Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations
The Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations (SHAFR) is a private foundation based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Established in 1967, it supports the scholarly study of American foreign relations through research funding, annual meetings, and publications.
Key facts about Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations
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.
- EIN
- 23-7266899
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $82,289
- Grants made (2025)
- 1
- Average grant
- $82,289
- Median grant
- $82,289
- Total assets
- $2,745,114
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- SHAFR does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- October 15 for the graduate dissertation research grants, Hogan Foreign Language Fellowship, and William Appleman…
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.7M
+9.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$82K
-12.1% YoY
Grant Count
1
-96.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$82K
+2535.6% YoY
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.
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.
Mission & Focus Areas
SHAFR’s mission is to promote the study, advancement, and dissemination of knowledge of American foreign relations. It also describes its role as building a supportive scholarly community where members can pursue research, collaborate, and share their work.
Its listed programs support doctoral research and dissertation completion in U.S. foreign relations history. Awards include dissertation fellowships and research grants, a foreign-language fellowship, and research grants for eligible early-career scholars working on a first research monograph.
Grantmaking
In 2024, SHAFR reported 30 grants totaling $93,667. Awards ranged from $500 to $17,500, with a median of $2,000. Among the largest listed awards were $17,500 to Jethro Clacday and $16,667 to Ji Soo Hong, each for a dissertation completion fellowship. Other listed awards included $4,000 to Eleanor Lenoe for a Hogan Foreign Language Fellowship, $4,000 to Carlotta Wright for a Bemis Dissertation Grant, and $4,000 to Jeffrey Lamson for a Gelfand-Rappaport-LaFeber Dissertation Fellowship.
Review Cycle
. Its graduate dissertation research grants include Bernath, Gelfand-Rappaport-LaFeber, Holt, and Bemis awards; applicants are considered for all four, and the stated deadline is October 15. The listed award limits vary: up to $4,000 for Bernath, Gelfand-Rappaport-LaFeber, and Holt, and generally up to $2,000 for Bemis. The Hogan Foreign Language Fellowship supports graduate students whose U.S. foreign relations research benefits from foreign-language proficiency; its deadline is October 15. The William Appleman Williams Emerging Scholar Research Grant supports SHAFR members within six years of the Ph.D. who are working on a first research monograph; it generally awards up to $2,000, with an October 15 deadline.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grants were reported across multiple recipient states. The listed shares of grant dollars were 18% for Rhode Island, 11% for California, 5% for New York, and 4% for New Jersey; an additional 23% was assigned to an unidentified state category.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 1 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 1 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
110 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Please See Attached List Philadelphia, PA | Grants and Fellowships | $82,289 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,517,050 | $586,798 | $443,099 | $93,667 (30 grants) |
| 2023 | $2,267,457 | $479,178 | $483,766 | $79,505 (29 grants) |
| 2022 | $2,100,412 | $423,627 | $433,595 | $75,000 (26 grants) |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,745,114 | $2,517,050 | $2,267,457 |
| Revenue | $490,504 | $586,798 | $479,178 |
| Expenses | $515,140 | $443,099 | $483,766 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $93,244 | $111,175 | $99,260 |
| Net Investment Income | $97,974 | $210,943 | $62,081 |
| Distributable Amount | $128,059 | $113,494 | $105,279 |
Data update history
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
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Mary Ann Heiss as president, Mitchell Lerner as vice president, and Amy Sayward as executive director.
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 1301 E Main St Box 23, Murfreesboro, TN 37132
Phone: (617) 458-6156
Website: https://www.shafr.org
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).
What does Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations fund?
SHAFR’s mission is to promote the study, advancement, and dissemination of knowledge of American foreign relations. It also describes its role as building a supportive scholarly community where members can pursue research, collaborate, and share their work. Its listed programs support doctoral research and dissertation completion in U.S. foreign relations history. Awards include dissertation fellowships and research grants, a foreign-language fellowship, and research grants for eligible early-c…
How do I apply for a grant from Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations?
SHAFR does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. 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?
The 2024 grants were reported across multiple recipient states. The listed shares of grant dollars were 18% for Rhode Island, 11% for California, 5% for New York, and 4% for New Jersey; an additional 23% was assigned to an unidentified state category.
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 September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Soc for Historians of American Foreign Relations by hand.
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