Sheller Family Foundation
The Sheller Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its 2025 filing reports 16 grants totaling $1,317,080, all of which went to recipients in Pennsylvania.
Sheller Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Sheller Family Foundation gave $1.3M across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $82K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 13% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,317,080
- +12.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- -5.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $82,318
- +19.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $4,960,457
- -18.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (2 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Sheller Family Foundation
- 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: 225 S 18Th Street Apt 1802, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (215) 850-8451
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sheller Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Thomas Jefferson University ($600K). Together the top 10 received $1.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
90 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 70 grants of 90 (78%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 filing reports that 100% of grant dollars went to Pennsylvania recipients and less than 1% to Virginia recipients. The listed 2025 grantees are in Philadelphia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Sheller Family Foundation open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 16 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $94K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 69% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 106% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 368% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $613K (2019) to $1.3M (2025). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $1.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA | Program Support | $600,000 |
| Drexel University Philadelphia, PA | Program Support | $254,000 |
| Temple University Philadelphia, PA | Program Support | $250,000 |
| Mural Arts Philadelphia, PA | Program Support | $150,000 |
| Salvation Army Philadelphia, PA | Program Support | $30,000 |
| Tree House Books Philadelphia, PA | Program Support | $10,000 |
| Women Against Abuse Philadelphia, PA | Program Support | $9,000 |
| PHA - Philly Seeds Philadelphia, PA | Program Support | $6,000 |
| Pathway to Housing PA Philadelphia, PA | Program Support | $4,000 |
| Mental Health Association of Se PA Philadelphia, PA | Program Support | $1,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Sheller 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,960,457 | $260,877 | $1,413,958 | $1,317,080 | 16 | $1,317,503 | $173,922 | $358,131 |
| 2024 | $6,118,625 | $458,947 | $1,251,480 | $1,167,500 | 17 | $1,167,753 | $375,720 | $371,031 |
| 2023 | $6,913,667 | $1,010,735 | $1,250,021 | $1,152,420 | 16 | $1,152,435 | $50,179 | $336,484 |
| 2022 | $7,154,454 | $1,193,301 | $706,798 | $638,975 | 21 | $639,265 | $125,410 | $346,518 |
| 2021 | $7,187,864 | $1,222,361 | $704,086 | $644,400 | 20 | $644,788 | $164,072 | $345,218 |
| 2020 | $7,083,188 | $-548,678 | $709,643 | $655,186 | 23 | — | $127,763 | $370,568 |
| 2019 | $8,338,749 | $234,595 | $683,903 | $612,707 | 22 | — | $179,010 | $421,429 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sheller Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $358K for 2025 — 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 2025 grants include program support for Thomas Jefferson University and Drexel University. Thomas Jefferson University describes its work as education, research, and discovery across fields including health, medicine, science, and the liberal arts. Drexel University describes its work as preparing students for professional and civic lives and applying its expertise to societal problems.
Other supported organizations describe a range of activities: Tree House Books works to expand children’s access to books and foster a community of readers, writers, and thinkers; Women Against Abuse provides services to people experiencing intimate partner violence and works to end domestic violence; and Transformation to Recovery provides support services to people in recovery.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $1,317,080. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $600,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest grants were $600,000 to Thomas Jefferson University, $254,000 to Drexel University, $250,000 to Temple University, and $150,000 to Mural Arts. Each was designated for program support. Other listed recipients include the Salvation Army ($30,000), Tree House Books ($10,000), and Women Against Abuse ($9,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Stephen A. Sheller as vice president and secretary, and Sandra Sheller as president and chair.
Sheller Family Foundation is led by Sandra Sheller, President, Chair & Treasurer on every filing since 2019; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sandra Sheller
President, Chair & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
7 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephen A. Sheller
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Sheller Family Foundation
How much does Sheller Family Foundation give each year?
Sheller Family Foundation gave $1.3M across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.2M across 17 grants.
What is Sheller Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Sheller Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $82,318, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sheller Family Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Sheller Family Foundation give grants?
Sheller Family Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (15 grants).
Does Sheller Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on Sheller Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (16 grants).
Who are Sheller Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Sheller Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Thomas Jefferson University ($600,000), Drexel University ($254,000) and Temple University ($250,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 84% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sheller Family Foundation?
Sheller Family Foundation reported $5.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $358K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Sheller Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include program support for Thomas Jefferson University and Drexel University. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sheller Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sheller Family Foundation's EIN?
Sheller Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-3102577. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Sheller Family Foundation 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 10, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Sheller Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sheller Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sheller Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sheller-family-foundation-morg_a758e7f101644003af053b91ab6257d4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_233102577_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sheller Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sheller-family-foundation-morg_a758e7f101644003af053b91ab6257d4},
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 Sheller 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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