The Sherman Family Foundation
The Sherman Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Scarborough, Maine. In filing year 2025, it reported giving $84,000 through 16 grants, all to recipients in Maine.
The Sherman Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Sherman Family Foundation gave $84K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Maine. 6% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $84,000
- -2.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- -11.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,250
- +9.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $166,693
- +10.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 6% first-time grantees (1 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maine (100% 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 Sherman Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists Beverly M. Sherman as the contact and says to submit a request in letter form. It lists no restrictions or limitations on awards.
- Review Cycle
- None listed.
- Deadline
- None listed.
- Contact
Application contact: Beverly M Sherman
Mailing address: 15 Piper Road Unit J106, Scarborough, ME 04074
Phone: (207) 219-8861
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Sherman Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern ME ($10K). Together the top 10 received $74K.
Grant Size Distribution
82 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 82 grants of 82 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars in filing year 2025 went to recipients in Maine.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Sherman Family Foundation open to new grantees?
6%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 16 grantees (6%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 88% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+12%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 185% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $75K (2022) to $112K (2020). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $84K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern ME Portland, ME | General Annual Appeal | $10,000 |
| Friends of Portland Adult Education Portland, ME | General | $10,000 |
| Good Shepherd Food Bank Auburn, ME | General | $10,000 |
| Gulf of Maine Research Institute Portland, ME | General | $10,000 |
| Preble Street Portland, ME | General | $10,000 |
| Wayside Food Program Portland, ME | General | $10,000 |
| Campfire Institue Westbrook, ME | General | $5,000 |
| My Place Teen Center Westbrook, ME | General | $3,000 |
| The Telling Room Portland, ME | General | $3,000 |
| Camp Sunshine Casco, ME | General | $2,500 |
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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 | $166,693 | $52,241 | $86,640 | $84,000 | 16 | $85,075 | $50,698 | $46,088 |
| 2024 | $150,348 | $59,719 | $89,087 | $86,500 | 18 | $87,547 | $58,747 | $58,235 |
| 2023 | $179,716 | $59,225 | $81,476 | $78,000 | 15 | $80,583 | $58,332 | $68,718 |
| 2022 | $201,967 | $23,793 | $79,603 | $75,000 | 17 | $75,910 | $50,152 | $75,089 |
| 2021 | $257,771 | $126,432 | $93,222 | $90,000 | 16 | $90,998 | $125,513 | $78,882 |
| 2020 | $224,561 | $130,550 | $113,977 | $112,000 | 17 | — | $45,923 | $57,079 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Sherman Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $46K 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 whose own missions address a range of needs. For example, Preble Street says it provides services and advocates for solutions related to homelessness, housing, hunger, and poverty. Good Shepherd Food Bank says its mission is to eliminate hunger in Maine, while Friends of Portland Adult Education says it raises resources and awareness to support Portland Adult Education.
Other 2025 recipients describe work in ocean research, youth support, literary arts education, behavioral health, and food assistance. These include the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, My Place Teen Center, The Telling Room, Sweetser, and South Portland Food Cupboard.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 16 grants totaling $84,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $10,000, with a median grant of $3,000. Six organizations received $10,000 each: Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine, Friends of Portland Adult Education, Good Shepherd Food Bank, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Preble Street, and Wayside Food Program. Other reported grants included $5,000 to Campfire Institute; $3,000 each to My Place Teen Center and The Telling Room; and $2,500 each to Camp Sunshine, South Portland Food Cupboard, and STRIVE.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Beverly Sherman as president, David S. Sherman Jr. as treasurer, and Martha S. Burchenal as secretary.
The Sherman Family Foundation is led by Beverly Sherman, President since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Beverly Sherman
President
Vice President → President, 2023
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
David S. Sherman Jr.
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Martha S. Burchenal
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: David S. Sherman (2020–2022) — President
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 Sherman Family Foundation
How much does The Sherman Family Foundation give each year?
The Sherman Family Foundation gave $84K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $87K across 18 grants.
What is The Sherman Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Sherman Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $5,250, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Sherman Family Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does The Sherman Family Foundation give grants?
The Sherman Family Foundation gives mostly in Maine: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Portland, ME (8 grants), South Portland, ME (3 grants) and Westbrook, ME (2 grants).
Does The Sherman Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Sherman Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (16 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Sherman Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Sherman Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern ME ($10,000), Friends of Portland Adult Education ($10,000) and Good Shepherd Food Bank ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Sherman Family Foundation?
The Sherman Family Foundation reported $167K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $85K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $46K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Sherman Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations whose own missions address a range of needs. For example, Preble Street says it provides services and advocates for solutions related to homelessness, housing, hunger, and poverty. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Sherman Family Foundation?
The filing lists Beverly M. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Sherman Family Foundation's EIN?
The Sherman Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 01-0530498. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 31, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 31, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Sherman Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-sherman-family-foundation-morg_293b0dd3e9f443aa9b39e7bc7f8ec7d9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_010530498_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Sherman Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-sherman-family-foundation-morg_293b0dd3e9f443aa9b39e7bc7f8ec7d9},
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 Sherman Family 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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