The Jack and Kathy Shields Family
The Jack and Kathy Shields Family is a private foundation based in Duxbury, Massachusetts. It supports agencies that improve the lives of struggling families in its community and nonprofit organizations responding to urgent needs in Massachusetts and Florida.
The Jack and Kathy Shields Family at a glance
In short: The Jack and Kathy Shields Family gave $1.0M across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $36K), mostly in Massachusetts. 4% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,016,300
- -7.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- -20.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $36,296
- +15.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $35,000
- Total assets
- $10,793,063
- -2.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 4% first-time grantees (1 of 28, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (76% 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 Jack and Kathy Shields Family
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s website says it does not accept unsolicited requests and that organizations are selected and invited to apply. Its 2025 filing lists a grant proposal, tax-exempt letter, and financial and project information as application materials; it states that awards have no restrictions.
- Review Cycle
- The filing lists October 1. That deadline has passed for 2026.
- Deadline
- The filing lists October 1.
- Contact
Application contact: The Jack And Kathy Shields Family F
Mailing address: PO Box 277, Duxbury, MA 02331
Phone: (781) 490-3238
Website: https://shieldsfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Jack and Kathy Shields Family funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Crossroads for Kids Inc ($113K). Together the top 10 received $641K.
Grant Size Distribution
138 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 99 grants of 138 (72%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website says it supports nonprofit organizations responding to urgent needs in Massachusetts and Florida. In 2025, 76% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts, 19% to Florida, and 5% to Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Jack and Kathy Shields Family open to new grantees?
4%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 28 grantees (4%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $37K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $35K repeat.
- 96% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+11%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 229% 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 $540K (2020) to $1.1M (2024). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Crossroads for Kids Inc Duxbury, MA | Program Support | $112,800 |
| The Valedictorian Project Watertown, MA | Program Support | $100,000 |
| School on Wheels of Massachusetts Inc East Bridgewater, MA | Program Support | $75,000 |
| Bullard Family Foundation Lutz, FL | Program Support | $62,500 |
| Starting Right Now Tampa, FL | Program Support | $50,750 |
| Father Bills & Mainspring Inc Brockton, MA | Program Support | $50,000 |
| House of Possibilities Inc North Easton, MA | Program Support | $50,000 |
| Lovin Spoonfuls Inc Newton, MA | Program Support | $50,000 |
| Surivor Ventures Norfolk, VA | Program Support | $50,000 |
| Charity Guild Inc Brockton, MA | Program Support | $40,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Jack and Kathy Shields Family?
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 | $10,793,063 | $742,792 | $1,302,388 | $1,016,300 | 28 | $1,196,826 | $690,073 | $522,063 |
| 2024 | $11,009,341 | $759,713 | $1,381,574 | $1,096,500 | 35 | $1,278,338 | $704,614 | $545,767 |
| 2023 | $11,410,968 | $217,930 | $1,098,977 | $812,810 | 32 | $996,937 | $252,309 | $544,079 |
| 2022 | $11,164,712 | $1,558,412 | $1,163,978 | $916,850 | 27 | $1,031,914 | $538,642 | $531,042 |
| 2021 | $12,409,374 | $2,885,588 | $719,651 | $595,100 | 16 | $620,883 | $1,818,495 | $524,667 |
| 2020 | $10,954,926 | $1,399,453 | $606,328 | $540,125 | 18 | — | $428,049 | $490,556 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Jack and Kathy Shields Family reported a distributable amount of $522K 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’s stated mission is to support agencies that improve the lives of struggling families in its community. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations addressing youth development, education, homelessness, disability services, and environmental restoration.
Examples illustrate the range of grantees’ work. Crossroads for Kids says it serves youth from low-income communities through year-round outdoor learning, social-emotional development, college and career exploration, and relationships with peers and role models. The Valedictorian Project describes its work as mentoring high-achieving students from urban schools to address inequity and the education-to-employment gap. School on Wheels of Massachusetts says it provides educational programs, one-on-one tutoring, and school supplies for homeless youth. Father Bill’s & MainSpring says it works to end homelessness through shelter, housing, and services. Tampa Bay Watch describes its work as watershed restoration, education, and community outreach.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 28 grants totaling $1,016,300. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $112,800, with a median of $35,000. The largest awards included $112,800 to Crossroads for Kids, $100,000 to The Valedictorian Project, and $75,000 to School on Wheels of Massachusetts. Other notable awards were $62,500 to Bullard Family Foundation, $50,750 to Starting Right Now, and $50,000 each to Father Bill’s & MainSpring and House of Possibilities. The filing lists these awards as program support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John M. Shields, Kathleen W. Shields, John Yunits, and Fallon Shields as trustees, and Mary Kramer as foundation director. The foundation’s website lists Jack Shields, Kathy Shields, Fallon Shields, and Jack Yunits as trustees, and Mary Kramer as director. It also identifies Gerard Nadeau, Paul Leonard, and Shannon West as board advisors.
The Jack and Kathy Shields Family's 2025 filing lists 5 officers; 2 of 5 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Fallon Shields
Trustee
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$15K (2020) → $18K (2025)
Mary Kramer
Foundation Director
Trustee → Foundation Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
25 hrs/week
$15K (2020) → $80K (2025)
John M. Shields
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Yunits
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kathleen W. Shields
Trustee
On filings since 2020
10 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 $80K, to Mary Kramer (Foundation Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Jack and Kathy Shields Family
How much does The Jack and Kathy Shields Family give each year?
The Jack and Kathy Shields Family gave $1.0M across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.1M across 35 grants.
What is The Jack and Kathy Shields Family's typical grant size?
The Jack and Kathy Shields Family's median grant in 2025 was $35,000, and its average grant was $36,296, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Jack and Kathy Shields Family that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Jack and Kathy Shields Family give grants?
The Jack and Kathy Shields Family gives mostly in Massachusetts: 76% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Florida (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Duxbury, MA (3 grants), Tampa, FL (3 grants), Brockton, MA (2 grants) and Kingston, MA (2 grants).
Does The Jack and Kathy Shields Family give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 28 grants with a stated purpose on The Jack and Kathy Shields Family's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (25 grants) and "Food Pantry" (3 grants).
Who are The Jack and Kathy Shields Family's largest grantees?
The Jack and Kathy Shields Family's largest 2025 grantees include Crossroads for Kids Inc ($112,800), The Valedictorian Project ($100,000) and School on Wheels of Massachusetts Inc ($75,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Jack and Kathy Shields Family?
The Jack and Kathy Shields Family reported $10.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $522K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Jack and Kathy Shields Family fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to support agencies that improve the lives of struggling families in its community. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations addressing youth development, education, homelessness, disability services, and environmental restoration. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Jack and Kathy Shields Family?
The foundation’s website says it does not accept unsolicited requests and that organizations are selected and invited to apply. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Jack and Kathy Shields Family's EIN?
The Jack and Kathy Shields Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-6878692. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Jack and Kathy Shields Family 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 22, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Jack and Kathy Shields Family funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Jack and Kathy Shields Family funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-jack-and-kathy-shields-family-morg_21790ef4a5814eafa214a4bbd8e1ea16
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_846878692_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Jack and Kathy Shields Family funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-jack-and-kathy-shields-family-morg_21790ef4a5814eafa214a4bbd8e1ea16},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Jack and Kathy Shields Family'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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