The Sooner Foundation
The Sooner Foundation is a private foundation based in Stamford, Connecticut. In 2025, it reported 53 grants totaling $92,450, with listed awards supporting charitable organizations in several states.
The Sooner Foundation at a glance
In short: The Sooner Foundation gave $92K across 53 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Massachusetts. 4% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $92,450
- -19.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 53
- -27.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,744
- +11.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $875,839
- +3.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 4% first-time grantees (2 of 53, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (80% 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 Sooner 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: C/O Chilton 1290 E Main St 1Fl, Stamford, CT 06902
Phone: (203) 352-4000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Sooner Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Buzzards Bay Coalition ($13K). Together the top 10 received $52K.
Grant Size Distribution
295 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 295 grants of 295 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Massachusetts organizations received 80% of grant dollars, followed by organizations in New York (12%), California (4%), Idaho (1%), and Maryland (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 53 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Sooner Foundation open to new grantees?
4%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 53 grantees (4%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $600; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $600 first-time, $1K repeat.
- 96% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 24% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 102% 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 $54K (2020) to $114K (2024). In 2025 it made 53 grants totaling $92K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Buzzards Bay Coalition New Bedford, MA | General Support | $12,500 |
| RFK Community Alliance Lancaster, MA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Old Dartmouth Historical Society New Bedford, MA | General Support | $5,000 |
| Woodwell Climate Research Falmouth, MA | General Support | $5,000 |
| Milton Academy Milton, MA | General Support | $4,000 |
| The Park School Brookline, MA | General Support | $4,000 |
| Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA | General Support | $3,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Boston, MA | General Support | $3,000 |
| John F Kennedy Library Boston, MA | General Support | $2,500 |
| Mt Auburn Hospital Charlestown, MA | General Support | $2,500 |
Ready to take the next step with The Sooner 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 | $875,839 | $144,442 | $119,228 | $92,450 | 53 | $96,337 | $123,440 | $94,105 |
| 2024 | $845,663 | $129,255 | $139,785 | $114,350 | 73 | $118,026 | $109,715 | $82,829 |
| 2023 | $855,805 | $96,862 | $79,157 | $59,250 | 45 | $62,328 | $80,033 | $71,519 |
| 2022 | $837,709 | $35,931 | $96,936 | $74,500 | 63 | $77,813 | $17,708 | $73,955 |
| 2021 | $869,986 | $132,607 | $99,206 | $77,000 | 61 | $80,375 | $114,776 | $79,623 |
| 2020 | $863,382 | $65,197 | $72,420 | $53,750 | 49 | — | $52,135 | $65,197 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Sooner Foundation reported a distributable amount of $94K 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 grant recipients illustrate a range of activities: Buzzards Bay Coalition describes its work as protecting and restoring Buzzards Bay and its watershed, while Milton Academy says it cultivates students’ passion for learning and respect for others. Other 2024 recipients include organizations whose stated missions involve reproductive and sexual health care, mental health support, education for gifted learners, services for homeless children, support for people with developmental disabilities, and inclusive sports.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 53 itemized grants totaling $92,450. Awards ranged from $250 to $12,500, with a median grant of $1,000. The largest listed grants were $12,500 to Buzzards Bay Coalition and $10,000 to RFK Community Alliance, both for general support. Other notable 2025 grants included $5,000 each to Old Dartmouth Historical Society and Woodwell Climate Research, and $4,000 each to Milton Academy and The Park School.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Sheila Rauch Kennedy as president and chair; Matthew R. Kennedy and Joseph P. Kennedy III as vice presidents; and G. David Hamar, JD, CPA, as treasurer.
The Sooner Foundation is led by Sheila Rauch Kennedy, President & Chair since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sheila Rauch Kennedy
President & Chair
Chairman → President & Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
G. David Hamar JD CPA
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joseph P. Kennedy III
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matthew R. Kennedy
Vice President
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 Sooner Foundation
How much does The Sooner Foundation give each year?
The Sooner Foundation gave $92K across 53 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $114K across 73 grants.
What is The Sooner Foundation's typical grant size?
The Sooner Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,744, across 53 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Sooner Foundation that year got $600 on average.
Where does The Sooner Foundation give grants?
The Sooner Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 80% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Fishers Island, NY (11 grants), Boston, MA (8 grants), Cambridge, MA (7 grants) and New Bedford, MA (3 grants).
Does The Sooner Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Sooner Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (53 of 53) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Sooner Foundation's largest grantees?
The Sooner Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Buzzards Bay Coalition ($12,500), RFK Community Alliance ($10,000) and Old Dartmouth Historical Society ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 30% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Sooner Foundation?
The Sooner Foundation reported $876K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $96K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $94K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Sooner Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Sooner 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 Sooner Foundation's EIN?
The Sooner Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-0187051. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Sooner 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 12, 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 May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 10, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 3, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Sooner Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Sooner Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-sooner-foundation-morg_8457818ab7b847f8baefb5cd0268f568
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_270187051_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Sooner Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-sooner-foundation-morg_8457818ab7b847f8baefb5cd0268f568},
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 Sooner 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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