Shea Family Foundation Inc
Shea Family Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including Chicago arts organizations, educational institutions, and other nonprofits.
Shea Family Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Shea Family Foundation Inc gave $140K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $11K), mostly in Illinois. 38% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $139,815
- +53.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +8.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $10,755
- +41.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,215
- Total assets
- $606,116
- -16.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (5 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (85% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Shea Family Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1555 N Astor Street 9W, Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: (312) 961-6863
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Shea Family Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Joffrey Ballet ($60K). Together the top 10 received $139K.
Grant Size Distribution
76 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 72 grants of 76 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 85% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 6% to California, 5% to Florida, 4% to Indiana, and less than 1% to Wisconsin.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Shea Family Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 13 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $17K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 62% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+7%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 306% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $91K (2023) to $140K (2024). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $140K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Joffrey Ballet Chicago, IL | General Operation | $60,000 |
| Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chicago, IL | General Operation | $52,550 |
| Adventures for the Mind Foundation Palm Beach Gardens, FL | General Operation | $7,500 |
| Palm Springs Pathfinders Co Thunderbird Country Club Rancho Mirage, CA | General Operation | $5,800 |
| University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN | General Operation | $5,000 |
| Rancho Mirage Library Foundation Ranch Mirage, CA | General Operation | $2,500 |
| Junior League of Chicago Chicago, IL | General Operation | $2,215 |
| Annual Catholic Appeal of the Archdiocese of Chicago Chicago, IL | General Operation | $1,500 |
| Immaculate Conception St Joseph Parish Chicago, IL | General Operation | $1,500 |
| Clark Cares Foundation St Charles, IL | General Operation | $500 |
Ready to take the next step with Shea Family Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $606,116 | $23,779 | $140,655 | $139,815 | 13 | $139,815 | $23,779 | $45,627 |
| 2023 | $722,992 | $15,521 | $91,490 | $90,965 | 12 | $90,965 | $15,521 | $48,688 |
| 2022 | $798,961 | $13,577 | $93,686 | $93,461 | 19 | $93,461 | $13,577 | $54,450 |
| 2021 | $879,070 | $11,316 | $130,747 | $130,585 | 14 | $130,585 | $11,316 | $55,585 |
| 2020 | $1,018,439 | $11,581 | $137,139 | $137,030 | 18 | — | $9,886 | $57,857 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Shea Family Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $46K for 2024 — 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 2024 grants show support for organizations including the Joffrey Ballet and Chicago Symphony Orchestra, both designated for general operation. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association describes its mission as enriching, inspiring, and transforming lives through music, community engagement, and education. Loyola University of Chicago, also a 2024 recipient, describes itself as a Jesuit, Catholic university seeking God in all things and working to expand knowledge through learning, justice, and faith.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 13 grants totaling $139,815. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $60,000, with a median of $2,215. The largest grants included $60,000 to Joffrey Ballet and $52,550 to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, both for general operation. Other notable awards included $7,500 to Adventures for the Mind Foundation and $5,000 to the University of Notre Dame, also for general operation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Courtney C. Shea was listed as president on the 2024 filing.
Shea Family Foundation Inc is led by Courtney C. Shea, President on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Courtney C. Shea
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Shea Family Foundation Inc
How much does Shea Family Foundation Inc give each year?
Shea Family Foundation Inc gave $140K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $91K across 12 grants.
What is Shea Family Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Shea Family Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $2,215, and its average grant was $10,755, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Shea Family Foundation Inc that year got $1K on average.
Where does Shea Family Foundation Inc give grants?
Shea Family Foundation Inc gives mostly in Illinois: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (6%) and Florida (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (5 grants).
Does Shea Family Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Shea Family Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Shea Family Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Shea Family Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Joffrey Ballet ($60,000), Chicago Symphony Orchestra ($52,550) and Adventures for the Mind Foundation ($7,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 86% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Shea Family Foundation Inc?
Shea Family Foundation Inc reported $606K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $140K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $46K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Shea Family Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations including the Joffrey Ballet and Chicago Symphony Orchestra, both designated for general operation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Shea Family Foundation Inc?
The foundation states that it 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 Shea Family Foundation Inc's EIN?
Shea Family Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 80-0299056. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Shea Family Foundation Inc 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Shea Family Foundation Inc funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Shea Family Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Shea Family Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/shea-family-foundation-inc-morg_e9e4ee6c0bd049b38fd668a049cb6b83
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_800299056_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Shea Family Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/shea-family-foundation-inc-morg_e9e4ee6c0bd049b38fd668a049cb6b83},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Shea Family Foundation Inc'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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