Sheerr Foundation Inc

Private foundation · Grantmaker Philadelphia, PA EIN: 23-6298319

Sheerr Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, with listed recipients including organizations working in areas such as homelessness, hunger, education, health, and the arts.

Sheerr Foundation Inc at a glance

In short: Sheerr Foundation Inc gave $8K across 23 grants in 2024 (avg $364.13), top state Massachusetts. 61% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2024)
$8,375
+3.1% vs 2023
Grants made (2024)
23
+0.0% vs 2023
Average grant
$364
+3.1% vs 2023
Median grant
$200
Total assets
$219,464
-3.0% vs 2023
New grantees (estimate)
61% first-time grantees (14 of 23, 2024; small sample)
Primary geography
Massachusetts (37% 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 Sheerr 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: Rosenfield 1650 Market St - 1200, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (215) 575-7093

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Sheerr Foundation Inc funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

American Friends of: $2KAmerican Friends of$2KPres and Fellows of: $1KPres and Fellows of$1KMorgan Pressel: $900Morgan Pressel$900Bringham and Womens: $500Bringham and Womens$500Beth Shalom Preserv: $500Beth Shalom Preserv$500Cure Alzheimers Fund: $500Cure Alzheimers Fund$500Misty Meadows Equine: $500Misty Meadows Equine$500Klehr Center for Jewish: $500Klehr Center for Jewish$500The Natl Trust for: $250The Natl Trust for$250MV Youth Baseball: $250MV Youth Baseball$250

The largest 2024 recipient was American Friends of ($2K). Together the top 10 received $7K.

Grant Size Distribution

127 grants across all recorded years

127<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 127 grants of 127 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation’s 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts (37%), New York (25%), Pennsylvania (22%), Florida (11%), and Washington, DC (3%).

Grant Distribution by State

10states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.

Cities

PhiladelphiaCambridgeNew YorkBostonBoca RatonElkins ParkVineyard HavenLancasterWashingtonBrooklineCusterNew HavenOak BluffOak BluffsArdmoreCrazy HorseHyannisMount DesertVineyardBronx

Is Sheerr Foundation Inc open to new grantees?

61%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 14 of 23 grantees (61%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $404; repeat grants $303. How we count

Medians: $200 first-time, $200 repeat.

  • 22% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving fell 41% from 2021 to 2024. Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 121% 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

$0$5K$10K$15K29 grants2020 30 grants2021 22 grants2022 23 grants2023 23 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $8K (2023) to $14K (2021). In 2024 it made 23 grants totaling $8K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
American Friends of New York, NYGeneral$1,600
Pres and Fellows of Cambridge, MAGeneral$1,000
Morgan Pressel Boca Raton, FLGeneral$900
Bringham and Womens Boston, MAGeneral$500
Beth Shalom Preserv Elkins Park, PAGeneral$500
Cure Alzheimers Fund Wellesley Hill, MAGeneral$500
Misty Meadows Equine Vineyard Haven, MAGeneral$500
Klehr Center for Jewish Lancaster, PAGeneral$500
The Natl Trust for Washington, DCGeneral$250
MV Youth Baseball Vineyard Haven, MAGeneral$250
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2024$219,464$14,939$19,795$8,37523$16,960$471$14,001
2023$226,230$13,160$17,085$8,12523$13,675$9,750$13,450
2022$230,180$10,008$18,240$11,97522$14,250$6,572$9,381
2021$238,412$11,494$20,400$14,12530$15,396$7,477$15,556
2020$246,959$3,103$15,411$11,37529—$6,889$14,151

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sheerr Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $14K 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 include support for Project HOME, whose mission is to help adults, children, and families break the cycle of homelessness and poverty, and Philabundance, whose mission is to drive hunger from communities and end hunger. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation reported 23 grants totaling $8,375. Grants ranged from $100 to $1,600, with a median of $200. The largest reported grants included $1,600 to American Friends of (New York, NY), $1,000 to Pres and Fellows of (Cambridge, MA), and $900 to Morgan Pressel (Boca Raton, FL). Other recipients included Bringham and Womens, Beth Shalom Preserv, Cure Alzheimers Fund, Misty Meadows Equine, and Klehr Center for Jewish, each receiving $500. Project HOME and Philabundance each received $200.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists Richard Sheerr, Betsy Sheerr, Melanie Sheerr, and Lauren Sheerr Beshears as trustees.

Sheerr Foundation Inc's 2024 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Betsy Sheerr

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Lauren Sheerr Beshears

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Melanie Sheerr

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Richard Sheerr

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/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 Sheerr Foundation Inc

How much does Sheerr Foundation Inc give each year?

Sheerr Foundation Inc gave $8K across 23 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $8K across 23 grants.

What is Sheerr Foundation Inc's typical grant size?

Sheerr Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $200, and its average grant was $364, across 23 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sheerr Foundation Inc that year got $404 on average.

Where does Sheerr Foundation Inc give grants?

Sheerr Foundation Inc's top state is Massachusetts, with 37% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (25%) and Pennsylvania (22%). The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (5 grants), New York, NY (3 grants), Cambridge, MA (3 grants) and Vineyard Haven, MA (2 grants).

Does Sheerr Foundation Inc give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of Sheerr Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (23 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Sheerr Foundation Inc's largest grantees?

Sheerr Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include American Friends of ($1,600), Pres and Fellows of ($1,000) and Morgan Pressel ($900), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is Sheerr Foundation Inc?

Sheerr Foundation Inc reported $219K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $17K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $14K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Sheerr Foundation Inc fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for Project HOME, whose mission is to help adults, children, and families break the cycle of homelessness and poverty, and Philabundance, whose mission is to drive hunger from communities and end hunger. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Sheerr 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 Sheerr Foundation Inc's EIN?

Sheerr Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-6298319. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Does Sheerr 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

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

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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from Sheerr 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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