Shanahan Family Foundation
The Shanahan Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chesterfield, Missouri. It supports charitable organizations and institutions through grants, with stated funding areas that include education, medical research, scientific advancement, and health and human services.
Key facts about Shanahan Family Foundation
In short: Shanahan Family Foundation gave $520K across 56 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in Missouri. 30% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 43-6911537
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $520,220
- Grants made (2025)
- 56
- Average grant
- $9,290
- Median grant
- $6,750
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (17 of 56, 2025)
- Total assets
- $5,165,675
- Primary geography
- Missouri (56% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; grant requests are by invitation only, and it states that it makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$5.2M
+5.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$520K
+28.3% YoY
Grant Count
56
+30.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$9K
-1.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Shanahan Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $440K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Shanahan Family Foundation open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 17 of 56 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 66% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 32% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 118% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is “to empower people and to accelerate scientific discovery.” Its stated priorities include Alzheimer’s disease and brain health research, mentorship in higher education, diversity and inclusion in STEM, research and experiential learning, college readiness and youth development, healthcare access, and services for vulnerable children and families.
Its 2025 grants included organizations serving a range of needs. Community Cancer Fund says it works with regional cancer organizations to fund gaps in services for cancer patients and families in the Inland Northwest. Cardinal Glennon Children’s Foundation describes its work as providing healthcare services. Promise Christian Academy says it offers specialized education using approaches tailored to students’ learning challenges. Other 2025 recipients included the Special Education Foundation, which says it supports children with disabilities in St. Louis County, and the Humane Society of Missouri, whose stated mission is preventing cruelty, abuse, and neglect of animals.
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 56 grants totaling $520,220 in 2025, compared with 43 grants totaling $405,500 in 2024 and 48 grants totaling $386,000 in 2023. In 2025, grants ranged from $1,000 to $50,000, with a median of $6,750. Listed grant purposes were generally described as general purposes.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Missouri recipients received 56% of grant dollars, followed by Florida and Washington at 10% each, Texas at 5%, and Illinois at 4%. The listed grants also included recipients in other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 56 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $269K (2020) to $520K (2025). In 2025 it made 56 grants totaling $520K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Cardinal Glennon Childrens Foundation ($50K). Together the top 10 received $248K.
Grant Size Distribution
255 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 249 grants of 255 (98%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinal Glennon Childrens Foundation St. Louis, MO | Genearl Purposes | $50,000 |
| Community Cancer Fund Spokane, WA | General Purposes | $50,000 |
| Lightning Foundation Tampa, FL | General Purposes | $25,000 |
| Naples Children Education Naples, FL | General Purposes | $25,000 |
| Promise Christian Academy Chesterfield, MO | General Purposes | $20,000 |
| St Genevieve Du Bois Church St. Louis, MO | General Purposes | $18,000 |
| Miami University Oxford, OH | General Purposes | $17,520 |
| St Louis Childrens Hospital St. Louis, MO | General Purposes | $15,000 |
| George Washington School of Law Washinton, DC | General Purposes | $13,700 |
| St Louis Univeristy School of Medicine St. Louis, MO | General Purposes | $13,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $520,220 | 56 |
| 2024 | $405,500 | 43 |
| 2023 | $386,000 | 48 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,165,675 | $4,905,972 | $5,167,617 |
| Revenue | $787,752 | $150,583 | $752,063 |
| Expenses | $528,049 | $412,228 | $437,670 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $520,220 | $405,500 | $386,000 |
| Net Investment Income | $786,004 | $149,848 | $533,932 |
| Distributable Amount | $439,936 | $421,007 | $330,488 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 3, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 24, 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 June 18, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 4, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 17, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mary Ann Shanahan, Megan Mattern, Michael F. Shanahan Jr., and Maureen Twardowski as trustees.
Shanahan Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Mary Ann Shanahan
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Maureen Twardowski
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Megan Mattern
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael F. Shanahan Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 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.
Contact
Mailing address: 424 S Woodsmill Road 325, Chesterfield, MO 63017
Phone: (314) 336-0560
Website: https://shanahanfamilyfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about Shanahan Family Foundation
How much does Shanahan Family Foundation give each year?
Shanahan Family Foundation gave $520K across 56 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $406K across 43 grants.
What is Shanahan Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Shanahan Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $6,750, and its average grant was $9,290, across 56 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Shanahan Family Foundation that year got $10K on average.
Where does Shanahan Family Foundation give grants?
Shanahan Family Foundation gives mostly in Missouri: 56% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Florida (10%) and Washington (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (32 grants), Ft Worth, TX (3 grants) and Chicago, IL (2 grants).
Does Shanahan Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 96% of Shanahan Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (54 of 56) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Shanahan Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Shanahan Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Cardinal Glennon Childrens Foundation ($50,000), Community Cancer Fund ($50,000) and Lightning Foundation ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 24% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Shanahan Family Foundation?
Shanahan Family Foundation reported $5.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $520K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $440K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Shanahan Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is “to empower people and to accelerate scientific discovery.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Shanahan Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; grant requests are by invitation only, and it states that it makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Shanahan Family Foundation's EIN?
Shanahan Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-6911537. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Shanahan Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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