Shear Family Foundation Inc
Shear Family Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its 2024 filing reports 78 grants totaling $9,042,000 to charitable organizations, including organizations working in food assistance, education and research, health, and community support.
Shear Family Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Shear Family Foundation Inc gave $9.0M across 78 grants in 2024 (avg $116K), top state Pennsylvania. 28% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $9,042,000
- -0.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 78
- +5.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $115,923
- -5.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $225,788,687
- +6.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 28% first-time grantees (21 of 76, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (38% 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 Shear 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: 103 Gamma Drive Ste 120 120, Pittsburgh, PA 15238
Phone: (412) 580-6297
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Shear Family Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Donor Advised Funds- Charles Schwab ($951K). Together the top 10 received $4.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
344 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 148 grants of 344 (43%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports that Pennsylvania received 38% of grant dollars, Illinois 11%, Florida 11%, Nevada 9%, and the District of Columbia 8%. These figures describe the locations of grant recipients, not necessarily where funded work takes place.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 78 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Shear Family Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
28%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 21 of 76 grantees (28%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $62K; repeat grants $141K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 68% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+7%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 94% 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 (2020–2024). 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 $7.4M (2020) to $9.5M (2022). In 2024 it made 78 grants totaling $9.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Donor Advised Funds- Charles Schwab Pittsburgh, PA | General Support | $951,000 |
| American Friends of Leket Israel Inc Teaneck, NJ | Food Insecurity | $600,000 |
| University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA | Various Programs | $600,000 |
| Amerian Israel Education Fund Washington, DC | AIEF | $450,000 |
| University of Nevada Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV | The Practice - Mental Health Training Clinic | $400,000 |
| Jewish National Fund Northbrook, IL | Lotem, Various Programs | $380,000 |
| University of Colorado Denver, CO | Medical Research | $350,000 |
| Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA | Center for Integrative Health | $300,000 |
| Greater Pittsburgh Community Foodbank Duquesne, PA | Food Insecurity | $300,000 |
| Jewish Family & Community Services of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA | Family Support | $300,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Shear 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 | $225,788,687 | $13,952,948 | $12,924,120 | $9,042,000 | 78 | $10,035,421 | $16,137,582 | $10,633,353 |
| 2023 | $212,791,424 | $5,674,208 | $14,178,420 | $9,086,800 | 74 | $10,071,835 | $1,757,688 | $10,460,482 |
| 2022 | $207,762,785 | $18,551,509 | $14,366,249 | $9,500,000 | 70 | $10,512,954 | $14,963,625 | $10,173,235 |
| 2021 | $225,118,369 | $16,595,601 | $12,712,897 | $8,475,000 | 65 | $9,668,290 | $13,189,366 | $10,696,301 |
| 2020 | $193,925,105 | $4,615,784 | $9,146,712 | $7,397,818 | 57 | — | $4,359,120 | $9,133,426 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Shear Family Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $10.6M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support designated for food insecurity, medical research, mental health training, family support, and university programs.
The grantees describe their own work in a range of ways. American Friends of Leket Israel says it provides grants and assistance to organizations outside the United States to feed people experiencing hunger. The Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation says it raises funds to support the hospital’s work in patient care, teaching, research, and advocacy for children, teenagers, and young adults. The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies describes its work as research and education on national security and international terrorism. These are descriptions of the grantees, not the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 78 grants totaling $9,042,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,500 to $951,000, with a median grant of $50,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $951,000 to Donor Advised Funds- Charles Schwab for general support; $600,000 each to American Friends of Leket Israel for food insecurity and the University of Pittsburgh for various programs; and $450,000 to Amerian Israel Education Fund for AIEF. Other large awards included $400,000 to the University of Nevada Las Vegas for The Practice – Mental Health Training Clinic, $380,000 to Jewish National Fund for LOTEM and various programs, and $350,000 to the University of Colorado for medical research.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Barbara S Shear as president; Gerald A Shear and John A Shear as vice presidents; Herbert S Shear as treasurer; and Richard L Roadarmel as assistant secretary and assistant treasurer.
Shear Family Foundation Inc is led by Barbara S. Shear, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Barbara S. Shear
President
On filings since 2020
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gerald A. Shear
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Herbert S. Shear
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John A. Shear
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard L. Roadarmel
Assistant Secretary & Assistant Treasurer
On filings since 2020
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Andrea Glickman (2020–2022) — Secretary
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 Shear Family Foundation Inc
How much does Shear Family Foundation Inc give each year?
Shear Family Foundation Inc gave $9.0M across 78 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $9.1M across 74 grants.
What is Shear Family Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Shear Family Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $115,923, across 78 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Shear Family Foundation Inc that year got $62K on average.
Where does Shear Family Foundation Inc give grants?
Shear Family Foundation Inc's top state is Pennsylvania, with 38% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Illinois (11%) and Florida (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Pittsburgh, PA (14 grants), Las Vegas, NV (7 grants), Chicago, IL (6 grants) and West Palm Beach, FL (3 grants).
Does Shear Family Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Occasionally: 6% of Shear Family Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (5 of 78) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Food Insecurity" (9 grants), "Animal Rescue Support" (6 grants) and "Family Support" (4 grants).
Who are Shear Family Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Shear Family Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Donor Advised Funds- Charles Schwab ($951,000), American Friends of Leket Israel Inc ($600,000) and University of Pittsburgh ($600,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 24% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Shear Family Foundation Inc?
Shear Family Foundation Inc reported $225.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $10.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $10.6M (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 Shear Family Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support designated for food insecurity, medical research, mental health training, family support, and university programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Shear 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 Shear Family Foundation Inc's EIN?
Shear Family Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-1833006. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Shear 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 October 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 November 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 20, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 30, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 23, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Shear Family Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/shear-family-foundation-inc-morg_fb0eb80e966c4ed5ab16eb5dcc81f49b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_471833006_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Shear Family Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/shear-family-foundation-inc-morg_fb0eb80e966c4ed5ab16eb5dcc81f49b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Shear 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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