The Lillian Sherwood
The Lillian Sherwood is a private foundation based in Lander, Wyoming. Its 2025 filing reports 18 grants totaling $218,150 to charitable organizations; the foundation states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
The Lillian Sherwood at a glance
In short: The Lillian Sherwood gave $218K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), top state California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $218,150
- +115.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- +38.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,119
- +55.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $17,230,052
- +16.2% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (32% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Lillian Sherwood
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 801 South 3Rd St, Lander, WY 82520
Phone: (281) 687-9671
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Lillian Sherwood funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Hitching Post Ministries ($50K). Together the top 10 received $187K.
Grant Size Distribution
49 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 46 grants of 49 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in California (32%), Vermont (23%), Wyoming (21%), New York (13%), and Washington, DC (4%), among other locations.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Lillian Sherwood gives
- 44% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 506% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 29% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $34K (2023) to $959K (2020). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $218K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hitching Post Ministries Lake Elsinore, CA | Charitable Purpose | $50,050 |
| Conservation Law Foundation Montpelier, VT | Charitable Purpose | $50,000 |
| Lander Community Foundation Lander, WY | Charitable Purpose | $30,000 |
| Barnard College New York, NY | Charitable Purpose | $20,000 |
| Reach Education Inc Washington, DC | Charitable Purpose | $8,000 |
| Whitney Museum of American Art New York, NY | Charitable Purpose | $7,500 |
| Okano's Gift Jackson, WY | Charitable Purpose | $6,000 |
| Ipas Chapel Hill, NC | Charitable Purpose | $5,000 |
| Chelsea's Fund Lander, WY | Charitable Purpose | $5,000 |
| California Inclusive Sailing Newport Beach, CA | Charitable Purpose | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Lillian Sherwood?
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 | $17,230,052 | $2,282,149 | $314,782 | $218,150 | 18 | $224,939 | $791,511 | $782,257 |
| 2024 | $14,831,206 | $1,869,559 | $204,670 | $101,250 | 13 | $127,093 | $478,739 | $688,470 |
| 2023 | $13,005,577 | $1,378,371 | $127,816 | $33,750 | 7 | $46,566 | $307,023 | $609,731 |
| 2022 | $11,433,482 | $8,926,011 | $95,642 | $36,000 | 7 | $52,597 | $180,297 | $376,693 |
| 2021 | $2,740,211 | $2,181,686 | $145,691 | $140,000 | 4 | $145,670 | — | $208,869 |
| 2020 | $3,429,616 | $1,983,396 | $1,062,626 | $958,800 | 8 | — | — | $140,370 |
| 2019 | $2,510,576 | $1,721,189 | $523,184 | $516,259 | 7 | — | — | $93,534 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lillian Sherwood reported a distributable amount of $782K 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 went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Hitching Post Ministries describes its work as mentoring and sharing the hope of Jesus Christ through horsemanship; Barnard College describes its mission as providing a high-quality liberal arts education to promising and high-achieving young women; and REACH Education says it prepares teens to serve as tutors and role models to improve literacy outcomes.
Other 2025 recipients include the Whitney Museum of American Art, which says it presents and collects art of the United States and champions living artists; Ipas, which says it works to advance reproductive justice by expanding access to abortion and contraception; and Back on My Feet, which says it uses fitness and community to empower people to achieve economic independence.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $218,150 through 18 grants. Grants ranged from $600 to $50,050, with a median grant of $5,000.
Notable 2025 grants included $50,050 to Hitching Post Ministries, $50,000 to Conservation Law Foundation, $30,000 to Lander Community Foundation, $20,000 to Barnard College, $8,000 to REACH Education, and $7,500 to the Whitney Museum of American Art. Other listed recipients include Ipas ($5,000), Back on My Feet ($5,000), and Global Pearls ($5,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Megan Griswold as president and treasurer and Michelle L. Escudero as secretary.
The Lillian Sherwood is led by Megan Griswold, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2021; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Megan Griswold
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michelle L. Escudero
Secretary
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Carol Griswold-Bacigalupi (2019–2020) — Secretary
- Former: David E. Griswold (2019–2020) — President
- Former: Richard Bacigalupi (2019–2020) — Executive Director & Treasurer
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 Lillian Sherwood
How much does The Lillian Sherwood give each year?
The Lillian Sherwood gave $218K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $101K across 13 grants.
What is The Lillian Sherwood's typical grant size?
The Lillian Sherwood's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $12,119, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Lillian Sherwood give grants?
The Lillian Sherwood's top state is California, with 32% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Vermont (23%) and Wyoming (21%). The most frequent recipient cities were Lander, WY (2 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Who are The Lillian Sherwood's largest grantees?
The Lillian Sherwood's largest 2025 grantees include Hitching Post Ministries ($50,050), Conservation Law Foundation ($50,000) and Lander Community Foundation ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 60% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Lillian Sherwood?
The Lillian Sherwood reported $17.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $225K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $782K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Lillian Sherwood fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Lillian Sherwood?
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and 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 Lillian Sherwood's EIN?
The Lillian Sherwood's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 33-0668667. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Lillian Sherwood 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 21, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 23, 2022)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Lillian Sherwood's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Lillian Sherwood funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-lillian-sherwood-morg_2bca86c7f08545debe4dec8129ac6903
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_330668667_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Lillian Sherwood funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-lillian-sherwood-morg_2bca86c7f08545debe4dec8129ac6903},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Lillian Sherwood'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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