Shepherd Center Inc
Shepherd Center Inc is an Atlanta, Georgia, public charity specializing in hospital care and rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and other complex neurological conditions. The organization reports that it was formed in 1975.
Shepherd Center Inc at a glance
In short: Shepherd Center Inc gave $1.6M across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $84K), mostly in New Jersey. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,605,497
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- Average grant
- $84,500
- Median grant
- $37,066
- Total assets
- $1,004,152,577
- +11.7% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- New Jersey (66% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Shepherd Center Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 2020 Peachtree Road Nw, Atlanta, GA 30309
Phone: (404) 350-7310
Website: https://shepherd.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Shepherd Center Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was SCI Ventures LLC ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $1.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
19 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 15 grants of 19 (79%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Shepherd Center is based in Atlanta, Georgia. Its 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states; the largest shares were in New Jersey (66%), California (10%), and Georgia (5%), followed by Pennsylvania (4%) and Washington (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $1.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| SCI Ventures LLC Short Hills, NJ | Support for research to develop cures for spinal cord injury | $1,000,000 |
| Regents of the University of California Irvine Irvine, CA | Research Grant | $123,523 |
| Albert Einstein Healthcare Network Philadelphia, PA | Research Grant | $60,000 |
| Health Tech Pal Corp Cherry Hill, NJ | Research Grant | $57,940 |
| Sensoria Health Inc Redmond, WA | Research Grant | $47,416 |
| Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC | Research Grant | $40,806 |
| Side by Side Brain Injury Clubhouse Stone Mountain, GA | General Support | $40,000 |
| The Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Corporation Charlestown, MA | Research Grant | $40,000 |
| Flint Rehabilitation Devices Irvine, CA | Research Grant | $38,100 |
| Georgia Tech Research Corporation Atlanta, GA | Research Grant | $37,066 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,004,152,577 | $366,426,876 | $322,869,975 | $1,605,497 | 19 | $7,278,224 |
| 2024 | $898,923,890 | $418,088,984 | $298,971,738 | — | — | $10,487,282 |
| 2023 | $760,249,608 | $320,386,335 | $289,667,193 | — | — | $4,224,496 |
| 2022 | $736,563,004 | $310,291,789 | $286,514,534 | — | — | $2,488,528 |
| 2021 | $686,936,453 | $294,286,349 | $272,356,122 | — | — | $16,211,081 |
| 2020 | $552,635,273 | $300,308,276 | $263,800,105 | — | — | $6,297,803 |
| 2019 | $539,758,138 | $262,529,946 | $238,149,119 | — | — | $3,866,002 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Shepherd Center’s mission is to help people who have experienced catastrophic injury or disease rebuild their lives with hope, dignity, and independence, while advocating for their inclusion in community life. Its website describes a whole-person approach to rehabilitation and a vision of leadership in neurorehabilitation through care, research, innovation, and advocacy.
The organization’s stated areas of need include family housing, recreation therapy, its Multiple Sclerosis Institute, Spine & Pain Institute, SHARE Military Initiative, assistive technology, and research. Its filing also describes community-funded services such as family training, vocational training, adaptive equipment, and medical care for patients without the ability to pay for those services.
Reported 2025 grants show support for research and other work by outside organizations. For example, Side by Side Brain Injury Clubhouse received $40,000; its mission is to advance the long-term well-being of people with brain injury-related disability and their families through skills development, support, and advocacy. Georgia Tech Research Corporation received $37,066; it says it supports Georgia Tech’s research, technical assistance, and economic development activities. Council of State Administrators received $16,748; its stated mission focuses on public vocational rehabilitation services that support employment, independence, and inclusion for people with disabilities. BlazeSports America received $5,000; it describes its work as changing the lives of people with physical disabilities through adaptive sport and physical activity.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Shepherd Center reported 19 grants totaling $1,605,497. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $1,000,000, with a median of $37,066. The largest award was $1,000,000 to SCI Ventures LLC for research to develop cures for spinal cord injury. Other notable awards included $123,523 to the Regents of the University of California, Irvine, for research; $60,000 to Albert Einstein Healthcare Network for research; and $40,000 to Side by Side Brain Injury Clubhouse for general support. The filing also lists research grants to Sensoria Health, the Medical University of South Carolina, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Georgia Tech Research Corporation, and other recipients.
No application process or policy on unsolicited requests is stated in the provided information.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Alana Shepherd as chairman; Clark H. Dean as chair elect; Beth Boatwright as CFO; and Andrew Alias, Bryant G. Coats, Charles L. Davidson III, Cyndae Arrendale, Douglas Lindauer, David F. Apple Jr. MD, and Donald P. Leslie MD as board members or medical directors emeritus.
Shepherd Center Inc is led by James H. Shepherd III, President & CEO since 2025 (on filings since 2019); 23 of 51 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James H. Shepherd III
President & CEO
Chief Operating Officer → President & COO, 2023
President & COO → President & CEO, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$162K (2019) → $632K (2025)
Alana Shepherd
Chairman
Board Recording Secretary → Chairman, 2020
On filings since 2019
30 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ben W. Thrower
Physician
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$603K (2019) → $601K (2025)
Brian Barnette
Chief Information Officer
Chief Information Officer → Chief Information Officer & Is Project Manager, 2024
Chief Information Officer & Is Project Manager → Chief Information Officer, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$280K (2019) → $173K (2025)
Brock Bowman MD
Associate Medical Director
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$510K (2019) → $604K (2025)
David F. Apple Jr. MD
Med Director Emeritus
On filings since 2019
30 hrs/week
$134K (2019) → $130K (2025)
Donald P. Leslie MD
Med Director Emeritus
Fnd Special Advisor → Med Director Emeritus, 2020
On filings since 2019
20 hrs/week
$149K (2019) → $148K (2025)
Erik Shaw
Physician
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$622K (2019) → $743K (2025)
Michael R. Yochelson MD
Chief Medical Officer
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$664K (2019) → $841K (2025)
Sarah Batts
Senior Vice President Advancement
Vice President Foundation → Senior Vice President Foundation, 2024
Senior Vice President Foundation → Senior Vice President Advancement, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$250K (2019) → $342K (2025)
Sarah Morrison
Former CEO
CEO → Chief Executive Officer, 2024
Chief Executive Officer → Former CEO, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$757K (2019) → $1.6M (2025)
Sherrill Loring
Physician
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$545K (2019) → $638K (2025)
Stephen B. Holleman
Former CFO
Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer → Chief Financial Officer, 2023
Chief Financial Officer → Former CFO, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$478K (2019) → $515K (2025)
Wilma Bunch
Vice President Patient Experience
Vice President Facilities → Vice President Facility Service, 2020
Vice President Facility Service → Vice President Patient Experience, 2021
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$254K (2019) → $249K (2025)
Deborah Backus
Vice President Research & Innovation
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$215K (2021) → $301K (2025)
Joe Nowicki
Vice President Facility Service
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$244K (2021) → $296K (2025)
David Quintero
Physician
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$585K (2022) → $616K (2025)
Katherine Creek
Chief Human Resources Officer
Vice President of Human Resources → Chief Human Resources Officer, 2025
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$107K (2022) → $340K (2025)
Philip Wexler
Physician
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$589K (2022) → $613K (2025)
Jo Tapper
Vice President Marketing & Communications
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$274K (2023) → $304K (2025)
Atul Kanvinde
Chief Information Officer
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$296K (2025)
Tiffany Lecroy
Chief Nursing Officer
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$176K (2024) → $216K (2025)
Beth Boatwright
CFO
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$217K (2025)
Stephen K. Marsh
Chief Compliance Officer & General Counsel
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$177K (2025)
Bryant G. Coats
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charles L. Davidson III
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Clark H. Dean
Chair Elect
Board Member → Chair Elect, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cyndae Arrendale
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Douglas Lindauer
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Fred V. Alias
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James D. Thompson
Chair Elect
Vice President → Chair Elect, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James E. Stephenson
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Rooker
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John S. Dryman
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Juli Owens
Recording Secretary
Board Member → Recording Secretary, 2020
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
K. Boynton Smith
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Larry R. Ellis General Ret
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Molly Y. Lanier
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sally D. Nunnally
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sara S. Chapman
Corporate Secretary
Board Member → Corporate Secretary, 2020
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Talbot Nunnally
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
W. Clyde Shepherd III
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William C. Fowler
Board Member
Board Treasurer → Treasurer, 2020
Treasurer → Board Member, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan Hawkins
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jarrad Turner
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Justin Jones
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Cunningham
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shaler Alias
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Vincenzo Piscopo
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Alias
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kelly Loeffler
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (17)
- Former: Tamara King (2019–2024) — Chief Nurse Executive
- Former: John R. Hamilton III (2020–2024) — Chief Compliance Officer
- Former: Chetan Bhasin (2019–2022) — Chief Strategy Officer
- Former: Lorie Hutcheson (2019–2022) — Vice President Human Resources
- Former: Michael L. Jones PhD (2019–2022) — Senior Research Scientist
- Former: John Lin (2020–2021) — Physician
- Former: Mitchell J. Fillhaber (2020–2021) — Business Development Manager
- Former: Anna Elmers (2021) — Physician
- Former: David H. Flint (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Guy Buckle (2019–2020) — Physician
- Former: James H. Shepherd Jr. (2019–2020) — Chief Strategy Officer · Filing note: Deceased
- Former: Gary Ulicny PhD (2019) — Former President & CEO
- Former: Gerald Bilsky (2019) — Physician
- Former: J. Harold Shepherd (2019) — Board Member -
- Former: McKee Nunnally (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Mitch Fillhaber (2019) — Vice President Marketing
- Former: Toby Regal (2019) — Board Member
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $1.6M, to Sarah Morrison (Former CEO). 23 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Shepherd Center Inc
How much does Shepherd Center Inc give each year?
Shepherd Center Inc gave $1.6M across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990.
What is Shepherd Center Inc's typical grant size?
Shepherd Center Inc's median grant in 2025 was $37,066, and its average grant was $84,500, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Shepherd Center Inc give grants?
Shepherd Center Inc gives mostly in New Jersey: 66% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (10%) and Georgia (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Irvine, CA (2 grants).
Does Shepherd Center Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 21% of Shepherd Center Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 19) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Research Grant" (14 grants).
Who are Shepherd Center Inc's largest grantees?
Shepherd Center Inc's largest 2025 grantees include SCI Ventures LLC ($1,000,000), Regents of the University of California Irvine ($123,523) and Albert Einstein Healthcare Network ($60,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 74% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Shepherd Center Inc?
Shepherd Center Inc reported $1.0B in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $366.4M.
What does Shepherd Center Inc fund?
Shepherd Center’s mission is to help people who have experienced catastrophic injury or disease rebuild their lives with hope, dignity, and independence, while advocating for their inclusion in community life. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Shepherd Center Inc?
Shepherd Center Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check shepherd.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Shepherd Center Inc's EIN?
Shepherd Center Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 51-0141601. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS January 27, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Live grants for the work Shepherd Center Inc funds
Health Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Shepherd Center Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/shepherd-center-inc-morg_90581c198a474f9484fe6df4d0c7f1d4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_510141601_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Shepherd Center Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/shepherd-center-inc-morg_90581c198a474f9484fe6df4d0c7f1d4},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Shepherd Center 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.
Shepherd Center Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?