Sheehan Family Foundation
The Sheehan Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Kingston, Massachusetts. In 2024, it made grants to organizations working in areas including youth development, disability services, arts and culture, parks, environmental protection, and community services, as described by the grantees.
Sheehan Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Sheehan Family Foundation gave $241K across 55 grants in 2024 (avg $4K), top state Massachusetts. 66% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $241,350
- +29.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 55
- +34.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $4,388
- -3.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $727,615
- -20.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 66% first-time grantees (29 of 44, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (25% 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 Sheehan Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Contact Timothy Sheehan with the grantee’s current operating budget and pertinent grant details, including the scope, content, and amount of the proposed request. Requests are accepted on a rolling basis and acted upon at the next trustee meeting. The filing says priority areas include Plymouth, Barnstable, and Essex counties in Massachusetts; Brooklyn, New York; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
- Review Cycle
- Requests are accepted on a rolling basis and acted upon at the next trustee meeting.
- Deadline
- Requests are accepted on a rolling basis and acted upon at the next trustee meeting.
- Contact
Application contact: Timothy Sheehan
Mailing address: PO Box K, Kingston, MA 02364
Phone: (781) 585-5165
Website: https://sheehanfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sheehan Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Rocking the Boat ($40K). Together the top 10 received $163K.
Grant Size Distribution
147 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 145 grants of 147 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The filing identifies priority areas in Plymouth, Barnstable, and Essex counties in Massachusetts; Brooklyn, New York; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 2024, grant dollars were distributed among recipients in several states: Massachusetts received 25%, New York 21%, Florida 17%, Wisconsin 13%, and Connecticut 8%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 55 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Sheehan Family Foundation open to new grantees?
66%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 29 of 44 grantees (66%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 34% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 196% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 75% 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 $69K (2020) to $241K (2024). In 2024 it made 55 grants totaling $241K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rocking the Boat Bronx, NY | General Purpose | $40,000 |
| Eagles Wings West Palm Beach, FL | General Purpose | $25,000 |
| Milwaukee Art Museum Milwaukee, WI | General Purpose | $10,500 |
| Horizon for Homeless Roxbury, MA | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| Milwaukee Parks Foundation Milwaukee, WI | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| Save the Sound New Haven, CT | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| Save the Sound New Haven, CT | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| STEM Alliance Mamaroneck, NY | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| Fields for Kids Program Pittsburgh, PA | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| One Chance to Grow up Denver, CO | General Purpose | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Sheehan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $727,615 | $74,559 | $257,279 | $241,350 | 55 | $244,955 | $69,215 | $325,619 |
| 2023 | $910,335 | $4,617 | $203,645 | $186,850 | 41 | $192,463 | $15,786 | $273,017 |
| 2022 | $1,115,044 | $247,264 | $141,728 | $127,278 | 23 | $127,950 | $239,549 | $260,638 |
| 2021 | $995,277 | $180,365 | $94,366 | $81,500 | 14 | $84,043 | $159,110 | $242,119 |
| 2020 | $909,263 | $82,921 | $85,913 | $68,878 | 14 | — | $43,915 | $189,799 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sheehan Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $326K 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 with varied purposes. For example, Rocking the Boat describes its work as teaching young people boatbuilding, rowing, sailing, and Bronx River restoration; Milwaukee Art Museum describes its work as collecting, preserving, and presenting art; and Save the Sound describes its mission as protecting and improving the Long Island Sound region’s land, air, and water. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 55 grants totaling $241,350. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $40,000, with a median grant of $2,000. Among the largest awards were $40,000 to Rocking the Boat, $25,000 to Eagles Wings, $10,500 to Milwaukee Art Museum, and $10,000 each to Horizon for Homeless, Milwaukee Parks Foundation, Save the Sound, STEM Alliance, Fields for Kids Program, and One Chance to Grow Up. The filing lists two $10,000 grants to Save the Sound.
The foundation’s filing lists general purpose as the purpose for these largest grants. Other 2024 recipients included Cradles to Crayons, which says it provides essential items to children in low-income or homeless situations, and Martha’s Vineyard Community Services, which says it provides education, health, and human services.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Timothy Sheehan, John Sheehan, and Christopher Sheehan as trustees.
Sheehan Family Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Christopher Sheehan
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
John Sheehan
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Timothy Sheehan
Trustee
On filings since 2020
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 Sheehan Family Foundation
How much does Sheehan Family Foundation give each year?
Sheehan Family Foundation gave $241K across 55 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $187K across 41 grants.
What is Sheehan Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Sheehan Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $4,388, across 55 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sheehan Family Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Sheehan Family Foundation give grants?
Sheehan Family Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 25% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (21%) and Florida (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were Milwaukee, WI (11 grants), Key Largo, FL (6 grants), Chatham, MA (4 grants) and Dallas, TX (3 grants).
Does Sheehan Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Sheehan Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (55 of 55) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Sheehan Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Sheehan Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Rocking the Boat ($40,000), Eagles Wings ($25,000) and Save the Sound ($20,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Sheehan Family Foundation?
Sheehan Family Foundation reported $728K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $245K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $326K (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 Sheehan Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sheehan Family Foundation?
Contact Timothy Sheehan with the grantee’s current operating budget and pertinent grant details, including the scope, content, and amount of the proposed request. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sheehan Family Foundation's EIN?
Sheehan Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3197325. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sheehan Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sheehan-family-foundation-morg_5ed3b9d6bdd6453980ce6268de3b3a1e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_043197325_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sheehan Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sheehan-family-foundation-morg_5ed3b9d6bdd6453980ce6268de3b3a1e},
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 Sheehan 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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