The Elizabeth O Shear Foundation

SOMERS POINT, NJ EIN: 22-6803705

The Elizabeth O Shear Foundation is a private foundation established in 2000 and based in Somers Point, New Jersey. The foundation focuses on providing educational support through scholarship awards to high school graduates.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$2.9M

+93.7% YoY

Annual Giving

$210K

-9.3% YoY

Grant Count

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$3K

-9.3% YoY

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation awards scholarships to graduating seniors from specific New Jersey high schools who meet academic criteria. The foundation specifically targets students from:

Lacy Township High School
Pinelands Regional High School
Southern Regional High School

Eligible students must be in the top 25 percent of their class, maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA, and achieve a minimum 1,000 SAT score.

Grantmaking

Scholarships are awarded directly to the colleges and universities that the selected students attend.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation funds students from high schools in New Jersey, specifically targeting the Lacy Township, Pinelands Regional, and Southern Regional school districts.

Grant Distribution by State

New Jersey $649K (97%)

Pennsylvania $8K (1%)

New York $6K (1%)

Florida $4K (1%)

South Carolina $1K (0%)

States

Florida New Jersey New York Pennsylvania South Carolina

Cities

BarnegatBarnegat LightBeach HavenBeach Haven CrestBrant BeachCedar RunForked RiverForked RoverLanoka HarborLittle Egg HarborLittle RiverLong Beach TownshipLong Beach TwspManahawkinOxfordPalm CoastRego ParkShip BottomSurf CityToms River

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Total assets (2023): $1,510,354
Total giving (2023): $231,250
IRS 501(c)(3) status
EIN: 22-6803705

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$2,925,333	$1,510,354	$154,464
Revenue	$1,372,374	$1,574,793	$195,128
Expenses	$264,451	$273,130	$243,632
Qualifying Distributions	$215,681	$236,475	$243,632
Net Investment Income	$168,400	$23,554	$128
Distributable Amount	—	—	—

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 2024

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Hope DeWitt ($6,250), Luke Bush ($3,750), Donna Campbell ($3,750).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
Dean V Bates Manahawkin, NJ	Scholarship	$2,500
Sharon Benson Little Egg Harbor, NJ	Scholarship	$2,500
Danielle Bosland Manahawkin, NJ	Scholarship	$1,250
Luke Bush Manahawkin, NJ	Scholarship	$3,750
Austin Cappuccio Barnegat, NJ	Scholarship	$2,500
Adam D'Ambrosio West Creek, NJ	Scholarship	$1,250
Dylan Danko Forked River, NJ	Scholarship	$2,500
Madison Dennehy Forked River, NJ	Scholarship	$1,250
Rachael Germain West Creek, NJ	Scholarship	$2,500
Maggie Ann Hodges Forked River, NJ	Scholarship	$2,500

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Alan S. Gerber – Trustee
Barbara Freedman Gerber – Secretary

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
ALAN S GERBER	Trustee	0.85	$43,042
BARBARA FREEDMAN GERBER	Secretary	2.08	$5,728

Contact Information

Address: PO Box 605, Somers Point, NJ 08244-0605
Telephone: 609-432-6045

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Elizabeth O Shear Foundation fund?

The foundation awards scholarships to graduating seniors from specific New Jersey high schools who meet academic criteria. The foundation specifically targets students from: • Lacy Township High School • Pinelands Regional High School • Southern Regional High School Eligible students must be in the top 25 percent of their class, maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA, and achieve a minimum 1,000 SAT score.

How do I apply for a grant from The Elizabeth O Shear Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Total giving (2023): $231,250 • Total distributions (2023): $236,000 • Number of grants awarded: 83 • Median grant amount: $2,500 • Maximum grant amount: $8,800 **Grant Type:** Scholarships are awarded directly to the colleges and universities that the selected students attend.

Where does The Elizabeth O Shear Foundation make grants?

The foundation funds students from high schools in New Jersey, specifically targeting the Lacy Township, Pinelands Regional, and Southern Regional school districts.

What size grants does The Elizabeth O Shear Foundation award?

In 2024, The Elizabeth O Shear Foundation awarded 83 grants totaling $210K — an average of about $3K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

What is The Elizabeth O Shear Foundation's EIN?

The Elizabeth O Shear Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-6803705. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.