The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc
The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Salisbury, Maryland. Its stated activity is making grants to other charities; it reports no direct charitable activities.
The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc gave $285K across 33 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in Maryland. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $284,830
- +5.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 33
- -2.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $8,631
- +9.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,800
- Total assets
- $5,211,892
- +6.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (4 of 33, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (69% 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 Mustard Seed Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1002 S Schumaker Drive, Salisbury, MD 21804
Phone: (302) 245-4466
Website: https://mustardseededucation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Salisbury Christian School ($53K). Together the top 10 received $192K.
Grant Size Distribution
166 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 165 grants of 166 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Maryland recipients received 69% of grant dollars, followed by Colorado at 11%, Illinois at 5%, Virginia at 4%, and Florida at 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 33 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 88% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 32% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 95% 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 (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 $176K (2020) to $285K (2025). In 2025 it made 33 grants totaling $285K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Salisbury Christian School Salisbury, MD | Educational | $53,200 |
| Seaside Christian Academy Ocean City, MD | Educational | $42,000 |
| Faith Baptist School Salisbury, MD | Educational | $20,000 |
| Son Spot Ministries Inc Ocean City, MD | Religious | $14,400 |
| Bible League International Crete, IL | Religious | $13,000 |
| Overflow Cafe Ministries Cambridge, MD | Religious | $13,000 |
| Christian Shelter Inc Salisbury, MD | Charitable | $12,000 |
| Global Service Network Apex, NC | Religious | $8,400 |
| Pregnancy Care Clinic of Es Salisbury, MD | Community | $8,400 |
| Parkway Church of God Salisbury, MD | Religious | $7,700 |
Ready to take the next step with The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc?
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 | $5,211,892 | $664,352 | $345,807 | $284,830 | 33 | $284,830 | $151,032 | $298,782 |
| 2024 | $4,895,658 | $470,355 | $327,533 | $268,870 | 34 | $268,870 | $166,262 | $281,030 |
| 2023 | $4,752,034 | $4,566,609 | $271,638 | $233,375 | 32 | $233,375 | $109,279 | $197,508 |
| 2022 | $456,403 | $231,696 | $233,839 | $216,520 | 31 | $216,520 | $20,358 | $35,210 |
| 2021 | $458,546 | $307,190 | $205,529 | $189,800 | 36 | — | $4,638 | $36,071 |
| 2020 | $355,832 | $145,647 | $217,426 | $175,920 | 28 | — | — | $31,185 |
| 2019 | $425,046 | $163,450 | $310,882 | $261,930 | 33 | — | $40,612 | $34,029 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $299K 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 separate mission statement is provided. The foundation reports that its sole activity is grantmaking. Its 2025 grants included educational, religious, charitable, and community purposes.
Among the grantees, Salisbury Christian School says its primary mission is to provide Christian education to children from infancy through grade 12. Christian Shelter says it provides emergency food, shelter, clothing, and counseling. Global Service Network describes its mission as empowering Christian servants to take the Gospel to the world.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 33 grants totaling $284,830. Grants ranged from $600 to $53,200, with a median grant of $4,800.
The largest 2025 grants included $53,200 to Salisbury Christian School for educational purposes; $42,000 to Seaside Christian Academy for educational purposes; $20,000 to Faith Baptist School for educational purposes; and $14,400 to Son Spot Ministries for religious purposes. Other notable grants included $13,000 each to Bible League International and Overflow Cafe Ministries, and $12,000 to Christian Shelter for charitable purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Sandra Spedden as president/director; Yvonne A. Matthews as vice president/director; Ralph Scott and Blake Wise as directors; Tyrus Farrow as secretary/director; and Jeanine Scott as treasurer.
The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc is led by Sandra Spedden, President & Director since 2020 (on filings since 2019); 2 of 6 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sandra Spedden
President & Director
Presdirector → President & Director, 2020
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Blake Wise
Director
On filings since 2019
$900 (2019) → $0 (2025)
Ralph Scott
Director
On filings since 2019
$700 (2019) → $0 (2025)
Tyrus Farrow
Secretary & Director
Director → Secretary & Director, 2020
On filings since 2019
$700 (2019) → $1K (2025)
Yvonne A. Matthews
Vice President & Director
Vpdirector → Vice President & Director, 2020
On filings since 2019
$1K (2019) → $0 (2025)
Jeanine Scott
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2020
On filings since 2019
$900 (2019) → $870 (2025)
Former officers (2)
- Former: John C Hendricks (2019) — Secydirector
- Former: Ronald L Vandegrift Jr. CPA (2019) — 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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $1K, to Tyrus Farrow (Secretary/Di). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc
How much does The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc give each year?
The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc gave $285K across 33 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $269K across 34 grants.
What is The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $4,800, and its average grant was $8,631, across 33 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc that year got $6K on average.
Where does The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc give grants?
The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc gives mostly in Maryland: 69% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Colorado (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Salisbury, MD (7 grants), Colorado Springs, CO (7 grants), Ocean City, MD (2 grants) and Virginia Beach, VA (2 grants).
Does The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 33 grants with a stated purpose on The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Religious" (14 grants), "Charitable" (13 grants) and "Community" (3 grants).
Who are The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Salisbury Christian School ($53,200), Seaside Christian Academy ($42,000) and Faith Baptist School ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc?
The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc reported $5.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $285K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $299K (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 Mustard Seed Foundation Inc fund?
No separate mission statement is provided. The foundation reports that its sole activity is grantmaking. Its 2025 grants included educational, religious, charitable, and community purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc?
The foundation 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 Mustard Seed Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1492276. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 23, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 19, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 20, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 18, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 5, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 7, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-mustard-seed-foundation-inc-morg_ed923bae9377480f9ac8d38abe5ed9a4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_521492276_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Mustard Seed Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-mustard-seed-foundation-inc-morg_ed923bae9377480f9ac8d38abe5ed9a4},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Mustard Seed Foundation Inc'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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