The Reed Family Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on large, unrestricted gifts to cultural institutions, with a notable emphasis on organizations bearing the Shedd name. Grants are few but sizable and often repeated to the same beneficiaries, indicating a preference for sustaining flagship arts and public-science organizations rather than broad, distributed giving. The foundation appears to prioritize general operating support over program-specific funding.
Reed Family Foundation Inc. is defined by repeated seven-figure support for John G. Shedd Aquarium, with $1,250,000 grants recorded in 2023, 2024, and 2025. That pattern points to a foundation that backs a small set of institutions over time rather than spreading gifts broadly. The recent grant list also shows a second major line of support for The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts in Eugene, along with additional funding for Eugene Ballet Company and Eugene Family YMCA, indicating interest in cultural and community institutions tied to the Shedd name and to Eugene organizations. The foundation’s giving is institution-level and usually listed as general support. Other recurring recipients include Columbia Land Conservancy, St Lawrence University, Hotchkiss School, and Gallatin Valley Land Trust, which suggests a portfolio that mixes arts, education, conservation, and public-science organizations. Grants appear aimed at sustaining established nonprofits with large, unrestricted awards rather than funding narrow projects.
A major thread in the foundation’s grantmaking is public-aquarium support. John G. Shedd Aquarium received $1,250,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025, all listed as general grants, showing sustained backing for that institution. Another clear focus is arts infrastructure in Eugene. The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts received $300,000 in 2025, after $275,000 in 2024 and $285,000 in 2023. In the same city, Eugene Ballet Company received $250,000 in 2025, and Eugene Family YMCA received $50,000 in 2023. The foundation also supports conservation and education. Columbia Land Conservancy received $125,000 in 2024 and $120,500 in 2025, while Gallatin Valley Land Trust received multiple $50,000 grants across 2023 to 2025. St Lawrence University and Hotchkiss School also appear repeatedly in the recent grants list.
Typical grants are modest for the foundation’s portfolio at p25 $1,000, median $2,000, and p75 $5,000, even though the recent list includes much larger institutional awards. The pattern is concentrated and repetitive: the same organizations appear in multiple years, especially John G. Shedd Aquarium, The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts, Columbia Land Conservancy, St Lawrence University, Hotchkiss School, and Gallatin Valley Land Trust. The funder is a regular funder rather than a donor-advised fund, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Recent grants are generally labeled general, indicating broad operating or institutional support.
$3.7M
$27.8M
$4.9M
$3.9M
Most grants fall between $1K and $5K, with a median of $2K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$2K
75th Percentile
$5K
About 1% of grants go to recipients in OR.
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Highly concentrated: a small number of large grants (many repeated to the same recipients), focused on core cultural institutions and general operating support rather than many small or geographically diffuse awards.
Notable grantees: JOHN G SHEDD AQUARIUM, THE JOHN G SHEDD INSTITUTE FOR THE ARTS, Several other small number grantees receiving the remaining funds (three additional recipients)
Grantmaking is national, with every recorded recipient in the United States. The strongest city-level clusters in the recent list are Chicago, Eugene, Bozeman, and Canton. Chicago receives repeated support through John G. Shedd Aquarium, while Eugene appears across arts and community recipients including The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts and Eugene Ballet Company. Montana stands out at the state level as the top giving state by grant count, even though only 1% of grants go to recipients in Wisconsin, the foundation’s headquarters state.
Its recent grants cluster around well-established cultural and public-science institutions, especially John G. Shedd Aquarium and The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts. The list also includes education, land conservation, and arts groups such as St Lawrence University, Hotchkiss School, Columbia Land Conservancy, and Eugene Ballet Company.
The recent grants are overwhelmingly marked GENERAL. Examples include multi-year support for John G. Shedd Aquarium, The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts, Columbia Land Conservancy, and St Lawrence University, which suggests a preference for unrestricted institutional support.
Its reported distribution is p25 $1,000, median $2,000, and p75 $5,000. The recent grants table also shows a much larger institutional tier, including repeated $1,250,000 grants to John G. Shedd Aquarium.
By grant count, Montana is the top giving state. Recent grants also show repeated recipients in Chicago, Eugene, Canton, Chatham, and Lakeville, while only 1% of grants go to recipients in Wisconsin.
Yes. John G. Shedd Aquarium appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Columbia Land Conservancy, St Lawrence University, Hotchkiss School, and Gallatin Valley Land Trust also recur across multiple years.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOHN G SHEDD AQUARIUM | CHICAGO, IL | $1,250,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| THE JOHN G SHEDD INSTITUTE FOR THE ARTS | EUGENE, OR | $325,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| EUGENE BALLET COMPANY | EUGENE, OR | $150,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| COLUMBIA LAND CONSERVANCY | CHATHAM, NY | $150,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| ST LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY | CANTON, NY | $102,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| GALLATIN VALLEY LAND TRUST | BOZEMAN, MT | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| HOTCHKISS SCHOOL | LAKEVILLE, CT | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| THE JOHN G SHEDD INSTITUTE FOR THE ARTS | EUGENE, OR | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| FRIENDS OF HENDRICKS PARK | EUGENE, OR | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| COLUMBIA LAND CONSERVANCY | CHATHAM, NY | $70,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| JOHN G SHEDD AQUARIUM | CHICAGO, IL | $65,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $60,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| JOHN G SHEDD AQUARIUM | CHICAGO, IL | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| THE JOHN G SHEDD INSTITUTE FOR THE ARTS | EUGENE, OR | $46,870 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (HRDC) | BOZEMAN, MT | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (HRDC) | BOZEMAN, MT | $32,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| MUSEUM OF MODERN ART | NEW YORK, NY | $27,500 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| NEW JERSEY CONSERVATION FOUNDATION | FAR HILLS, NJ | $26,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| EQUINE SPIRIT SANCTUARY | RANCHOS DE TAOS, NM | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| NYU LANGONE HOSPITALS | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| LAKE FOREST COLLEGE | LAKE FOREST, IL | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| BERKSHIRE SCHOOL | SHEFFIELD, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| FOUNDATION FOR MORRISTOWN MEDICAL CENTER | MORRISTOWN, NJ | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| JOHN G SHEDD AQUARIUM | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| FRIENDS OF TREES | EUGENE, OR | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| JOHN G SHEDD AQUARIUM | CHICAGO, IL | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION INC | BOZEMAN, MT | $18,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| CAMPAIGN LEGAL CENTER INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,500 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN INCORPORATED | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| JOHN G SHEDD AQUARIUM | CHICAGO, IL | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| THE BERKSHIRE TACONIC COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC | SHEFFIELD, MA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| TROUT UNLIMITED INC | ARLINGTON, VA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN INCORPORATED | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| UNIVERSITY OF OREGON FOUNDATION | EUGENE, OR | $13,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| MONTANA LAND RELIANCE | BOZEMAN, MT | $12,500 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| TROUT UNLIMITED INC | ARLINGTON, VA | $12,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| NEW VERNON VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT | NEW VERNON, NJ | $11,500 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF NEW VERNON | NEW VERNON, NJ | $11,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (HRDC) | BOZEMAN, MT | $10,500 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (HRDC) | BOZEMAN, MT | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| HARDING LAND TRUST | NEW VERNON, NJ | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| BELOVED ASHEVILLE | ASHEVILLE, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY | APPLETON, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| FIELD MUSEUM | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY | RYE BROOK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| MONTANA FOOD BANK NETWORK INC | MISSOULA, MT | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| KENTS HILL SCHOOL | KENTS HILL, ME | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| ORCHESTRA NEXT | EUGENE, OR | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| BOZEMAN SYMPHONY SOCIETY | BOZEMAN, MT | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| NEW JERSEY CONSERVATION FOUNDATION | FAR HILLS, NJ | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
GENERAL
HOTCHKISS SCHOOL
$100,000GENERAL
FRIENDS OF HENDRICKS PARK
$75,000GENERAL
CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER
$60,000GENERAL
EQUINE SPIRIT SANCTUARY
$25,000GENERAL
LAKE FOREST COLLEGE
$25,000GENERAL
BERKSHIRE SCHOOL
$25,000GENERAL
FRIENDS OF TREES
$20,000GENERAL
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF NEW VERNON
$11,000GENERAL
HARDING LAND TRUST
$10,000GENERAL
LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY
$10,000GENERAL
FIELD MUSEUM
$10,000GENERAL
KENTS HILL SCHOOL
$10,000GENERAL
ORCHESTRA NEXT
$10,000GENERAL
BOZEMAN SYMPHONY SOCIETY
$10,000GENERAL