Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations
The Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations (SHAFR) is a private foundation based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It supports the scholarly study of American foreign relations through research funding, annual meetings, and publications.
Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations at a glance
In short: Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations gave $82K across 1 grant in 2025 (avg $82K), mostly in Pennsylvania. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $82,289
- -12.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 1
- -96.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $82,289
- +2535.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $82,289
- Total assets
- $2,745,114
- +9.1% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
SHAFR’s filing states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Its website provides application procedures for specific awards. For the listed fellowship applications, materials generally include a project narrative, a one-page budget and justification, a one-page CV, and a recommendation letter. The Williams grants require SHAFR membership, and successful applicants must report how they used the funds within eight months of receiving an award.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists October 15 for several graduate research funding opportunities and for the Williams Emerging Scholar Research Grants. It also lists February 1 for the Marilyn Blatt Young Dissertation Completion Fellowship.
- Deadline
- The website lists October 15 for several graduate research funding opportunities and for the Williams Emerging Scholar…
- Contact
Mailing address: 1115 W Berks Street Floor 9, Philadelphia, PA 19122-6006
Phone: (610) 209-0457
Website: https://www.shafr.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
110 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 109 grants of 110 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to Pennsylvania. The filing identifies one individual recipient in that state.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of the 2025 grant dollars on its one itemized grant.
States
Cities
How Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+10%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 73% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $74K (2021) to $94K (2024). In 2025 it made 1 grant totaling $82K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $82,289 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,745,114 | $490,504 | $515,140 | $82,289 | 1 | $93,244 | $97,974 | $128,059 |
| 2024 | $2,517,050 | $586,798 | $443,099 | $93,667 | 30 | $111,175 | $210,943 | $113,494 |
| 2023 | $2,267,457 | $479,178 | $483,766 | $79,505 | 29 | $99,260 | $62,081 | $105,279 |
| 2022 | $2,100,412 | $423,627 | $433,595 | $75,000 | 26 | $96,550 | $61,362 | $103,572 |
| 2021 | $2,480,307 | $393,024 | $270,087 | $74,440 | 24 | $90,440 | $72,287 | $108,744 |
| 2020 | $2,170,622 | $326,627 | $305,752 | $81,164 | 28 | — | $51,166 | $97,130 |
| 2019 | $2,005,086 | $467,717 | $406,128 | $78,100 | 26 | — | $111,409 | $81,308 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations reported a distributable amount of $128K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
SHAFR’s stated purpose is to promote the study, advancement, and dissemination of knowledge about American foreign relations. Its funding opportunities support research in U.S. foreign relations history, including dissertation research, dissertation completion, research travel, and foreign-language study.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, SHAFR reported one grant totaling $82,289. The grant went to an individual recipient in Pennsylvania for “Grants and Fellowships.” In 2024, it reported 30 grants totaling $93,667; in 2023, it reported 29 grants totaling $79,505.
SHAFR’s website lists awards for graduate students, including a six-month, $15,000 dissertation completion fellowship and dissertation research grants generally capped at $4,000 or $2,000, depending on the award. Its William Appleman Williams Emerging Scholar Research Grants are for SHAFR members within six years of earning a Ph.D. who are working on a first research monograph; awards are generally up to $2,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jay Sexton as President, Sarah Snyder as Vice President, Richard Immerman as Executive Director, Kaete OConnell as Deputy Director, and Amy Sayward as Executive Director Emeritus.
Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations is led by Jay Sexton, President on the 2025 filing; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jay Sexton
President
New on the 2025 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard Immerman
Executive Director
New on the 2025 filing
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Amy Sayward
Executive Director Emeritus
Executive Director → Executive Director Emeritus, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kaete OConnell
Deputy Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Snyder
Vice President
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Mary Ann Heiss (2022–2024) — President
- Former: Mitchell Lerner (2022–2024) — Vice President
- Former: Andrew Preston (2019–2021) — President
- Former: Laura Belmonte (2020–2021) — Vice President
- Former: Kristin Hoganson (2019) — President
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.
Frequently asked questions about Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations
How much does Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations give each year?
Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations gave $82K across 1 grant in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $94K across 30 grants.
How large is Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations?
Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations reported $2.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $93K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $128K (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 Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations fund?
SHAFR’s stated purpose is to promote the study, advancement, and dissemination of knowledge about American foreign relations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations?
SHAFR’s filing states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations make grants?
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to Pennsylvania. The filing identifies one individual recipient in that state.
What is Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations's EIN?
Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7266899. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 14, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 19, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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