Sharon E Fay & Maxine Schaffer Family
Sharon E Fay & Maxine Schaffer Family is a private foundation, based in Boston, MA. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $5.1M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 2 grants totaling $130K. Net investment income was $363K.
Sharon E Fay & Maxine Schaffer Family at a glance
In short: Sharon E Fay & Maxine Schaffer Family gave $130K across 2 grants in 2025 (avg $65K), mostly in New York. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $130,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 2
- Average grant
- $65,000
- Median grant
- $65,000
- Total assets
- $5,107,705
- +6.7% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- New York (96% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Sharon E Fay & Maxine Schaffer Family funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 2 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Brooklyn Museum ($125K). Together the top 2 received $130K.
Grant Size Distribution
3 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 2 grants of 3 (67%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 2 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Sharon E Fay & Maxine Schaffer Family gives
- Giving grew 2500% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 50% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $5K (2022) to $135K (2020). In 2025 it made 2 grants totaling $130K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Brooklyn Museum Brooklyn, NY | General | $125,000 |
| The Local Journalism Project Provincetown, MA | General | $5,000 |
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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 | $5,107,705 | $367,735 | $142,592 | $130,000 | 2 | $130,000 | $362,668 | $261,048 |
| 2024 | $4,788,171 | $534,262 | $5,369 | — | — | — | $480,673 | $245,219 |
| 2023 | $4,450,650 | $48,678 | $4,526 | — | — | — | $58,011 | $216,977 |
| 2022 | $4,399,167 | $100,427 | $22,442 | $5,000 | 1 | $5,000 | $85,414 | $214,833 |
| 2021 | $4,317,860 | $452,527 | $24,553 | — | — | — | $427,974 | $236,837 |
| 2020 | $3,887,819 | $1,262,425 | $151,329 | $135,000 | 14 | — | $246,087 | $151,922 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sharon E Fay & Maxine Schaffer Family reported a distributable amount of $261K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Sharon E Fay & Maxine Schaffer Family's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Matthew A. Berlin
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Maxine Schaffer
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Sharon E. Fay
Trustee
On filings since 2020
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 Sharon E Fay & Maxine Schaffer Family
How much does Sharon E Fay & Maxine Schaffer Family give each year?
Sharon E Fay & Maxine Schaffer Family gave $130K across 2 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
How large is Sharon E Fay & Maxine Schaffer Family?
Sharon E Fay & Maxine Schaffer Family reported $5.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $130K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $261K (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.
Where does Sharon E Fay & Maxine Schaffer Family operate?
Sharon E Fay & Maxine Schaffer Family has awarded grants in Alabama, Massachusetts, New York.
What is Sharon E Fay & Maxine Schaffer Family's EIN?
Sharon E Fay & Maxine Schaffer Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-6385378. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.
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 November 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 4, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 19, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
Live grants for the work Sharon E Fay & Maxine Schaffer Family funds
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