Schell Family Foundation
Schell Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Vero Beach, Florida. In 2025, it gave $575,000 through 21 grants to charitable organizations, with listed recipients in Delaware, New Hampshire, Vermont, and North Carolina.
Schell Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Schell Family Foundation gave $575K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $27K), mostly in Delaware. 19% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $575,000
- +43.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- +16.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $27,381
- +23.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $4,790,315
- -10.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (4 of 21, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Delaware (69% 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 Schell Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 140 Coquille Way, Vero Beach, FL 32963
Phone: (302) 645-8801
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Schell Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Christ Redeemer Church ($100K). Together the top 10 received $480K.
Grant Size Distribution
100 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 94 grants of 100 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 69% of grant dollars went to recipients in Delaware, 23% to New Hampshire, 5% to Vermont, and 3% to North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Schell Family Foundation open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 21 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $26K; repeat grants $28K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 48% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 105% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 76% 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 $200K (2020) to $575K (2025). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $575K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Christ Redeemer Church Hanover, NH | Flourish Building Campaign | $100,000 |
| Sussex Academy Foundation Rehoboth Beach, DE | General Operating Support | $100,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware Wilmington, DE | General Operating Support | $65,000 |
| Beebe Medical Foundation Lewes, DE | General Operating Support | $60,000 |
| Springboard Collaborative Georgetown, DE | General Operating Support | $35,000 |
| Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health Lebanon, NH | Dartmouth Health Children's | $25,000 |
| Fisher of Men Seaford, DE | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| Lewes Public Library Lewes, DE | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| Sussex Family YMCA Rehoboth Beach, DE | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| Reality Ministries Durham, NC | Ministry for Adults with Special Needs | $20,000 |
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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 | $4,790,315 | $103,931 | $676,550 | $575,000 | 21 | $578,250 | $145,575 | $757,306 |
| 2024 | $5,362,934 | $1,470,655 | $485,905 | $400,000 | 18 | $403,000 | $1,086,373 | $632,007 |
| 2023 | $4,477,021 | $3,856,106 | $376,479 | $300,000 | 28 | $301,337 | $256,223 | $353,495 |
| 2022 | $3,622,739 | $784,251 | $344,591 | $280,000 | 20 | $281,637 | $721,629 | $333,499 |
| 2021 | $3,183,079 | $2,257,529 | $283,098 | $227,000 | 13 | $228,100 | $224,931 | $265,062 |
| 2020 | $2,510,731 | $298,486 | $248,152 | $200,000 | 14 | — | $252,076 | $210,952 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Schell Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $757K 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 included general operating support, a building campaign, and support for named programs. The grantees’ own descriptions show a range of work: Sussex Academy Foundation says it raises funds for capital improvements at Sussex Academy; Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware says it works to help young people reach their potential; and Beebe Medical Foundation says it secures philanthropic support for Beebe Healthcare’s building programs and services.
Other 2025 recipients describe work that includes community library programs (Lewes Public Library), assistance with hunger and housing for people experiencing poverty (Upper Valley Haven), and services for people with developmental disabilities (Reality Ministries).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 21 grants totaling $575,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $100,000, with a median grant of $20,000.
Among the largest listed grants were $100,000 to Christ Redeemer Church for its Flourish Building Campaign and $100,000 to Sussex Academy Foundation for general operating support. Other substantial grants included $65,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware, $60,000 to Beebe Medical Foundation, and $35,000 to Springboard Collaborative, each for general operating support. The foundation also gave $25,000 to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health for Dartmouth Health Children’s and $25,000 to Lewes Public Library for general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Deborah H. Schell as president and Joseph M. Schell as secretary/treasurer.
Schell Family Foundation is led by Deborah H. Schell, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Deborah H. Schell
President
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joseph M. Schell
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 Schell Family Foundation
How much does Schell Family Foundation give each year?
Schell Family Foundation gave $575K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $400K across 18 grants.
What is Schell Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Schell Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $27,381, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Schell Family Foundation that year got $26K on average.
Where does Schell Family Foundation give grants?
Schell Family Foundation gives mostly in Delaware: 69% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New Hampshire (23%) and Vermont (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Lewes, DE (4 grants), Rehoboth Beach, DE (3 grants) and Georgetown, DE (2 grants).
Does Schell Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 86% of Schell Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (18 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Schell Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Schell Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Christ Redeemer Church ($100,000), Sussex Academy Foundation ($100,000) and Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware ($65,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 46% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Schell Family Foundation?
Schell Family Foundation reported $4.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $578K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $757K (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 Schell Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included general operating support, a building campaign, and support for named programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Schell Family Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Schell Family Foundation's EIN?
Schell Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 51-0414669. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Schell Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Schell Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/schell-family-foundation-morg_9c1a3d103f454cd69b2074cd770b0562
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_510414669_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Schell Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/schell-family-foundation-morg_9c1a3d103f454cd69b2074cd770b0562},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Schell Family Foundation'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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