The Shepard Family Private Foundation
The Shepard Family Private Foundation is a private foundation based in Baltimore, Maryland. Its 2025 filing reports 31 grants totaling $1,182,055, including support for health care, public policy, community, and other organizations.
The Shepard Family Private Foundation at a glance
In short: The Shepard Family Private Foundation gave $1.2M across 31 grants in 2025 (avg $38K), mostly in Texas. 23% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,182,055
- +32.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 31
- -6.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $38,131
- +41.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $3,378,470
- +13.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (7 of 31, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Texas (54% 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 Shepard Family Private Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 750 E Pratt Street Suite 900, Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: (410) 580-4172
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Shepard Family Private Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Memorial Hermann Foundation ($252K). Together the top 10 received $965K.
Grant Size Distribution
141 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 115 grants of 141 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 54% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas. New York and Maryland each received 11%, Washington, DC received 9%, and Washington state received 4%. The listed grants also include recipients in North Carolina and Georgia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Shepard Family Private Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 31 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $27K; repeat grants $42K. How we count
Medians: $26K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 74% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 42% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 117% 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 $440K (2021) to $1.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 31 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Memorial Hermann Foundation Houston, TX | General Fund | $252,481 |
| Texas Public Policy Foundation Austin, TX | General Fund | $130,162 |
| Catholic Charities Baltimore, MD | General Fund | $112,205 |
| Tunnels to Towers Staten Island, NY | General Fund | $104,850 |
| US Chamber of Commerce Washington, DC | Hiring Our Heros Program | $104,850 |
| Frontera Healthcare Network Menard, TX | General Fund | $103,987 |
| Friends of Mason County Sheriff Shelton, WA | General Fund | $50,000 |
| San Angelo Area Foundation San Angelo, TX | General Fund | $50,000 |
| Rural Health Initiative Raeligh, NC | General Fund | $30,000 |
| UT MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, TX | General Fund | $25,999 |
Ready to take the next step with The Shepard Family Private 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 | $3,378,470 | $1,473,991 | $1,276,426 | $1,182,055 | 31 | $1,188,277 | $267,947 | $1,019,002 |
| 2024 | $2,969,032 | $1,182,679 | $979,299 | $889,371 | 33 | $896,396 | $91,216 | $938,630 |
| 2023 | $2,511,642 | $1,173,066 | $827,334 | $751,772 | 25 | $753,979 | $92,126 | $784,075 |
| 2022 | $2,293,488 | $1,387,935 | $909,647 | $834,670 | 28 | $843,992 | $525,190 | $753,571 |
| 2021 | $2,135,626 | $1,395,549 | $508,527 | $440,000 | 24 | $445,583 | $327,403 | $775,761 |
| 2020 | $1,589,711 | $751,029 | $571,116 | $519,500 | 24 | — | $194,663 | $573,151 |
| 2019 | $1,570,773 | $956,342 | $694,332 | $651,969 | 25 | — | $205,465 | $431,163 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Shepard Family Private Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.0M 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 general-fund support for organizations whose own missions include community health care: Memorial Hermann Foundation describes its work as improving health and creating healthier communities, while Frontera Healthcare Network says it provides accessible, affordable primary health care in its service area. Texas Public Policy Foundation describes its mission as promoting liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise through research and outreach. Other supported organizations include San Angelo Area Foundation, which says it matches donor interests with community needs, and Savannah Wildlife Rescue Center, which rescues and rehabilitates native wildlife.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 31 grants totaling $1,182,055. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $252,481, with a median of $10,000. Its largest grants included $252,481 to Memorial Hermann Foundation, $130,162 to Texas Public Policy Foundation, $112,205 to Catholic Charities in Baltimore, $104,850 to Tunnels to Towers, and $104,850 to the US Chamber of Commerce for its Hiring Our Heroes program. Other notable grants included $103,987 to Frontera Healthcare Network and $50,000 each to Friends of Mason County Sheriff and San Angelo Area Foundation. The filing lists most of these grants for general-fund purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Marianne Schmitt Hellauer as trustee.
The Shepard Family Private Foundation is led by Marianne Schmitt Hellauer, Trustee on every filing since 2019 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Marianne Schmitt Hellauer
Trustee
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Shepard Family Private Foundation
How much does The Shepard Family Private Foundation give each year?
The Shepard Family Private Foundation gave $1.2M across 31 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $889K across 33 grants.
What is The Shepard Family Private Foundation's typical grant size?
The Shepard Family Private Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $38,131, across 31 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Shepard Family Private Foundation that year got $27K on average.
Where does The Shepard Family Private Foundation give grants?
The Shepard Family Private Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 54% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (11%) and Maryland (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (2 grants), Baltimore, MD (2 grants), Dallas, TX (2 grants) and Mason, WV (2 grants).
Does The Shepard Family Private Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 97% of The Shepard Family Private Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (30 of 31) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Shepard Family Private Foundation's largest grantees?
The Shepard Family Private Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Memorial Hermann Foundation ($252,481), Texas Public Policy Foundation ($130,162) and Catholic Charities ($112,205), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Shepard Family Private Foundation?
The Shepard Family Private Foundation reported $3.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Shepard Family Private Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Shepard Family Private Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Shepard Family Private Foundation's EIN?
The Shepard Family Private Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-2135634. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Shepard Family Private 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 12, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Shepard Family Private Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Shepard Family Private Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-shepard-family-private-foundation-morg_02cfbf21ebe9487280a1f4da00f6bb01
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_522135634_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Shepard Family Private Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-shepard-family-private-foundation-morg_02cfbf21ebe9487280a1f4da00f6bb01},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Shepard Family Private 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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