The Sunshine Foundation Inc

Foundation · Grantmaker Barnwell, SC EIN: 57-1060737 Website

The Sunshine Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Southampton, Pennsylvania. The organization fulfills dreams for children in need across the United States, having impacted more than 43,280 children through its programs.

Key facts about The Sunshine Foundation Inc

EIN: 57-1060737
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $723,872
Grants made (2024): 104
Average grant: $6,960
Median grant: $1,000
New grantees (estimate): 53% first-time grantees (55 of 103, 2024)
Total assets: $13,203,782
Primary geography: South Carolina (92% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

Who The Sunshine Foundation Inc funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Sunshine Foundation Inc's 104 itemized 2024 grants were South Carolina (92%). The most frequent recipient cities were Columbia, SC (18 grants), Barnwell, SC (15 grants), Charleston, SC (6 grants) and Clemson, SC (5 grants). None of its 104 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Economic" (82 grants), "Educational" (12 grants) and "Health" (7 grants).

Is The Sunshine Foundation Inc open to new grantees?

53%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 55 of 103 grantees (53%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $9K. How we count

Medians: $200 first-time, $2K repeat.

35% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Giving grew 54% from 2021 to 2024. Method
In 2024 it paid out 130% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). 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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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$13.2M

+33.4% YoY

Annual Giving

$724K

+47.4% YoY

Grant Count

104

+33.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$7K

+10.5% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Sunshine Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $557K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The Sunshine Foundation's mission is to answer dreams for children in need. The organization accepts gifts and donations that are consistent with its mission, goals, and purpose.

Grantmaking

The Sunshine Foundation operates an "Adopt-A-Dream" program that allows donors to contribute to answering the dream of a child on the organization's national waiting list. The foundation also maintains a national waiting list of children whose dreams it aims to fulfill.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The Sunshine Foundation serves children throughout the United States.

Grant Distribution by State

South Carolina $663K (92%)

North Carolina $27K (4%)

New York $16K (2%)

Virginia $10K (1%)

Arkansas $5K (1%)

All other $3K (0%)

Share of all 104 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

Cities

ColumbiaBarnwellCharlestonEdisto IslandCharlotteFlorenceAllendaleClemsonNorth CharlestonBambergGreenvilleNew York CityBlackvilleMontgomerySan FranciscoSpartanburgWashingtonWillistonAikenBirmingham

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

The organization maintains audited financial statements and files Form 990 tax returns with the IRS. The Sunshine Foundation received a perfect 100% score in financial accountability and transparency metrics, earning a Four-Star rating.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$13,203,782	$9,896,482	$9,105,043
Revenue	$3,086,311	$435,956	$2,834,471
Expenses	$764,526	$540,621	$725,630
Qualifying Distributions	$723,872	$491,225	$661,878
Net Investment Income	$458,277	$338,335	$168,175
Distributable Amount	$556,962	$459,466	$467,173

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

March 1, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

469 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Allendale County Hospital ($165,126), Clemson Best Is Standard ($111,000), Beemok Family Foundation ($94,102).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ALLENDALE COUNTY HOSPITAL Fairfax, SC	HEALTH	$165,126
CLEMSON BEST IS STANDARD Clemson, SC	ECONOMIC	$111,000
BEEMOK FAMILY FOUNDATION Charleston, SC	EDUCATION	$94,102
CENTER FOR THE CHILD Florence, SC	ECONOMIC	$50,000
TRI-COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION Columbia, SC	ECONOMIC	$40,225
USC MATTHEW AND TERRY ENDOWMENT SCHOLARSHIP Columbia, SC	ECONOMIC	$33,333
MISCELLANEOUS FAMILIES Barnwell, SC	ECONOMIC	$18,868
NATURE CONSERVANCY Columbia, SC	ENVIRONMENTAL	$15,200
USC SCHOOL OF LAW Columbia, SC	EDUCATIONAL	$12,000
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY Clemson, SC	EDUCATIONAL	$10,200

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.

From 2024 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Terry E Richardson Jr	Board Member	—	—
Gail Ness Richardson	Board Member	—	—
Katherine J Richardson	Board Member	—	—
David G Bundy	Board Member	—	—
Beth Burke Richardson	Board Member	—	—

Recent Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The Sunshine Foundation accepts donations through multiple channels, including one-time and monthly recurring gifts, corporate sponsorships, Facebook Fundraisers, Donor Advised Funds, and cryptocurrency donations (including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dogecoin, Solana, USD Coin, and BNB Coin). The organization also partners with TD Bank's Affinity Program for additional fundraising support.

Sunshine Foundation Inc - Full Filing - Nonprofit Explorer - ProPublica

Contact Information

Address: 101 Lakeside Park, Southampton, PA 18966-4048

Phone: 215-396-4770

Website: sunshinefoundation.org

EIN: 23-2044056

IRS Ruling Year: 1977

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Sunshine Foundation Inc fund?

The Sunshine Foundation's mission is to answer dreams for children in need. The organization accepts gifts and donations that are consistent with its mission, goals, and purpose.

How do I apply for a grant from The Sunshine Foundation Inc?

Where does The Sunshine Foundation Inc make grants?

The Sunshine Foundation serves children throughout the United States.

What size grants does The Sunshine Foundation Inc award?

In 2024, The Sunshine Foundation Inc awarded 104 grants totaling $724K — an average of about $7K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Sunshine Foundation Inc required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Sunshine Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $557K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.