The Shepherd Family Charitable
The Shepherd Family Charitable is a private foundation based in Souderton, Pennsylvania. Its 2025 filing reports 27 grants totaling $287,000 to charitable organizations.
The Shepherd Family Charitable at a glance
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.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $287,000
- +123.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 27
- +50.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,630
- +48.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $6,808,774
- -0.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 56% first-time grantees (15 of 27, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (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 Shepherd Family Charitable
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 60 Skippack Creek Road, Souderton, PA 18964
Phone: (215) 723-8181
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Shepherd Family Charitable funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Fisher House Foundation ($31K). Together the top 10 received $181K.
Grant Size Distribution
115 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 115 grants of 115 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania (54%), Maryland (15%), New York (14%), New Jersey (10%), and Tennessee (5%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
States
Cities
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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $76K (2020) to $287K (2025). In 2025 it made 27 grants totaling $287K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fisher House Foundation Rockville, MD | General Operations | $31,000 |
| Ieee Foundation Piscataway, NJ | General Operations | $20,000 |
| Tunnel to Towers Foundation Staten Island, NY | General Operations | $20,000 |
| Doylestown Hospital Doylestown, PA | General Operations | $20,000 |
| Canine Partners for Life Cochranville, PA | General Operations | $15,000 |
| Gary Sinise Foundation Nashville, TN | General Operations | $15,000 |
| Habitat for Humanity Quakertown, PA | General Operations | $15,000 |
| Keystone Opportunity Center Souderton, PA | General Operations | $15,000 |
| Quakertown Food Pantry Quakertown, PA | General Operations | $15,000 |
| Shepherd's Shelf Emergency Food Cupboard-Food Pantry Harleysville, PA | General Operations | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Shepherd Family Charitable?
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 | $6,808,774 | $316,638 | $365,825 | $287,000 | 27 | $292,474 | $243,287 | $383,385 |
| 2024 | $6,855,063 | $917,026 | $187,010 | $128,500 | 18 | $133,580 | $863,611 | $387,024 |
| 2023 | $6,121,557 | $4,082,943 | $158,331 | $121,000 | 23 | $125,250 | $50,375 | $146,179 |
| 2022 | $2,195,213 | $334,923 | $146,114 | $110,500 | 22 | $114,500 | $107,759 | $113,851 |
| 2021 | $2,006,878 | $406,977 | $109,685 | $78,750 | 25 | $83,000 | $180,898 | $113,172 |
| 2020 | $1,707,649 | $305,892 | $103,541 | $76,250 | 19 | — | $86,101 | $83,674 |
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.
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 organizations addressing military families’ needs, health, disability support, housing, food assistance, and other charitable purposes.
The grantees describe their missions in their own terms. Fisher House Foundation says it provides financial assistance to service members, veterans, and their families, and builds and furnishes facilities for families visiting military personnel. Doylestown Hospital says it works to improve quality of life and advocate for the health and well-being of the people it serves. Canine Partners for Life says it provides professionally trained service and companion dogs to support the independence and quality of life of people with disabilities or other needs.
Keystone Opportunity Center describes its work as social-service programs focused on housing, food, and education. Quakertown Food Pantry says it provides emergency food assistance to people in its community. Long Island Cares says it brings together resources to address hunger and food insecurity on Long Island, including through family self-sufficiency programs and public education.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 27 grants totaling $287,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $31,000, with a median grant of $10,000.
Among the largest reported awards were $31,000 to Fisher House Foundation; $20,000 each to IEEE Foundation, Tunnel to Towers Foundation, and Doylestown Hospital; and $15,000 each to Canine Partners for Life, Gary Sinise Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Keystone Opportunity Center, Quakertown Food Pantry, Shepherd’s Shelf Emergency Food Cupboard-Food Pantry, and Long Island Cares. The listed purposes for these grants were general operations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Donald R. Shepherd as president; Philip C. Jackson as vice president; Ethel Shepherd as secretary/treasurer; and Debbie Lichenstein, Ken Shepherd, and Judy Smith as board members.
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). 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 Shepherd Family Charitable fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations addressing military families’ needs, health, disability support, housing, food assistance, and other charitable purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Shepherd Family Charitable?
The foundation 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 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.
Does The Shepherd Family Charitable 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 November 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Shepherd Family Charitable funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Shepherd Family Charitable's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Shepherd Family Charitable funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-shepherd-family-charitable-morg_b8156ce3ed2c438cb776735c509f627a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_453693539_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Shepherd Family Charitable funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-shepherd-family-charitable-morg_b8156ce3ed2c438cb776735c509f627a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 Shepherd Family Charitable'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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