The McLean Family Foundation
The McLean Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. It makes grants to charitable organizations, with 32 grants totaling $78,500 in 2025. Its listed recipients include organizations working in areas such as social services, health, arts and culture, education, civil liberties, human rights, and international affairs; these examples do not establish formal funding priorities.
Key facts about The McLean Family Foundation
In short: The McLean Family Foundation gave $79K across 32 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in New York. 28% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 51-0405071
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $78,500
- Grants made (2025)
- 32
- Average grant
- $2,453
- Median grant
- $2,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 28% first-time grantees (9 of 32, 2025)
- Total assets
- $127,847
- Primary geography
- New York (63% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$128K
-4.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$79K
+30.3% YoY
Grant Count
32
+28.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2K
+1.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The McLean Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The McLean Family Foundation open to new grantees?
28%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 32 grantees (28%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 63% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 87% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include general and unrestricted support as well as a grant to Yale Law School Fund. Recipients’ own descriptions illustrate the range of work represented: BronxWorks says it supports individuals and families’ economic and social well-being, while The Marfan Foundation describes work in research, education, and support for people with specified genetic conditions. Bridgehampton Chamber Music Associates says its purpose is to promote chamber music concerts to the public. Other recipients describe work in areas including human rights, civil liberties, geographic knowledge, and education.
Grantmaking
The foundation made 32 grants totaling $78,500 in 2025, compared with 25 grants totaling $60,250 in 2024 and 19 totaling $42,000 in 2023. In 2025, grants ranged from $1,000 to $5,000, with a median of $2,500.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, New York recipients received 63% of grant dollars, followed by recipients in DC (8%), Connecticut (6%), New Jersey (4%), and Washington state (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 32 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $25K (2020) to $79K (2025). In 2025 it made 32 grants totaling $79K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Bridgehampton Chamber Music Associates Inc ($5K). Together the top 10 received $35K.
Grant Size Distribution
113 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 113 grants of 113 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgehampton Chamber Music Associates Inc New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Bronxworks Inc Bronx, NY | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| The Marfan Foundation Inc Port Washington, NY | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Yale University New Haven, CT | Yale Law School Fund | $5,000 |
| 122 East 66TH Street Foundation Inc New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $2,500 |
| American Civil Liberties Union Foundation Inc New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $2,500 |
| Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Inc New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $2,500 |
| Council on Foreign Relations Inc New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $2,500 |
| Frick Collection New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $2,500 |
| Friends of the Legal Resources Centre of South AFR Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $2,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grants | Grant total |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 32 | $78,500 |
| 2024 | 25 | $60,250 |
| 2023 | 19 | $42,000 |
The foundation reported that it had no plans for dissolution. In 2025, it distributed $78,500 from assets other than current income. The filing states that this was 25% or more of its net assets of $132,841 at the beginning of that taxable year and resulted in a substantial contraction of assets.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $127,847 | $133,841 | $145,614 |
| Revenue | $77,921 | $53,522 | $52,620 |
| Expenses | $83,915 | $65,295 | $45,623 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $83,525 | $64,775 | $45,250 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,710 | $3,102 | $2,260 |
| Distributable Amount | $4,588 | $5,559 | $5,750 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 14, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 16, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 23, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 8, 2024)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists D Benjamin McLean as vice president; David L McLean as vice president, director, and secretary; Sheila Avrin McLean as president; and Alexandra A McLean Jennings as vice president.
The McLean Family Foundation is led by Sheila Avrin McLean, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sheila Avrin McLean
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David L McLean
Vice President, Director & Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alexandra A McLean Jennings
Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
D Benjamin McLean
Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
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.
Contact
Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Frequently asked questions about The McLean Family Foundation
How much does The McLean Family Foundation give each year?
The McLean Family Foundation gave $79K across 32 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $60K across 25 grants.
What is The McLean Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The McLean Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $2,453, across 32 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The McLean Family Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does The McLean Family Foundation give grants?
The McLean Family Foundation gives mostly in New York: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (8%) and Connecticut (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (17 grants) and Washington, DC (3 grants).
Does The McLean Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 94% of The McLean Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (30 of 32) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The McLean Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The McLean Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Bridgehampton Chamber Music Associates Inc ($5,000), Bronxworks Inc ($5,000) and The Marfan Foundation Inc ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 19% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The McLean Family Foundation?
The McLean Family Foundation reported $128K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $84K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The McLean Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include general and unrestricted support as well as a grant to Yale Law School Fund. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The McLean Family Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The McLean Family Foundation's EIN?
The McLean Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 51-0405071. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The McLean Family 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.
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