Shelly Family Foundation
The Shelly Family Foundation is a Form 990-PF private foundation based in Newark, Ohio. It reported 15 grants totaling $105,338 in 2024, with many listed for scholarships.
Shelly Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Shelly Family Foundation gave $105K across 15 grants in 2024 (avg $7K), mostly in Ohio. 33% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $105,338
- +17.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 15
- +25.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $7,023
- -6.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $3,369,247
- +771.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (5 of 15, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (86% 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 Shelly Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing lists Mark J Shelly as the contact and the “Shelly Family Foundations Scholarship Application” as the required form and materials. The filing states that scholarships are limited to students at Sheridan High School in Perry County, Ohio.
- Review Cycle
- May 1. This date is past as of September 29, 2026; the filing does not establish a current application cycle.
- Deadline
- May 1.
- Contact
Application contact: Mark J Shelly
Mailing address: 581 Country Club Drive Suite D, Newark, OH 43055
Phone: (740) 344-1871
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Shelly Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Ohio State University ($15K). Together the top 10 received $80K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($5,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
69 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 69 grants of 69 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars were reported as going to recipients in Ohio (86%), Iowa (5%), California (5%), and Kentucky (5%). The percentages are as stated in the filing.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Shelly Family Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 15 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 60% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+10%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 134% 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
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $90K (2022) to $105K (2024). In 2024 it made 15 grants totaling $105K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Ohio State University Columbus, OH | Scholarship | $15,000 |
| Dennison University Granville, OH | Scholarship | $10,000 |
| Ohio University Athens, OH | Scholarship | $10,000 |
| University of Findlay Findlay, OH | Scholarship | $10,000 |
| Muskingum County Community Foundation Zanesville, OH | Avondale Children's Home | $10,000 |
| Columbus State Community Foundation Columbus, OH | General | $5,338 |
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $5,000 |
| Franklin University Columbus, OH | Scholarship | $5,000 |
| Heidelberg University Tiffin, OH | Scholarship | $5,000 |
| Iowa State University Ames, IA | Scholarship | $5,000 |
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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 | $3,369,247 | $4,539,498 | $122,452 | $105,338 | 15 | $116,740 | $1,527,785 | $86,862 |
| 2023 | $386,642 | $79,511 | $92,680 | $90,000 | 12 | $91,240 | $78,071 | $26,056 |
| 2022 | $590,859 | $553,550 | $93,738 | $90,000 | 13 | $91,250 | $44,226 | $10,585 |
| 2021 | $147,070 | $16,614 | $98,300 | $96,000 | 14 | $97,200 | $15,064 | $9,559 |
| 2020 | $215,012 | $27,118 | $90,853 | $92,199 | 15 | — | $12,377 | $15,821 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Shelly Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $87K 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 included scholarships to colleges and universities, as well as grants to a community foundation and other organizations.
Among the grantees, The Ohio State University describes its mission as building an engaged Buckeye alumni community. Ohio Dominican University says it educates individuals for intellectual, spiritual, and professional growth and service. Muskingum University describes its mission as preparing learners to think critically, excel professionally, grow personally, and contribute ethically. These are the grantees’ own stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 15 grants totaling $105,338. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $15,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest awards included $15,000 to The Ohio State University for scholarships, and $10,000 each to Denison University, Ohio University, and the University of Findlay for scholarships. The Muskingum County Community Foundation received $10,000 for the Avondale an individual recipient Community Foundation received $5,338 for general purposes.
Other reported 2024 scholarship grants included $5,000 each to an individual recipient Community College, Franklin University, Heidelberg University, Iowa State University, Muskingum University, and Ohio Dominican University.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Mark Shelly as president, Madonna Shelly as treasurer, and Judge Luann Cooperrider as secretary.
Shelly Family Foundation is led by Mark Shelly, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Mark Shelly
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Judge Luann Cooperrider
Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Madonna Shelly
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Richard Shelly (2020–2022) — Director
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 Shelly Family Foundation
How much does Shelly Family Foundation give each year?
Shelly Family Foundation gave $105K across 15 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $90K across 12 grants.
What is Shelly Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Shelly Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $7,023, across 15 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Shelly Family Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does Shelly Family Foundation give grants?
Shelly Family Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 86% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Columbus, OH (4 grants).
Does Shelly Family Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 7% of Shelly Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (13 grants).
Who are Shelly Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Shelly Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Ohio State University ($15,000), Dennison University ($10,000) and Ohio University ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($5,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Shelly Family Foundation?
Shelly Family Foundation reported $3.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $117K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $87K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Shelly Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included scholarships to colleges and universities, as well as grants to a community foundation and other organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Shelly Family Foundation?
The 2024 filing lists Mark J Shelly as the contact and the “Shelly Family Foundations Scholarship Application” as the required form and materials. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Shelly Family Foundation's EIN?
Shelly Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-1672215. 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 4, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 10, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Shelly Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/shelly-family-foundation-morg_b175b3884b81497796faf2f84d690f64
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_451672215_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Shelly Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/shelly-family-foundation-morg_b175b3884b81497796faf2f84d690f64},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Shelly 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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