Shanken Family Foundation
Shanken Family Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, New York. It reported 14 grants totaling $425,938 in filing year 2025. Its 2025 filing says it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Shanken Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Shanken Family Foundation gave $426K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $30K), mostly in New York. 29% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $425,938
- -31.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- -33.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $30,424
- +2.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,569
- Total assets
- $5,813,828
- +4.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 29% first-time grantees (4 of 14, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (70% 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 Shanken Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Its filing says it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. For its stated process, it lists a brief history of the charity and its charitable purpose as materials, and names Marvin Shanken as the contact. The filing lists no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- Applications are accepted at any time, according to the filing. It says notice of approval or rejection is usually sent in, but the statement is incomplete.
- Deadline
- Applications are accepted at any time, according to the filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Marvin Shanken - Shanken Foundation
Mailing address: 825 Eighth Avenue 33Rd Floor, New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 684-4884
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Shanken Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Congregation Emanu-El ($148K). Together the top 10 received $411K.
Grant Size Distribution
78 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 60 grants of 78 (77%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In filing year 2025, 70% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 21% to recipients in Florida, and 9% to recipients in Georgia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Shanken Family Foundation open to new grantees?
29%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 14 grantees (29%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $38K. How we count
Medians: $12K first-time, $19K repeat.
- 64% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 71% 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 $426K (2025) to $624K (2024). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $426K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Congregation Emanu-El New York, NY | Charity | $147,500 |
| Film Society of Lincoln Center New York, NY | Charity | $87,000 |
| Els for Autism Jupiter, FL | Charity | $60,000 |
| Diabetes Research Institute Hollywood, FL | Charity | $25,000 |
| The Allen - Stevenson School New York, NY | Charity | $20,000 |
| Keepers of the Quaich Duluth, GA | Charity | $20,000 |
| American Cancer Society Atlanta, GA | Charity | $17,500 |
| Constellation Culinary Group New York, NY | Charity | $13,638 |
| Afmo New York, NY | Charity | $10,000 |
| The Bridge Golf Foundation New York, NY | Charity | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Shanken Family Foundation?
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 | $5,813,828 | $693,256 | $429,888 | $425,938 | 14 | $425,938 | $692,584 | $596,345 |
| 2024 | $5,550,460 | $695,370 | $630,704 | $624,333 | 21 | $624,333 | $692,999 | $497,184 |
| 2023 | $5,485,794 | $418,267 | $445,783 | $444,500 | 14 | $444,500 | $138,788 | $389,875 |
| 2021 | $3,743,582 | $1,785,007 | $440,097 | $440,000 | 14 | $440,000 | $285,007 | $299,359 |
| 2020 | $2,396,607 | $416,508 | $473,843 | $472,000 | 15 | — | $116,508 | $219,047 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Shanken Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $596K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations working in areas such as cancer research and patient support, autism services and research, education, and youth development. For example, the American Cancer Society describes its mission as improving the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support. The Bridge Golf Foundation says it uses golf to improve life outcomes for young men of color.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 14 grants totaling $425,938. Grant amounts ranged from $300 to $147,500, with a median of $15,569. Its largest reported grants included $147,500 to Congregation Emanu-El, $87,000 to Film Society of Lincoln Center, $60,000 to Els for Autism, and $25,000 to Diabetes Research Institute. The Bridge Golf Foundation received $10,000, and the American Cancer Society received $17,500.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Marvin R. Shanken as director and Steve Gordon as secretary.
Shanken Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Marvin R. Shanken
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steve Gordon
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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 Shanken Family Foundation
How much does Shanken Family Foundation give each year?
Shanken Family Foundation gave $426K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $624K across 21 grants.
What is Shanken Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Shanken Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,569, and its average grant was $30,424, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Shanken Family Foundation that year got $11K on average.
Where does Shanken Family Foundation give grants?
Shanken Family Foundation gives mostly in New York: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Florida (21%) and Georgia (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (9 grants) and Jupiter, FL (2 grants).
Does Shanken Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on Shanken Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charity" (13 grants).
Who are Shanken Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Shanken Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Congregation Emanu-El ($147,500), Film Society of Lincoln Center ($87,000) and Els for Autism ($60,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 69% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Shanken Family Foundation?
Shanken Family Foundation reported $5.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $426K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $596K (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 Shanken Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations working in areas such as cancer research and patient support, autism services and research, education, and youth development. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Shanken Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Shanken Family Foundation's EIN?
Shanken Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-4027049. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Shanken 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 31, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 27, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 3, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Shanken Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/shanken-family-foundation-morg_5e17409115344bf5bdec8d869c7e6a21
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_134027049_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Shanken Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/shanken-family-foundation-morg_5e17409115344bf5bdec8d869c7e6a21},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Shanken 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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