The Sear Foundation
The Sear Foundation is a private foundation based in Palm City, Florida. Its 2025 filing reports 13 grants totaling $91,700 to charitable organizations, including organizations supporting military members and veterans, working dogs, animal rescue, and other causes.
The Sear Foundation at a glance
In short: The Sear Foundation gave $92K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), top state Tennessee. 31% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $91,700
- +40.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +30.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,054
- +7.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $686,023
- +32.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (4 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (36% 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 Sear Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 839 Sw Bittern Street, Palm City, FL 34990
Phone: (858) 775-2522
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Sear Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Gary Sinise Foundation ($33K). Together the top 10 received $89K.
Grant Size Distribution
53 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 53 grants of 53 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee (36%), New York (13%), Virginia (13%), Florida (12%), and North Carolina (11%). The grants also included recipients in Nebraska, Arizona, and Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Sear Foundation open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 13 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 69% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 93% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 99% 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 (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 $24K (2020) to $92K (2025). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $92K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Gary Sinise Foundation Nashville, TN | General | $33,000 |
| Tunnels to Towers Foundation Staten Island, NY | General | $12,000 |
| Navy Seal Foundation Virginia Beach, VA | General | $10,000 |
| Travis Mills Foundation Mount Vernon, NE | General | $8,000 |
| Samaritan's Purse Boone, NC | General | $5,000 |
| Turning Point USA Inc Phoenix, AZ | General | $5,000 |
| Victory Junction Randleman, NC | General | $5,000 |
| Doberman Rescue League Oakland Park, FL | General | $4,000 |
| Dogs for Life Vero Beach, FL | General | $4,000 |
| The Lyric Theater Stuart, FL | General | $2,500 |
Ready to take the next step with The Sear 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 | $686,023 | $265,046 | $95,225 | $91,700 | 13 | $95,225 | $16,445 | $96,172 |
| 2024 | $516,202 | $211,780 | $71,150 | $65,500 | 10 | $70,950 | $11,391 | $72,160 |
| 2023 | $375,572 | $83,293 | $32,702 | $32,000 | 6 | $32,480 | $8,465 | $42,326 |
| 2022 | $324,981 | $56,964 | $49,633 | $47,500 | 13 | $49,545 | $6,964 | $36,753 |
| 2021 | $317,650 | $56,355 | $32,853 | $31,000 | 11 | $32,770 | $6,355 | $35,311 |
| 2020 | $294,148 | $105,989 | $25,679 | $24,000 | 13 | — | $5,989 | $23,182 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Sear Foundation reported a distributable amount of $96K 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 included support for organizations whose own stated missions include serving military members, veterans, first responders, and their families; supporting active and retired working dogs; providing assistance and therapy dogs; and rescuing and rehoming Dobermans. For example, the Gary Sinise Foundation describes its work as supporting the nation’s heroes, veterans, military members, first responders, and their families. Dogs for Life describes a mission of improving quality of life for people and dogs through assistance-dog training, pet therapy, and an off-leash dog park.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave 13 grants totaling $91,700. Grant amounts ranged from $700 to $33,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest awards included $33,000 to the Gary Sinise Foundation, $12,000 to Tunnels to Towers Foundation, $10,000 to Navy SEAL Foundation, and $8,000 to Travis Mills Foundation. Other recipients included Samaritan’s Purse ($5,000), Victory Junction ($5,000), Doberman Rescue League ($4,000), Dogs for Life ($4,000), and the Lyric Theater ($2,500). The listed grants were reported for general purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Cristina Sear and David Sear as officers.
The Sear Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Cristina Sear
Officer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Sear
Officer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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.
Frequently asked questions about The Sear Foundation
How much does The Sear Foundation give each year?
The Sear Foundation gave $92K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $66K across 10 grants.
What is The Sear Foundation's typical grant size?
The Sear Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $7,054, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Sear Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does The Sear Foundation give grants?
The Sear Foundation's top state is Tennessee, with 36% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (13%) and Virginia (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Virginia Beach, VA (2 grants) and Stuart, FL (2 grants).
Does The Sear Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Sear Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Sear Foundation's largest grantees?
The Sear Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Gary Sinise Foundation ($33,000), Tunnels to Towers Foundation ($12,000) and Navy Seal Foundation ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 60% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Sear Foundation?
The Sear Foundation reported $686K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $95K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $96K (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 Sear Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Sear Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Sear Foundation's EIN?
The Sear Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-1699408. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Sear Foundation 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 27, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 6, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 3, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Sear Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
Saint Louis, MO
The Enterprise Holdings Foundation supports charitable and educational nonprofits in communities where Enterprise Mobility operates, focusing on health, education, arts, and disaster relief; applicants must be actively supported by an Enterprise Mobility team member, spouse, or domestic partner. Giving varies widely: it reported 9,499 grants in 2024, but its 2025 filing showed one grant of $101.4 million, so that amount is not a typical award. Applications are accepted at any time through eligible Enterprise-affiliated applicants; the Foundation does not limit giving to preselected organizations.
Assets
$594.3M
Grants
1
Total Given
$101.4M
Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Inc
Princeton, NJ
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation supports health access and stronger health systems, with a focus on adult and pediatric cancers, blood disorders, brain health, and clinical-trial participation in the United States, Brazil, India, and ten Sub-Saharan African countries. In 2024, its median grant was about $134,000, though awards varied widely; it does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests, and advises prospective applicants to contact the Foundation about its process.
Assets
$83.3M
Grants
144
Total Given
$67.7M
United Way Worldwide
Alexandria, VA
United Way Worldwide funds community programs focused on youth opportunity, health, financial security, education, and disaster relief, with 2024 grants made across multiple U.S. states and internationally. Its 209 reported grants ranged from $5,100 to $736,333, with a median of $22,675. It does not state whether it accepts unsolicited grant requests.
Assets
$68.0M
Grants
209
Total Given
$11.4M
Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego
San Diego, CA
The Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego supports charitable, educational, and religious organizations, with grants spanning Jewish community life, research, civil rights, health care, arts, and community services. Its 2025 grants had a median of $25,000, though amounts varied widely; two-thirds of its grants since founding have gone to San Diego organizations, with others mainly elsewhere in the U.S. and Israel. Some listed opportunities accept applications from eligible nonprofits, but the profile does not state whether the Foundation accepts unsolicited requests generally.
Assets
$862.3M
Grants
774
Total Given
$148.1M
The San Diego Foundation
San Diego, CA
The San Diego Foundation funds nonprofit work in family well-being, education, the environment, and housing, including projects, capacity building, and general support that advance equity and resilient communities. Its 2025 grants had a median of $25,000, though amounts varied widely; applicants generally must be located in San Diego County and primarily serve county residents. It offers competitive grant opportunities through its online portal, but the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.7B
Grants
1,158
Total Given
$94.3M
California Community Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
The California Community Foundation supports nonprofits through discretionary and donor-directed grants, with discretionary priorities including education, health, housing and immigration, alongside other areas such as arts, civic engagement and economic opportunity. Its 2025 grants had a median of $50,000, and its work is focused on Los Angeles County; prospective discretionary applicants are asked to contact the relevant program officer before submitting a letter of intent.
Assets
$2.3B
Grants
2,174
Total Given
$326.6M
More similar funders
More Funders in Florida
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Sear Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-sear-foundation-morg_645abeeb9aa54aa7a1a4f5ae03a37122
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_611699408_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Sear Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-sear-foundation-morg_645abeeb9aa54aa7a1a4f5ae03a37122},
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 Sear 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.
The Sear Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?