Sholley Foundation

PENNINGTON, NJ EIN: 04-6014010

The Sholley Foundation is a private foundation based in Pennington, New Jersey. Established in 1945 in Massachusetts, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and has been tax-exempt since May 1947. The foundation functions as a grantmaking entity, providing unrestricted general support to nonprofit organizations.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$1.7M

-0.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$159K

+12.0% YoY

Grant Count

-5.2% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$3K

+18.1% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sholley Foundation reported a distributable amount of $218K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation does not maintain a publicly stated mission statement. However, based on recent grantmaking activity, the foundation supports organizations in the following areas:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services

Grantmaking

The foundation made 53 grants in the most recent fiscal year. Typical grant awards range from $500 to $30,000.

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in:

Massachusetts
New York
Rhode Island

Grant Distribution by State

Massachusetts $551K (82%)

Florida $36K (5%)

New York $35K (5%)

Maine $10K (1%)

PR $8K (1%)

California $7K (1%)

North Carolina $5K (1%)

Vermont $5K (1%)

+6 more states

States

California Connecticut Florida Massachusetts Maine North Carolina New Jersey New York Pr Rhode Island Tennessee Virginia Vermont

Cities

Babson ParkBloomfieldBostonBrooklineBrooklynBrunswickBurlingtonCharlestownChilmarkCulebraDedhamDorchesterDorchester CenterDurhamFajardoFalmouthGreat BarringtonGreenfieldGt BarringtonHarrison

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Giving (as of April 2025)

Metric	Amount
Total Assets	$1,674,450
Total Revenues	$212,924
Total Expenses	$213,663
Total Giving	$158,500
Investment Income & Dividends	$87,952

Staffing

The foundation operates with zero employees.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2025	2024	2023
Total Assets	$1,674,450	$1,676,936	$1,309,689
Revenue	$212,924	$542,787	$73,530
Expenses	$213,663	$175,537	$184,310
Qualifying Distributions	$181,095	$159,877	$166,610
Net Investment Income	$192,760	$526,323	$59,606
Distributable Amount	$218,092	$176,649	$154,989

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Grant Size Distribution

243 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include Brigham & Womens Hospital Inc ($30,000), Commonwealth Shakespeare Company Inc ($20,000), West Falmouth Library Inc ($10,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
BOWDOIN COLLEGE BRUNSWICK, ME	UNRESTRICTED GENERAL	$2,500
SEA THE WORLD - CIRCUIT ARTS WEST TISBURY, MA	UNRESTRICTED GENERAL	$1,000
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY BOSTON, MA	UNRESTRICTED GENERAL	$5,000
WBUR BOSTON UNIVERSITY BOSTON, MA	UNRESTRICTED GENERAL	$1,500
DANA HALL SCHOOLS WELLESLEY, MA	UNRESTRICTED GENERAL	$2,000
MILTON ACADEMY MILTON, MA	UNRESTRICTED GENERAL	$1,000
SCHOOL OF THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS AT TUFTS UN BOSTON, MA	UNRESTRICTED GENERAL	$2,500
BANCROFT SCHOOL WORCESTER, MA	UNRESTRICTED GENERAL	$1,000
NOBLE AND GREENOUGH SCHOOL ACHIEVE DEDHAM, MA	UNRESTRICTED GENERAL	$3,000
ST MICHAEL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH MILTON, MA	UNRESTRICTED GENERAL	$4,500

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

From 2025 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
JOAN MOYNAGH SHOLLEY	SECRETARY/TRUSTEE	2	$6,700
J ADAM SHOLLEY	PRESIDENT/TRUSTEE	1	—
LUCINDA SHOLLEY	TRUSTEE	1	—
PETER SHOLLEY	TRUSTEE	1	—

Contact Information

Mailing Address PO Box 1532 Pennington, NJ 08534-0691

Telephone 888-866-3275

EIN 04-6014010

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Sholley Foundation fund?

The foundation does not maintain a publicly stated mission statement. However, based on recent grantmaking activity, the foundation supports organizations in the following areas: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services

How do I apply for a grant from Sholley Foundation?

**Grant Amounts & Frequency** The foundation made 53 grants in the most recent fiscal year. Typical grant awards range from $500 to $30,000. **Recent Grant Activity** Recent grantees include: • Professional Nurses Chapter of the Brigham and Women's Hospital ($30,000) • Commonwealth Shakespeare Company ($20,000) • West Falmouth Library ($10,000) All grants are designated as unrestricted general support. **Application Process** No formal application process information is available in verified so…

Where does Sholley Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • Massachusetts • New York • Rhode Island

What size grants does Sholley Foundation award?

In 2025, Sholley Foundation awarded 55 grants totaling $159K — an average of about $3K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Sholley Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, Sholley Foundation reported a distributable amount of $218K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.