Sheehan Family Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker Kingston, MA EIN: 04-3197325

The Sheehan Family Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1993 and based in Kingston, Massachusetts. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with the EIN 04-3197325.

Key facts about Sheehan Family Foundation

EIN
04-3197325
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024)
$241,350
Grants made (2024)
55
Average grant
$4,388
Median grant
$2,000
New grantees (estimate)
73% first-time grantees (32 of 44, 2024)
Total assets
$727,615
Primary geography
Massachusetts (25% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

Who Sheehan Family Foundation funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Sheehan Family Foundation's 55 itemized 2024 grants were Massachusetts (25%), 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). 100% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.

Is Sheehan Family Foundation open to new grantees?

73%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 32 of 44 grantees (73%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $6K. How we count

Medians: $3K first-time, $2K repeat.

  • 27% 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 IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$728K

-20.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$241K

+29.2% YoY

Grant Count

55

+34.1% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$4K

-3.7% YoY

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 April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's giving priorities focus primarily on:

  • Education, including after-school programs
  • Youth development
  • Natural resource protection

Grantmaking

The foundation makes grants for general purposes across its focus areas.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily operates in Massachusetts, with its headquarters in Kingston. However, recent grant activity indicates support for organizations beyond Massachusetts, including recipients in Florida.

Grant Distribution by State

15states

Share of all 55 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

Cities

MilwaukeeKey LargoChathamBostonBeverlyRoxburyMequonBronxDallasTown And CountryNorth AndoverRiver HillsSouth HarwichCambridgeCharlotteDuluthFairleeGloucesterHarwichLarchmont

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2023:

  • Total assets: $910,335
  • Total revenues: $4,617
  • Total expenses: $203,645
  • Total liabilities: $0
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$71K$142K$212K$283K20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$727,615$910,335$1,115,044
Revenue$74,559$4,617$247,264
Expenses$257,279$203,645$141,728
Qualifying Distributions$244,955$192,463$127,950
Net Investment Income$69,215$15,786$239,549
Distributable Amount$325,619$273,017$260,638

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$60K$121K$181K$241K14 grants202014 grants202123 grants202241 grants202355 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Rocking the Boat: $40KRocking the Boat$40KEagles Wings: $25KEagles Wings$25KSave the Sound: $20K across 2 grantsSave the Sound$20K · 2 grantsHorizon for Homeless: $15K across 2 grantsHorizon for Homeless$15K · 2 grantsOcean Reef: $12K across 5 grantsOcean Reef$12K · 5 grantsMilwaukee Art Museum: $11KMilwaukee Art Museum$11KCape Cod Community Fish: $10K across 2 grantsCape Cod Community Fish$10K · 2 grantsYMCA of Northshore: $10K across 2 grantsYMCA of Northshore$10K · 2 grantsMilwaukee Parks Foundation: $10KMilwaukee Parks Foundation$10KSTEM Alliance: $10KSTEM Alliance$10K

Grant Size Distribution

147 grants across all recorded years

145<$50K2$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Rocking the Boat ($40,000), Eagles Wings ($25,000), Save the Sound ($20,000 across 2 grants).

RecipientPurposeAmount
ROCKING THE BOAT Bronx, NYGENERAL PURPOSE$40,000
EAGLES WINGS West Palm Beach, FLGENERAL PURPOSE$25,000
MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM Milwaukee, WIGENERAL PURPOSE$10,500
HORIZON FOR HOMELESS Roxbury, MAGENERAL PURPOSE$10,000
MILWAUKEE PARKS FOUNDATION Milwaukee, WIGENERAL PURPOSE$10,000
SAVE THE SOUND New Haven, CTGENERAL PURPOSE$10,000
SAVE THE SOUND New Haven, CTGENERAL PURPOSE$10,000
STEM ALLIANCE Mamaroneck, NYGENERAL PURPOSE$10,000
FIELDS FOR KIDS PROGRAM Pittsburgh, PAGENERAL PURPOSE$10,000
ONE CHANCE TO GROW UP Denver, COGENERAL PURPOSE$10,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.

From 2024 IRS filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
Timothy SheehanTrustee——
John SheehanTrustee——
Christopher SheehanTrustee——

Contact Information

  • Address: PO Box K, Kingston, MA 02364-0510
  • Phone: 781-585-5165
  • Website: sheehanfoundation.org

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Sheehan Family Foundation fund?

The foundation's giving priorities focus primarily on: • Education, including after-school programs • Youth development • Natural resource protection

How do I apply for a grant from Sheehan Family Foundation?

**Recent Grant Activity (2023):** • Total giving: $186,850 • Number of grants: 23 grants made • Notable recent grants include: • Rocking the Boat: $40,000 • Ocean Reef Community Foundation: $10,000 • STEM Alliance: $10,000 The foundation makes grants for general purposes across its focus areas.

Where does Sheehan Family Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily operates in Massachusetts, with its headquarters in Kingston. However, recent grant activity indicates support for organizations beyond Massachusetts, including recipients in Florida.

What size grants does Sheehan Family Foundation award?

In 2024, Sheehan Family Foundation awarded 55 grants totaling $241K — an average of about $4K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Sheehan Family Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Sheehan Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $326K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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.

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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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