Sherlock Family Foundation
The Sherlock Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Weston, Connecticut. It gave $50,900 in grants to 26 organizations in filing year 2025. Its filing states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
Sherlock Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Sherlock Family Foundation gave $51K across 26 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Connecticut. 31% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $50,900
- +34.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 26
- +23.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,958
- +8.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $439,862
- -4.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (8 of 26, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (60% 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 Sherlock Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 7 Bradley Road, Weston, CT 06883
Phone: (203) 341-0171
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sherlock Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Penn State University ($6K). Together the top 10 received $32K.
Grant Size Distribution
84 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 84 grants of 84 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 60% of grant dollars went to recipients in Connecticut, 11% each to Pennsylvania and Indiana, 7% to New York, and 5% to Illinois. The listed grants also include recipients in other states, including the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Sherlock Family Foundation open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 26 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 69% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 104% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 82% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2022–2025). 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 2022 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $25K (2022) to $51K (2025). In 2025 it made 26 grants totaling $51K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Penn State University State College, PA | General Charitable Purposes | $5,500 |
| Zeta Tau Alpha Foundation Carmel, IN | General Charitable Purposes | $5,400 |
| Weston Historical Society Weston, CT | General Charitable Purposes | $3,500 |
| Al's Angels Westport, CT | General Charitable Purposes | $3,000 |
| Aspetuck Land Trust Westport, CT | General Charitable Purposes | $2,500 |
| BJ Ryan's Foundation Norwalk, CT | General Charitable Purposes | $2,500 |
| Filling in the Blanks Norwalk, CT | General Charitable Purposes | $2,500 |
| Mid Fairfield Community Care Center Norwalk, CT | General Charitable Purposes | $2,500 |
| Weston Senior Activities Center Weston, CT | General Charitable Purposes | $2,500 |
| Alzheimer's Association Chicago, IL | General Charitable Purposes | $2,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Sherlock 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 | $439,862 | $42,789 | $64,353 | $50,900 | 26 | $50,900 | $29,336 | $61,843 |
| 2024 | $458,794 | $84,615 | $49,977 | $37,849 | 21 | $37,849 | $72,487 | $55,931 |
| 2023 | $427,447 | $36,528 | $45,608 | $32,000 | 17 | $32,000 | $22,920 | $47,893 |
| 2022 | $902,162 | $28,457 | $33,343 | $25,000 | 20 | $25,000 | $20,114 | $40,923 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sherlock Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $62K 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
The foundation’s own filing does not state a mission. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations whose stated work spans education and charitable projects, local history, services for critically ill children and families, food access, land conservation, and plant research and public education. For example, Zeta Tau Alpha Foundation says it raises funds for educational and charitable projects; Weston Historical Society says it preserves and promotes local history; and Filling in the Blanks says it provides weekend meals to children in need.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 26 grants totaling $50,900. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $5,500, with a median grant of $1,500. The largest grants included Penn State University ($5,500), Zeta Tau Alpha Foundation ($5,400), Weston Historical Society ($3,500), and Al’s Angels ($3,000). Each was reported for “general charitable purposes.”
Other reported grants included $2,500 each to Aspetuck Land Trust, BJ Ryan’s Foundation, Filling in the Blanks, Mid Fairfield Community Care Center, Weston Senior Activities Center, and the Alzheimer’s Association; $2,000 to Weston Community Food Pantry; and $1,500 to Tunnel to Towers Foundation. World Central Kitchen also received $1,500, and New York Botanical Garden received $1,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists William Sherlock Jr, Cindy Sherlock, and William Sherlock III as trustees.
Sherlock Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Cindy Sherlock
Trustee
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William Sherlock III
Trustee
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William Sherlock Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2022–2025. "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 Sherlock Family Foundation
How much does Sherlock Family Foundation give each year?
Sherlock Family Foundation gave $51K across 26 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $38K across 21 grants.
What is Sherlock Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Sherlock Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $1,958, across 26 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sherlock Family Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Sherlock Family Foundation give grants?
Sherlock Family Foundation gives mostly in Connecticut: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (11%) and Indiana (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Weston, CT (8 grants), Norwalk, CT (4 grants) and Westport, CT (2 grants).
Does Sherlock Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Sherlock Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (26 of 26) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Sherlock Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Sherlock Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Penn State University ($5,500), Zeta Tau Alpha Foundation ($5,400) and Weston Historical Society ($3,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sherlock Family Foundation?
Sherlock Family Foundation reported $440K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $51K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $62K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Sherlock Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s own filing does not state a mission. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sherlock Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sherlock Family Foundation's EIN?
Sherlock Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-6910438. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2022–2025.
Does Sherlock 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2022–2024
Live grants for the work Sherlock Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sherlock Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sherlock Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sherlock-family-foundation-morg_abd5ead3a81447109041e36da009c08e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_876910438_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sherlock Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sherlock-family-foundation-morg_abd5ead3a81447109041e36da009c08e},
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 Sherlock 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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