Shearman Foundation

LAKE CHARLES, LA EIN: 72-0920599

The Shearman Foundation is a private foundation based in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The foundation supports philanthropic initiatives across multiple states and focus areas, with a particular presence in Louisiana, New York, and Texas.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$3.6M

-6.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$297K

-41.4% YoY

Grant Count

-22.4% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$8K

-24.5% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Shearman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $499K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary funding areas include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services

The foundation does not publicly specify particular subject areas of focus beyond these general categories.

Grantmaking

Typical awards range from $100,000 to $115,000.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation supports organizations across multiple states and cities, including:

Louisiana (primary focus, including Anacoco, Baton Rouge, and Lake Charles)
New York (including New York City and Boston area)
Texas
Colorado
Connecticut
Florida
Illinois
Massachusetts

Grant Distribution by State

Louisiana $1.6M (81%)

Colorado $171K (8%)

New York $98K (5%)

Texas $42K (2%)

Florida $25K (1%)

Massachusetts $21K (1%)

Connecticut $13K (1%)

Illinois $5K (0%)

+2 more states

States

Colorado Connecticut Florida Illinois Louisiana Massachusetts Mississippi New Mexico New York Texas

Cities

AnacocoBaton RougeBostonDenverDequincyFisher IslandGarrisonHarveyHobbsHoustonIowaJenningsLafayetteLake CharlesLenaLongvilleNew HavenNew LondonNew YorkNorton

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Metric	Amount
Total Assets	$3,551,473
Total Giving	$296,850
Recent Expenses	$604,783
Recent Revenue	$229,329

EIN: 72-0920599

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2025	2024	2023
Total Assets	$3,551,473	$3,792,058	$4,167,512
Revenue	$164,142	$229,329	$196,195
Expenses	$404,727	$604,783	$423,776
Qualifying Distributions	$402,901	$602,093	$423,568
Net Investment Income	$56,265	$131,261	$193,543
Distributable Amount	$498,785	$466,443	$435,690

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Grant Size Distribution

200 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include Imperial Calcasieu Museum ($100,000), Lcmh Foundation ($27,500), Fishers Island Recreational Path Fdn ($20,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ANACOCO HIGH SCHOOL Anacoco, LA	DONATION	$1,250
AR MITCHELL MUSEUM Trinidad, CO	DONATION	$5,000
AUTISM SERVICES OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA Lake Charles, LA	DONATION	$5,000
BANNERS AT MCNEESE Lake Charles, LA	DONATION	$5,000
BIG RED TIGER BACKERS Dequincy, LA	DONATION	$1,500
CALCASIEU PARISH SCHOOL BOARD Lake Charles, LA	DONATION	$2,000
CARC Lake Charles, LA	DONATION	$5,000
CARE HELP OF SULPHUR Sulphur, LA	DONATION	$100
CHRISTUS ST PATRICK FOUNDATION Lake Charles, LA	DONATION	$2,500
CYI Lake Charles, LA	DONATION	$3,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation is managed by a board of trustees serving without compensation:

Thomas B Shearman III
Susan Cook
Thad Cook
Thaddeus Stakely Cook
Isabella Shearman

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

From 2025 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Thomas B Shearman III	Trustee	1	—
Susan Cook	Trustee	1	—
Thad Cook	Trustee	1	—
Thaddeus Stakely Cook	Trustee	1	—
Isabella Shearman	Trustee	1	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Shearman Foundation fund?

The foundation's primary funding areas include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services The foundation does not publicly specify particular subject areas of focus beyond these general categories.

How do I apply for a grant from Shearman Foundation?

**Grant Amounts** Typical awards range from $100,000 to $115,000. **Recent Grants** Recent documented grants include: • $100,000 to Imperial Calcasieu Museum (2025) • $2,500 to Lake Charles Symphony (2025) • $1,000 to Junior League of Lake Charles (2025) **Total Annual Giving** The foundation reported total giving of $296,850 in its most recent fiscal period.

Where does Shearman Foundation make grants?

The foundation supports organizations across multiple states and cities, including: • **Louisiana** (primary focus, including Anacoco, Baton Rouge, and Lake Charles) • **New York** (including New York City and Boston area) • **Texas** • **Colorado** • **Connecticut** • **Florida** • **Illinois** • **Massachusetts**

What size grants does Shearman Foundation award?

In 2025, Shearman Foundation awarded 38 grants totaling $297K — an average of about $8K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Shearman Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, Shearman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $499K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.