The Shepherd Family Charitable

Private foundation · Grantmaker Souderton, PA EIN: 45-3693539

The Shepherd Family Charitable is a private foundation, based in Souderton, PA. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $6.8M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 27 grants totaling $287K. Net investment income was $243K.

Key facts about The Shepherd Family Charitable

In short: The Shepherd Family Charitable gave $287K across 27 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 56% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
45-3693539
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$287,000
Grants made (2025)
27
Average grant
$10,630
Median grant
$10,000
New grantees (estimate)
56% first-time grantees (15 of 27, 2025)
Total assets
$6,808,774
Primary geography
Pennsylvania (54% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$6.8M

-0.7% YoY

Annual Giving

$287K

+123.3% YoY

Grant Count

27

+50.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$11K

+48.9% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Shepherd Family Charitable reported a distributable amount of $383K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is The Shepherd Family Charitable open to new grantees?

56%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 15 of 27 grantees (56%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $13K. How we count

Medians: $8K first-time, $14K repeat.

  • 33% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 160% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 76% 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.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

12states

Share of all 27 itemized 2025 grant dollars.

Cities

PhiladelphiaAllentownCochranvilleColmarPiscatawayRockvilleSellersvilleStaten IslandAbingtonBangordDoylestownMadisonQuakertownBethesdaCheltenhamClarksburgEast GreenvilleHellertownMemphisNashville

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$100K$200K$300K19 grants202025 grants202122 grants202223 grants202318 grants202427 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $76K (2020) to $287K (2025). In 2025 it made 27 grants totaling $287K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Fisher House Foundation: $31KFisher House Foundation$31KIeee Foundation: $20KIeee Foundation$20KTunnel to Towers Foundation: $20KTunnel to Towers Foundation$20KDoylestown Hospital: $20KDoylestown Hospital$20KCanine Partners for Life: $15KCanine Partners for Life$15KGary Sinise Foundation: $15KGary Sinise Foundation$15KHabitat for Humanity: $15KHabitat for Humanity$15KKeystone Opportunity Center: $15KKeystone Opportunity Center$15KQuakertown Food Pantry: $15KQuakertown Food Pantry$15KShepherd's Shelf Emergency Food Cupboard-Food Pantry: $15KShepherd's Shelf EmergencyFood Cupboard-Food Pantry$15K

The largest 2025 recipient was Fisher House Foundation ($31K). Together the top 10 received $181K.

Grant Size Distribution

115 grants across all recorded years

115<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 115 grants of 115 (100%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Fisher House Foundation Rockville, MDGeneral Operations$31,000
Ieee Foundation Piscataway, NJGeneral Operations$20,000
Tunnel to Towers Foundation Staten Island, NYGeneral Operations$20,000
Doylestown Hospital Doylestown, PAGeneral Operations$20,000
Canine Partners for Life Cochranville, PAGeneral Operations$15,000
Gary Sinise Foundation Nashville, TNGeneral Operations$15,000
Habitat for Humanity Quakertown, PAGeneral Operations$15,000
Keystone Opportunity Center Souderton, PAGeneral Operations$15,000
Quakertown Food Pantry Quakertown, PAGeneral Operations$15,000
Shepherd's Shelf Emergency Food Cupboard-Food Pantry Harleysville, PAGeneral Operations$15,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$2M$4M$6M202020212022202320242025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$6,808,774$6,855,063$6,121,557
Revenue$316,638$917,026$4,082,943
Expenses$365,825$187,010$158,331
Qualifying Distributions$292,474$133,580$125,250
Net Investment Income$243,287$863,611$50,375
Distributable Amount$383,385$387,024$146,179

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 9, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 11, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 6, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 13, 2025)
  6. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 14, 2026)
  7. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

The Shepherd Family Charitable is led by Donald R. Shepherd, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Donald R. Shepherd

    President

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ethel Shepherd

    Secretary & Treasurer

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Debbie Lichenstein

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Judy Smith

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ken Shepherd

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Philip C. Jackson

    Vice President

    On filings since 2024

    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 Shepherd Family Charitable

How much does The Shepherd Family Charitable give each year?

The Shepherd Family Charitable gave $287K across 27 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $129K across 18 grants.

What is The Shepherd Family Charitable's typical grant size?

The Shepherd Family Charitable's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $10,630, across 27 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Shepherd Family Charitable that year got $9K on average.

Where does The Shepherd Family Charitable give grants?

The Shepherd Family Charitable gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 54% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Maryland (15%) and New York (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Quakertown, PA (3 grants), Philadelphia, PA (3 grants), Souderton, PA (2 grants) and Clarksburg, MD (2 grants).

Does The Shepherd Family Charitable give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of The Shepherd Family Charitable's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (27 of 27) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are The Shepherd Family Charitable's largest grantees?

The Shepherd Family Charitable's largest 2025 grantees include Fisher House Foundation ($31,000), Ieee Foundation ($20,000) and Tunnel to Towers Foundation ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is The Shepherd Family Charitable?

The Shepherd Family Charitable reported $6.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $292K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $383K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What is The Shepherd Family Charitable's EIN?

The Shepherd Family Charitable's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-3693539. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.

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