The Alvin Sherman Family Foundation concentrates its giving in arts and LGBTQ-related causes, favoring a small number of sizable grants to mission-driven organizations. A majority of funds have supported cultural organizations (notably theater) and groups working on LGBTQ legal, advocacy, and elder issues. Grants tend to be large, strategic gifts rather than many small awards.
Concentrated, high-dollar giving to a few repeat and flagship grantees; mix of multi-grant support to core organizations and single large gifts to prominent arts and LGBTQ nonprofits.
A defining feature of Alvin Sherman Family Foundation’s recent giving is a handful of very large gifts to LGBTQ organizations and theater groups. In 2025, the foundation gave $750,000 to Our Fund Inc and $450,000 to Vineyard Theater, alongside another $285,000 to Lambda Legal and $200,000 to Sage. Those awards fit a broader pattern of support for organizations working on LGBTQ legal advocacy, elder services, and cultural programming. The foundation’s grant history also shows repeated support for the same recipients across multiple years. Our Fund Inc appears in both 2023 and 2025 with several large awards, and theater funding shows up through organizations such as Mcc Theater, Geffen Playhouse, American Repertory Theater, Fountain Theater, and Film Independent. Its recent grants are not scattered across many small checks; they cluster around organizations that appear able to absorb substantial, project-agnostic support. Alongside those priority areas, the foundation has also funded selected nonprofits in health, education, and Jewish communal life. The overall picture is of a family foundation making large, deliberate grants to mission-driven institutions, especially where arts and LGBTQ-related work overlap with long-term organizational support.
LGBTQ legal advocacy is one visible theme in the foundation’s recent grants. In 2025, it gave $285,000 to Lambda Legal and $200,000 to Sage, both marked “to further the organization charitable purpose.” Those awards sit alongside larger support for LGBTQ-focused community infrastructure through Our Fund Inc. Theatrical arts are another clear area of support. The foundation awarded $450,000 to Vineyard Theater in 2025, then gave $100,000 to Geffen Playhouse, $100,000 to American Repertory Theater, $55,000 to Film Independent, $50,000 to Mcc Theater, and $25,000 to Fountain Theater. That cluster points to a sustained interest in nonprofit performing arts institutions. It also made selected grants outside those core areas. In 2025, North Central College received $150,000, while University of Miami appears twice in the recent list with $30,000 and $10,000.
Alvin Sherman Family Foundation’s recent awards are sized for mid- to large-scale institutional support: the 25th percentile is $25,000, the median is $50,000, and the 75th percentile is $150,000. The distribution includes several much larger grants, with multiple awards in the hundreds of thousands. The pattern is recurring rather than one-off. Our Fund Inc received grants in both 2023 and 2025, including more than one award in each year. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The grant descriptions are consistently phrased as support “to further the organization charitable purpose,” which aligns with general charitable-purpose and organizational-sustainability giving.
$2.2M
$61.9M
$13.6M
$3.3M
Most grants fall between $25K and $150K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$150K
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Notable grantees: Our Fund Inc, Vineyard Theater, Lambda Legal, SAGE
The grants are national in scope, with all recent recipients located in the United States. Florida is especially prominent: 36% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and recent Florida recipients include Wilton Manors, Fort Lauderdale, Davie, Coral Gables, Hollywood, and Tampa. Illinois is the top state by grant count overall, and recent Illinois giving includes Naperville. Beyond Florida and Illinois, recent awards reached New York City, Los Angeles, Cambridge, Cleveland, Memphis, Fairfield, Topeka, Berkeley, and East Hampton.
Recent grants show a strong emphasis on LGBTQ-related organizations and nonprofit theater. Examples include Lambda Legal and Sage for LGBTQ legal and elder-related work, plus Vineyard Theater, Mcc Theater, Geffen Playhouse, American Repertory Theater, Film Independent, and Fountain Theater for the arts.
Yes. Our Fund Inc appears more than once in the recent grant list, with awards in 2023 and 2025, including several large gifts. That repeat pattern suggests ongoing support rather than isolated one-time awards.
Typical recent grants center around $50,000: the 25th percentile is $25,000, the median is $50,000, and the 75th percentile is $150,000. The recent list also includes larger awards such as $750,000, $450,000, and $285,000.
The foundation gives nationally, but Florida receives 36% of grants, and Illinois is the top state by grant count. Recent recipient cities include Wilton Manors, Fort Lauderdale, Davie, Coral Gables, Hollywood, Tampa, Naperville, New York, Los Angeles, and Cambridge.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OUR FUND INC | WILTON MANNERS, FL | $750,000 | 2025 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| VINEYARD THEATER | NEW YORK, NY | $450,000 | 2025 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| LAMBDA LEGAL | NEW YORK, NY | $285,000 | 2025 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| SAGE | NEW YORK, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE | NAPERVILLE, IL | $150,000 | 2025 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATER | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE | LOS ANGELES, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| FILM INDEPENDENT | LOS ANGELES, CA | $55,000 | 2025 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| MCC THEATER | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| FOUNTAIN THEATER | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| ELLEN HERMANSON FOUNDATION | E HAMPTON, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| CATTICUS CORP | BERKELEY, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| ELEMYOUTH IN DISTRESS IN ISREAL | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2025 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| OUR FUND INC | WILTON MANNERS, FL | $400,000 | 2023 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| OUR FUND INC | WILTON MANNERS, FL | $375,000 | 2023 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| UNITED WAY OF BROWARD COUNTY | FT LAUDERDALE, FL | $100,000 | 2023 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN | TAMPA, FL | $75,000 | 2023 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| CLEVELAND CLINIC | CLEVELAND, OH | $50,000 | 2023 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF BROWARD COUNTY | DAVIE, FL | $50,000 | 2023 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| ST JUDES CHILDEREN HOSPITAL | MEMPHIS, TN | $50,000 | 2023 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI | CORAL GABLES, FL | $30,000 | 2023 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| WEIZMANN INSTITUTE | HOLLYWOOD, FL | $25,000 | 2023 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSETO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT | TOPEKA, KS | $25,000 | 2023 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY | FAIRFIELD, CT | $12,000 | 2023 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI | CORAL GABLES, FL | $10,000 | 2023 | TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
OUR FUND INC
$750,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
VINEYARD THEATER
$450,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
LAMBDA LEGAL
$285,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
SAGE
$200,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE
$150,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATER
$100,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE
$100,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
FILM INDEPENDENT
$55,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
MCC THEATER
$50,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
FOUNTAIN THEATER
$25,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
ELLEN HERMANSON FOUNDATION
$20,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
CATTICUS CORP
$10,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
ELEMYOUTH IN DISTRESS IN ISREAL
$1,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
OUR FUND INC
$400,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
OUR FUND INC
$375,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
UNITED WAY OF BROWARD COUNTY
$100,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN
$75,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
CLEVELAND CLINIC
$50,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
JEWISH FEDERATION OF BROWARD COUNTY
$50,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
ST JUDES CHILDEREN HOSPITAL
$50,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
$30,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
WEIZMANN INSTITUTE
$25,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSETO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT
$25,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY
$12,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
$10,000TO FUTHER THE ORGANIZATION CHARITABLE PURPOSE