The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc
The Carl M. Freeman Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Selbyville, Delaware, established in 1960. It supports nonprofit organizations through grants and guidance, generally focusing on communities where customers, employees, and vendors of Carl M. Freeman Companies work, live, and play.
The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc gave $4.7M across 61 grants in 2025 (avg $77K), mostly in Delaware. 39% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $4,701,124
- +30.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 61
- +41.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $77,068
- -8.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $116,131,534
- +1.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 39% first-time grantees (24 of 61, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Delaware (81% 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 Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
Submit the required application information online for an eligible FACES cycle. Check the foundation’s website for cycle deadlines and application guidelines. The website lists Montgomery County applications opening August 4, 2026, and Sussex County applications opening in February 2027; the Montgomery County opening date has passed.
- Contact
Application contact: Patti Grimes
Mailing address: 31255 Americana Parkway, Selbyville, DE 19975
Phone: (302) 654-8500
Website: https://carlmfreemanfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc
Who The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Joshua M Freeman Foundation ($3.5M). Together the top 10 received $4.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
586 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 549 grants of 586 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation generally limits donations to communities where Carl M. Freeman Companies’ customers, employees, and vendors work, live, and play. Its FACES program serves organizations based in Sussex County, Delaware, and Montgomery County, Maryland. In 2025, 81% of grant dollars went to recipients in Delaware, 11% to Maryland, 6% to Washington, D.C., and 1% each to New York and Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 61 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
39%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 24 of 61 grantees (39%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $28K; repeat grants $109K. How we count
Medians: $14K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 43% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 61% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 108% 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
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.6M (2021) to $5.5M (2023). In 2025 it made 61 grants totaling $4.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Joshua M Freeman Foundation Selbyville, DE | Arts - JMFF | $3,516,310 |
| Faces of Montgomery CO Rockville, MD | Social Services | $152,500 |
| Scotland Ame Zion Church Potomac, MD | Social Services | $125,000 |
| Faces of Sussex CO Georgetown, DE | Social Services | $107,500 |
| Montgomery Co Beef 4-H Club Silver Spring, MD | Social Services | $59,324 |
| James Beard Foundation New York, NY | Education | $55,000 |
| Greater Washington Community Foundation Washington, DC | Social Services | $35,000 |
| Georgetown University Washington, DC | Education | $28,000 |
| Athletes for Hope Bethesda, MD | Social Services | $25,000 |
| Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC | Education | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The foundation’s filing type is Form 990-PF.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $116,131,534 | $6,510,449 | $6,400,740 | $4,701,124 | 61 | $5,876,979 | $5,967,047 | $5,423,183 |
| 2024 | $114,137,601 | $6,517,448 | $5,517,673 | $3,613,941 | 43 | $5,111,543 | $6,217,244 | $5,208,875 |
| 2023 | $110,783,277 | $3,824,587 | $6,461,686 | $5,499,016 | 156 | $6,082,466 | $3,226,717 | $5,160,697 |
| 2022 | $107,719,665 | $3,923,022 | $3,921,502 | $2,916,744 | 173 | $3,572,064 | $3,728,133 | $4,849,259 |
| 2021 | $120,531,841 | $8,229,607 | $4,074,052 | $2,565,447 | 153 | $3,431,497 | $7,566,135 | $5,786,432 |
| 2020 | $113,125,221 | $8,232,085 | $6,744,961 | $4,914,080 | 122 | — | $7,384,264 | $4,830,698 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $5.4M 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
The foundation says it seeks to facilitate, support, and promote innovative community-based leadership and giving, honor its founders’ legacies and passions, endorse excellence, and leverage resources. Its website reports 2025 giving in areas including arts, athletics, cultural heritage, education, environmental efforts, healthcare, disaster relief, human services, and social justice.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of grantees. The Joshua M. Freeman Foundation describes its mission as advancing arts access through performance, education, and advocacy. The Food Bank of Delaware describes its work as providing food and collaborating on long-term solutions to hunger and poverty. Georgetown University describes its focus on education, research, and preparing students for the future.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 61 grants totaling $4,701,124. Individual grants ranged from $2,500 to $3,516,310, with a median grant of $10,000. The largest grant was $3,516,310 to the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation for “ARTS - JMFF.” Other large grants included $152,500 to Faces of Montgomery County and $107,500 to Faces of Sussex County, both for social services; $125,000 to Scotland AME Zion Church for social services; and $59,324 to Montgomery County Beef 4-H Club for social services.
FACES grants support smaller projects and are limited to nonprofit organizations with annual operating budgets of $750,000 or less in Montgomery County or $500,000 or less in Sussex County. Requests must be for $2,500, $5,000, or $10,000. Applicants must be an eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit in good standing or a public agency serving residents of the funding area, and must be based in the relevant county. The foundation excludes individuals, political associations or candidates, organizations that would pass funding on to others, and organizations that discriminate on specified grounds. Its FAQ also says religious organizations are prohibited from receiving grants for direct religious work.
The foundation requires eligible applicants to submit required information online through its website. FACES applications are considered in two annual cycles, with deadlines published on the foundation’s website. The website says legacy grants are generally offered to organizations with special relationships with the foundation, often by invitation, and are not generally subject to an open application process.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Michelle L. Freeman as chair/president, Nicholas Freeman as secretary/director, Christine A. Shreve as trustee, and Patti Grimes as executive director.
The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc is led by Michelle L. Freeman, Chair & President since 2025 (on filings since 2020); 2 of 4 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michelle L. Freeman
Chair & President
Chairman & President → Chair & President, 2025
On filings since 2020
14 hrs/week
$120K (2020) → $142K (2025)
Patti Grimes
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$120K (2020) → $142K (2025)
Christine A. Shreve
Trustee
Treasurer, Vice Chairman & Director → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nicholas Freeman
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $142K, to Michelle L Freeman (Chair/President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc
How much does The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc give each year?
The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc gave $4.7M across 61 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $3.6M across 43 grants.
What is The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $77,068, across 61 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc that year got $28K on average.
Where does The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc give grants?
The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc gives mostly in Delaware: 81% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Maryland (11%) and District of Columbia (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (20 grants), Wilmington, DE (6 grants), Rockville, MD (4 grants) and Rehoboth Beach, DE (3 grants).
Does The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 61 grants with a stated purpose on The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Social Services" (28 grants), "Arts" (13 grants) and "Education" (11 grants).
Who are The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Joshua M Freeman Foundation ($3,516,310), Faces of Montgomery CO ($152,500) and Scotland Ame Zion Church ($125,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 81% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc?
The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc reported $116.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation says it seeks to facilitate, support, and promote innovative community-based leadership and giving, honor its founders’ legacies and passions, endorse excellence, and leverage resources. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc?
Submit the required application information online for an eligible FACES cycle. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-6047536. 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-carl-m-freeman-foundation-inc-morg_87fbe81fc9334168bd9e466f1259b461
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_526047536_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-carl-m-freeman-foundation-inc-morg_87fbe81fc9334168bd9e466f1259b461},
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 The Carl M Freeman Foundation Inc'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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