | $10,000 |
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
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Richard S Shineman Foundation fund?
**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…
How do I apply for a grant from Richard S Shineman Foundation?
**Grant Amounts:** Typical awards range from $125–$200,000. **Recent Grant Activity:** As of Spring 2025, the foundation awarded $206,035 to support Oswego County nonprofits. Notable recent grants include: • On Point For College: $75,000 for college and career access and success services • Fulton Community Basketball: $50,000 for supervised summer programming • CiTi BOCES: $30,000 to pilot Classroom Audio Distribution Systems • The Syracuse Orchestra: $10,000 for The Messiah performances in Osw…
Where does Richard S Shineman Foundation make 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.
What size grants does Richard S Shineman Foundation award?
In 2024, Richard S Shineman Foundation awarded 98 grants totaling $1.4M — an average of about $14K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Richard S Shineman Foundation's EIN?
Richard S Shineman Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-1998245. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Richard S Shineman Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Related Funders
Similar funders by location and focus area
The Reich Family Charitable Trust
BROOKLYN, NY
Assets
$689K
Grants
1
Total Given
$453K
Launa Beuhler Foundation for
BROOKLYN, NY
Assets
$2K
Grants
4
Total Given
$20K
The Hilary Grace Foundation Inc
EAST AMHERST, NY
Assets
$126K
Grants
2
Total Given
$36K
Uw E J Madden Mem Open Hearts Club 10-214880
NEW YORK, NY
Assets
$1.3M
Grants
1
Total Given
$307K
Hindy's Foundation
BROOKLYN, NY
Assets
$142K
Grants
8
Total Given
$225K
Jeanne & Thomas Hardy Family Foundation
NEW YORK, NY
Assets
$3K
Grants
3
Total Given
$3K
Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with Richard S Shineman Foundation on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
- Monitor for new funding opportunities
Go from researching Richard S Shineman Foundation to a real strategy.