Shirley C Caris Family Foundation
The Shirley C Caris Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Its 2025 grants supported organizations in Arizona, Massachusetts, and California, including schools, health-related organizations, and organizations working with children, families, and communities.
Shirley C Caris Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Shirley C Caris Family Foundation gave $549K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $34K), mostly in Arizona. 13% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $549,000
- +4.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- -38.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $34,313
- +69.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $13,290,003
- +9.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (2 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Arizona (76% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Shirley C Caris 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 for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: P O Box 14315, Scottsdale, AZ 85267-4315
Phone: (602) 332-6374
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Shirley C Caris Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Payson Unified Schools ($155K). Together the top 10 received $510K.
Grant Size Distribution
116 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 98 grants of 116 (84%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 76% of grant dollars went to recipients in Arizona, 23% to Massachusetts, and 1% to California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Shirley C Caris 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 $40K; repeat grants $34K. How we count
Medians: $40K first-time, $13K repeat.
- 88% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−14%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 92% 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 (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $470K (2020) to $642K (2022). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $549K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Payson Unified Schools Payson, AZ | Charitable Program | $155,000 |
| Boston Childrens Hospital Boston, MA | Charitable Program | $125,000 |
| Arizona Community Foundation Phoenix, AZ | Charitable Program | $50,000 |
| Child Crisis Arizona Mesa, AZ | Charitable Program | $50,000 |
| Time Out Inc Payson, AZ | Charitable Program | $35,000 |
| RVN3 Foundation Inc Payson, AZ | Charitable Program | $30,000 |
| Fostering Families AZ Surprise, AZ | Charitable Program | $25,000 |
| Brownsville Western Heritage Payson, AZ | Charitable Program | $15,000 |
| Gila County Community College Payson, AZ | Charitable Program | $15,000 |
| Barrow Neurological Foundation Phoenix, AZ | Charitable Program | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Shirley C Caris 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 | $13,290,003 | $823,591 | $802,581 | $549,000 | 16 | $616,200 | $454,843 | $669,243 |
| 2024 | $12,151,998 | $1,078,544 | $782,121 | $525,835 | 26 | $589,271 | $437,204 | $631,988 |
| 2023 | $11,514,474 | $1,034,029 | $675,906 | $512,700 | 26 | $571,904 | $388,815 | $578,706 |
| 2022 | $10,487,786 | $818,143 | $848,058 | $641,636 | 24 | $711,464 | $317,196 | $585,557 |
| 2021 | $12,559,331 | $793,109 | $831,794 | $589,500 | 24 | $589,500 | $383,370 | $647,641 |
| 2020 | $12,014,957 | $454,607 | $783,740 | $469,655 | 21 | — | $299,739 | $587,474 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Shirley C Caris Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $669K 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 went to organizations whose stated missions include supporting children and families, education, health, and community programs. For example, Child Crisis Arizona says its mission is to provide Arizona children and youth a safe environment free from abuse and neglect by creating strong and successful families. Time Out Inc. describes its mission as providing a safe sanctuary from abuse and domestic violence for healing and growth. RVN3 Foundation says it helps at-risk youth participate in positive extracurricular activities and provides family assistance.
Other 2025 recipients describe their work as mobilizing philanthropy for Arizona (Arizona Community Foundation), supporting neurological care (Barrow Neurological Foundation), advancing equine and youth programs (West Coast Equine Foundation), addressing children’s nutrition and academic achievement (Kitchen on the Street), and preventing kidney disease in Arizona (Arizona Women’s Board).
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 16 grants totaling $549,000 in 2025. Grant amounts ranged from $4,000 to $155,000, with a median of $15,000. Its largest 2025 grants included $155,000 to Payson Unified Schools and $125,000 to Boston Children’s Hospital. Other notable grants were $50,000 each to Arizona Community Foundation and Child Crisis Arizona, and $35,000 to Time Out Inc.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Catherine Ann Caris as president and Sherry Lynn Cowan as secretary/treasurer.
Shirley C Caris Family Foundation is led by Catherine Ann Caris, President on every filing since 2020; all 2 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Catherine Ann Caris
President
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$103K (2020) → $42K (2025)
Sherry Lynn Cowan
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$103K (2020) → $42K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 $42K, to Catherine Ann Caris (President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Shirley C Caris Family Foundation
How much does Shirley C Caris Family Foundation give each year?
Shirley C Caris Family Foundation gave $549K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $526K across 26 grants.
What is Shirley C Caris Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Shirley C Caris Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $34,313, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Shirley C Caris Family Foundation that year got $40K on average.
Where does Shirley C Caris Family Foundation give grants?
Shirley C Caris Family Foundation gives mostly in Arizona: 76% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Massachusetts (23%). The most frequent recipient cities were Payson, AZ (6 grants) and Phoenix, AZ (5 grants).
Does Shirley C Caris Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on Shirley C Caris Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable Program" (16 grants).
Who are Shirley C Caris Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Shirley C Caris Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Payson Unified Schools ($155,000), Boston Childrens Hospital ($125,000) and Arizona Community Foundation ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 60% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Shirley C Caris Family Foundation?
Shirley C Caris Family Foundation reported $13.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $616K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $669K (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 Shirley C Caris Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations whose stated missions include supporting children and families, education, health, and community programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Shirley C Caris Family Foundation?
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 Shirley C Caris Family Foundation's EIN?
Shirley C Caris Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 86-0965394. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Shirley C Caris Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 25, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 4, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 5, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 31, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Shirley C Caris Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/shirley-c-caris-family-foundation-morg_590c9c0a8d424f9d9d5df4b8e0223c88
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_860965394_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Shirley C Caris Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/shirley-c-caris-family-foundation-morg_590c9c0a8d424f9d9d5df4b8e0223c88},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Shirley C Caris 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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