The Buckelew Family Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Toms River, NJ EIN: 83-0466544

The Buckelew Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Toms River, New Jersey. It made 22 grants totaling $17,975 in 2025, with grant purposes listed as charitable purposes.

The Buckelew Family Foundation at a glance

In short: The Buckelew Family Foundation gave $18K across 22 grants in 2025 (avg $817.045), mostly in New Jersey. 23% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$17,975
-24.4% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
22
-12.0% vs 2024
Average grant
$817
-14.1% vs 2024
Median grant
$138
Total assets
$26,864
-1.4% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
23% first-time grantees (5 of 22, 2025; small sample)
Primary geography
New Jersey (88% 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 The Buckelew Family Foundation

How to Apply

The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Submissions must be written; the exact format has not been determined. The filing names Joseph Buckelew as the contact for submissions. The foundation says submissions are considered at the discretion of its management and lists no current restrictions.

Contact

Application contact: Joseph Buckelew
Mailing address: 231 Main Street PO Box 2017, Toms River, NJ 08754
Phone: (732) 736-5205

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who The Buckelew Family Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Mercy Center NJ: $5KMercy Center NJ$5KNJ Hall of Fame: $5KNJ Hall of Fame$5KOcean's Harbor House: $2KOcean's Harbor House$2KEmmanuel Cancer Foundation: $1KEmmanuel Cancer Foundation$1KNext Steps: $1KNext Steps$1KTunnel to Towers Foundation: $1KTunnel to Towers Foundation$1KDeb Tiagwad Memorial Fund: $500Deb Tiagwad Memorial Fund$500Larc School: $500Larc School$500Am Battle Monuments Foundation: $500Am Battle Monuments Foundation$500Asor: $250Asor$250

The largest 2025 recipient was Mercy Center NJ ($5K). Together the top 10 received $17K.

Grant Size Distribution

152 grants across all recorded years

152<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 152 grants of 152 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in New Jersey. The remaining reported shares went to New York (6%), Colorado (3%), Virginia (1%), and Washington, DC (1%).

Grant Distribution by State

10states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.

Cities

Toms RiverAsbury ParkWall TownshipWashingtonBellmawrBrick TownshipHaddonfieldNewarkPhiladelphiaStaten IslandBoys TownCoral GablesHazletHillsdaleManasquanMorganvilleSpring LakeTrentonWallAlexandria

Is The Buckelew Family Foundation open to new grantees?

23%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 5 of 22 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $385; repeat grants $944. How we count

Medians: $250 first-time, $100 repeat.

  • 59% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving fell 27% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 417% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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

$0$10K$20K$30K54 grants2020 46 grants2021 31 grants2022 28 grants2023 25 grants2024 22 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $14K (2020) to $28K (2021). In 2025 it made 22 grants totaling $18K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Mercy Center NJ Asbury Park, NJCharitable Purposes$5,300
NJ Hall of Fame Newark, NJCharitable Purposes$5,000
Ocean's Harbor House Toms River, NJCharitable Purposes$2,000
Emmanuel Cancer Foundation Wall Township, NJCharitable Purposes$1,000
Next Steps Point Pleasant, NJCharitable Purposes$1,000
Tunnel to Towers Foundation Staten Island, NYCharitable Purposes$1,000
Deb Tiagwad Memorial Fund Haddonfield, NJCharitable Purposes$500
Larc School Bellmawr, NJCharitable Purposes$500
Am Battle Monuments Foundation Denver, COCharitable Purposes$500
Asor Alexandria, VACharitable Purposes$250
Your AI grants department

Ready to take the next step with The Buckelew Family Foundation?

Fully replaces Grant database subscriptions Instrumentl · Foundation Directory · GrantStation & similar

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$26,864$17,698$18,076$17,97522$17,975$17,698$4,315
2024$27,242$14,255$23,895$23,79025$23,790$7,265$4,574
2023$36,882$6,817$25,346$25,15228$25,152$6,817$4,755
2022$55,411$13,928$24,877$24,76031$24,760$13,928$6,074
2021$68,743$8,516$27,870$27,79846$27,798$8,516$7,469
2020$87,810$5,144$15,031$14,46854—$5,144$7,555

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Buckelew Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4K 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations serving vulnerable youth and people with disabilities. Ocean’s Harbor House describes its mission as providing shelter, support, and services to vulnerable youth, while LARC School says it works to meet the needs of students and adults with varying disabilities and foster growth, development, and independence.

Other 2025 recipients include Judicial Watch, which describes its mission as promoting government integrity, transparency, accountability, and fidelity to the rule of law, and the Heritage Foundation, which says it promotes conservative public policies. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation awarded 22 grants totaling $17,975. Grant amounts ranged from $25 to $5,300, with a median of $138. Notable recipients included Mercy Center NJ ($5,300), NJ Hall of Fame ($5,000), Ocean’s Harbor House ($2,000), Emmanuel Cancer Foundation ($1,000), Next Steps ($1,000), Tunnel to Towers Foundation ($1,000), Deb Tiagwad Memorial Fund ($500), LARC School ($500), and AM Battle Monuments Foundation ($500). The listed purposes for these grants were charitable purposes.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Joseph Buckelew, Brian Buckelew, and Kevin Buckelew as trustees.

The Buckelew Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Brian Buckelew

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Joseph Buckelew

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kevin Buckelew

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

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.

Frequently asked questions about The Buckelew Family Foundation

How much does The Buckelew Family Foundation give each year?

The Buckelew Family Foundation gave $18K across 22 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $24K across 25 grants.

What is The Buckelew Family Foundation's typical grant size?

The Buckelew Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $138, and its average grant was $817, across 22 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Buckelew Family Foundation that year got $385 on average.

Where does The Buckelew Family Foundation give grants?

The Buckelew Family Foundation gives mostly in New Jersey: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (3 grants), Toms River, NJ (2 grants) and Wall Township, NJ (2 grants).

Who are The Buckelew Family Foundation's largest grantees?

The Buckelew Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Mercy Center NJ ($5,300), NJ Hall of Fame ($5,000) and Ocean's Harbor House ($2,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 68% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is The Buckelew Family Foundation?

The Buckelew Family Foundation reported $27K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $18K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does The Buckelew Family Foundation fund?

No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations serving vulnerable youth and people with disabilities. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Buckelew Family Foundation?

The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is The Buckelew Family Foundation's EIN?

The Buckelew Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-0466544. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

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

  1. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 15, 2026)
  2. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Explore Open Grants

Browse active grant opportunities in The Buckelew Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database

Similar Funders

Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in New Jersey

Community Foundation of New Jersey

Morristown, NJ

The Community Foundation of New Jersey supports a broad range of causes, including arts, education, health, human services, and the environment, through donor-directed and other charitable funds. Its 2024 itemized grants had a median of $19,759, with awards ranging widely; its current health grant opportunity serves Morris and Somerset counties. Eligible New Jersey nonprofits may apply to specific grant opportunities, subject to each opportunity’s guidelines.

Assets

$1.0B

Grants

1,321

Total Given

$93.8M

Oceanfirst Foundation

Toms River, NJ

OceanFirst Foundation funds nonprofits working in health and wellness, housing, youth development and education, economic stability, quality of life, and higher education in communities served by OceanFirst Bank. In 2025 it awarded grants of $50 to $55,000, with a median of $2,200. It does not limit giving to preselected organizations; prospective applicants are directed to contact the foundation to discuss fit before applying through its online portal.

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Assets

$6.1M

Grants

425

Total Given

$1.6M

Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Inc

Princeton, NJ

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation supports health access and stronger health systems, with a focus on adult and pediatric cancers, blood disorders, brain health, and clinical-trial participation in the United States, Brazil, India, and ten Sub-Saharan African countries. In 2024, its median grant was about $134,000, though awards varied widely; it does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests, and advises prospective applicants to contact the Foundation about its process.

Assets

$83.3M

Grants

144

Total Given

$67.7M

New Jersey Natural Gas Company Charity

Wall, NJ

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Assets

$20.3M

Grants

248

Total Given

$1.9M

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Princeton, NJ

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funds efforts to improve health and health equity in the United States, including systems change addressing structural barriers to health. In 2024, its grants ranged from $125 to $12.15 million, with a median of $40,000. It typically funds through targeted programs and partnerships; whether it accepts unsolicited requests is not stated.

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Assets

$13.4B

Grants

3,093

Total Given

$622.6M

Crane Fund for Widows and Children

Englewood Cliffs, NJ

The Crane Fund for Widows and Children supports charitable organizations, including those working in healthcare and social services, children’s services, recreation, and basic needs, with grants across multiple states. Its 2024 grants ranged from $2,000 to $45,000, with a median of $4,500; it funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.

Assets

$1.6M

Grants

985

Total Given

$4.5M

More similar funders

More Funders in New Jersey

The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from The Buckelew 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.

The Buckelew Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?

Want AI to do this for you?