The James and Sharon Maida Foundation
The James and Sharon Maida Foundation is a private foundation based in Trenton, New Jersey. Its 2025 filing reports 44 grants totaling $2,582,079, including support for universities, health care, environmental, community, and other organizations.
The James and Sharon Maida Foundation at a glance
In short: The James and Sharon Maida Foundation gave $2.6M across 44 grants in 2025 (avg $59K), mostly in New Jersey. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,582,079
- +54.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 44
- +15.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $58,684
- +33.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $15,693,302
- -1.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (8 of 41, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New Jersey (53% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The James and Sharon Maida Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 855 Parkway Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08618
Phone: (609) 882-6874
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The James and Sharon Maida Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Lehigh University ($1.0M across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $2.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
187 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 167 grants of 187 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went primarily to organizations in New Jersey (53%) and Pennsylvania (41%), followed by New York (5%), California (1%), and Georgia (0%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 44 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The James and Sharon Maida Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 41 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $479; repeat grants $78K. How we count
Medians: $275 first-time, $1K repeat.
- 76% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 29% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 589% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $847K (2019) to $2.6M (2025). In 2025 it made 44 grants totaling $2.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lehigh University Bethlehem PA, PA | Education & Scholarships | $1,014,407 |
| RWJ Barnabus Health Care System West Orange, NJ | Health & Education | $509,501 |
| RWJ Barnabus Health Care System West Orange, NJ | Health & Education | $508,453 |
| Rutgers University Foundation New Brunswick, NJ | Educational | $279,571 |
| Make a Change World New York, NY | Enviromental | $120,000 |
| Monmouth Medical Ctr Long Branch, NJ | HEALTH and Education | $45,500 |
| Lehigh University Bethlehem PA, PA | Scholarship | $28,667 |
| We Care Solar Berkeley, CA | Community | $16,000 |
| HABITAT for HUMANITY Atlanta, GA | Community Resources | $10,200 |
| Kutztown Univer of PA Kutztown PA, PA | Scholarship | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The James and Sharon Maida Foundation?
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 | $15,693,302 | $2,679,787 | $2,699,960 | $2,582,079 | 44 | $2,593,142 | $230,320 | $440,449 |
| 2024 | $15,881,582 | $1,663,598 | $1,797,274 | $1,672,353 | 38 | $1,682,883 | $321,465 | $505,306 |
| 2023 | $16,015,258 | $3,191,478 | $2,216,233 | $1,970,859 | 35 | $1,980,889 | $820,659 | $496,223 |
| 2022 | $15,040,013 | $3,129,843 | $2,125,678 | $1,999,799 | 35 | $2,011,389 | $734,963 | $536,582 |
| 2021 | $14,018,380 | $4,897,883 | $2,003,778 | $1,917,665 | 35 | $1,923,051 | $2,463,722 | $579,447 |
| 2020 | $11,124,275 | $2,545,573 | $2,034,775 | $1,932,320 | 28 | — | $536,653 | $529,324 |
| 2019 | $10,613,478 | $1,014,146 | $938,586 | $846,780 | 31 | — | $931,929 | $464,937 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The James and Sharon Maida Foundation reported a distributable amount of $440K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include purposes described as education and scholarships, health and education, environmental, and community support.
Among the grantees, Lehigh University describes its goal as advancing learning through teaching, research, and service, while Rutgers University Foundation says its mission is to support Rutgers in education, research, and public service. Make a Change World describes its work as protecting oceans and waterways from pollution through cleanup and education campaigns. We Care Solar says it designs and implements solar energy programs to improve health care and education. Other supported organizations describe work that includes building homes with low-income families (Habitat for Humanity), protecting Barnegat Bay and its ecosystem (Save Barnegat Bay), and helping young people develop skills through boatbuilding, rowing, sailing, and river restoration (Rocking the Boat).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 44 grants totaling $2,582,079. Grants ranged from $55 to $1,014,407, with a median of $1,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $1,014,407 to Lehigh University, $509,501 and $508,453 to RWJ Barnabas Health Care System, $279,571 to Rutgers University Foundation, and $120,000 to Make a Change World. Other listed awards included $45,500 to Monmouth Medical Center, $16,000 to We Care Solar, and $10,200 to Habitat for Humanity.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists James R. Maida, Sharon O. Maida, and Elaine L. Maida as trustees.
The James and Sharon Maida Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Elaine L Maida
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
James R Maida
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Sharon O Maida
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about The James and Sharon Maida Foundation
How much does The James and Sharon Maida Foundation give each year?
The James and Sharon Maida Foundation gave $2.6M across 44 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.7M across 38 grants.
What is The James and Sharon Maida Foundation's typical grant size?
The James and Sharon Maida Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $58,684, across 44 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The James and Sharon Maida Foundation that year got $479 on average.
Where does The James and Sharon Maida Foundation give grants?
The James and Sharon Maida Foundation gives mostly in New Jersey: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Pennsylvania (41%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (3 grants), Trenton, NJ (3 grants), Philadelphia, PA (3 grants) and Bethlehem PA, PA (2 grants).
Does The James and Sharon Maida Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 44 grants with a stated purpose on The James and Sharon Maida Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Community" (11 grants), "Children's Issues" (4 grants) and "Cultural" (4 grants).
Who are The James and Sharon Maida Foundation's largest grantees?
The James and Sharon Maida Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Lehigh University ($1,043,074 across 2 grants), RWJ Barnabus Health Care System ($1,017,954 across 2 grants) and Rutgers University Foundation ($279,571), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 91% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The James and Sharon Maida Foundation?
The James and Sharon Maida Foundation reported $15.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $440K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The James and Sharon Maida Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include purposes described as education and scholarships, health and education, environmental, and community support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The James and Sharon Maida Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The James and Sharon Maida Foundation's EIN?
The James and Sharon Maida Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-3479321. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The James and Sharon Maida Foundation 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.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 30, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 30, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 31, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The James and Sharon Maida Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-james-and-sharon-maida-foundation-morg_3628643084ee472c9c9389daed51b681
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_223479321_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The James and Sharon Maida Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-james-and-sharon-maida-foundation-morg_3628643084ee472c9c9389daed51b681},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 James and Sharon Maida 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.
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