The Sheafer Lewis J Community Foundation appears to make sizable, targeted grants to support hospital operations and direct patient care rather than a broad portfolio of charities. Its lone recorded gift is a substantial unrestricted operating grant to a regional medical center, suggesting a priority on sustaining clinical services. The foundation does not appear to limit support to its home state and gives large, one-off awards to health care institutions.
Concentrated, large single grants rather than many small awards; appears to favor one-off/major support to individual healthcare providers rather than diversified or repeat funding across many organizations.
Notable grantees: Maine General Medical Center
Sheaffer Lewis J Community Pfdn’s 2024 giving is led by a single large unrestricted grant of $80,000 to Maine General Medical Center in Augusta, Maine. That award sets the tone for a year of general operating support across hospitals, churches, food banks, libraries, youth programs, and other community organizations. The foundation’s recent grants are not limited to one type of institution, but they do favor core support over project-specific funding. Across the 2024 list, the foundation made a series of mid-sized awards to local nonprofits and community-serving institutions, including $60,000 to Christ Church in Rochester, New York, and $50,000 to Augusta Food Bank in Augusta, Maine. Similar general operating grants went to Boys & Girls Clubs of Kennebec Valley, American Red Cross in Bangor, and Kennebec Valley YMCA. The pattern points to a funder that supports organizational stability for service providers rather than narrow program lines. The recent portfolio also includes arts, education, animal welfare, and family-support organizations, but the grants remain straightforward and unrestricted in framing. That mix suggests a community foundation style of giving with an emphasis on sustaining day-to-day operations for institutions that serve local residents.
Healthcare remains a clear part of the foundation’s portfolio. The largest recent award went to Maine General Medical Center in Augusta for general operating support, showing direct support for a regional medical center. Another health-related grant went to Family Violence Project in Augusta for general operating support, extending that core-funding approach beyond clinical care. Food access is another visible theme. The foundation gave $50,000 to Augusta Food Bank, $15,000 to Chrysalis Place Food Center in Gardiner, and $10,000 to Winthrop Food Pantry, all as general operating grants. These awards support organizations working at different points in the local food-security network. It also funds youth and community infrastructure. Boys & Girls Clubs of Kennebec Valley received $50,000 for general operating support, while Augusta Teen Center and Kennebec Valley YMCA each received operating grants. Libraries and cultural groups also appear, including Gardiner Public Library and Augusta Colonial Theater, both funded for general operations.
$593K
$10.6M
$3M
$694K
Most grants fall between $5K and $23K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$23K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in ME.
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The 2024 grant sizes cluster around modest to mid-sized operating awards: p25 is $5,000, the median is $15,000, and p75 is $22,500. That distribution sits below a few larger anchors, including an $80,000 grant, but most awards fall in the $5,000 to $25,000 range. All of the recent grants are marked general operating. The pattern also looks one-off in the provided record rather than repeat support to the same recipients across multiple years. The foundation is a private foundation, not a DAF, and it does not make grants to individuals or program-related investments.
Although headquartered in Brooklyn, Ohio, the foundation’s recent giving goes almost entirely to recipients in Maine, with additional grants in New York, Utah, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania? Wait, no Pennsylvania is not in the data, so omit. The top giving state by grant count is Maine, and the recipient list includes Augusta, Gardiner, Bangor, Winthrop, Ogunquit, Lewiston, Portland, Waterville, and Orono. Outside Maine, named recipients include Rochester, New York; Salt Lake City, Utah; Boston, Massachusetts; and New York, New York. All recorded grants in the recent list are to U.S. organizations.
The recent grants show support for hospitals, churches, food banks, youth programs, libraries, animal welfare groups, and arts organizations. Examples include general operating grants to Maine General Medical Center, Augusta Food Bank, Boys & Girls Clubs of Kennebec Valley, Gardiner Public Library, and Augusta Colonial Theater.
The recent grant list labels every award as general operating support. That includes grants to Maine General Medical Center, Christ Church, Augusta Food Bank, and Kennebec Valley YMCA, indicating a consistent preference for unrestricted core funding.
The distribution centers on smaller operating awards: p25 is $5,000, the median is $15,000, and p75 is $22,500. The recent list also includes larger exceptions such as $80,000 and $60,000.
Maine is the top state by grant count. Recent recipient cities there include Augusta, Gardiner, Bangor, Winthrop, Ogunquit, Lewiston, Portland, Waterville, and Orono.
No. The foundation’s profile indicates that it does not fund individuals, and the recent grants are all made to organizations.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAINE GENERAL MEDICAL CENTER | AUGUSTA, ME | $80,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| CHRIST CHURCH | ROCHESTER, NY | $60,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| AUGUSTA FOOD BANK | AUGUSTA, ME | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF KENNEBEC VALLEY | GARDINER, ME | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS | BANGOR, ME | $35,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| KENNEBEC VALLEY HUMANE SOCIETY | AUGUSTA, ME | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| CHILDRENS CENTER | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| THE CAPITAL AREA RECREATION ASSOCIATION | AUGUSTA, ME | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| AUGUSTA COLONIAL THEATER | AUGUSTA, ME | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| SPECTRUM GENERATIONS | AUGUSTA, ME | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF GARDINER | GARDINER, ME | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| GARDINER PUBLIC LIBRARY | GARDINER, ME | $18,750 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| FOOD FOR THOUGHT | OGUNQUIT, ME | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| FAMILY VIOLENCE PROJECT | AUGUSTA, ME | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| GREATER AUGUSTA BACK TO SCHOOL PROGRAM | AUGUSTA, ME | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| PALS NO-KILL CAT SHELTER | WINTHROP, ME | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| CHRYSALIS PLACE FOOD CENTER | GARDINER, ME | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| TURNER PUBLIC LIBRARY | LEWISTON, ME | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| KENNEBEC VALLEY YMCA | AUGUSTA, ME | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| VILES ARBORETUM | AUGUSTA, ME | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| AUGUSTA TEEN CENTER | AUGUSTA, ME | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| WINTHROP FOOD PANTRY | WINTHROP, ME | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| MUSIC FOR MAVIS | TURNER, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| SEXUAL ASSAULT CRISIS AND SUPPORT | WINTHROP, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| FRIENDS OF LITHGOW LIBRARY INC | AUGUSTA, ME | $4,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| AMERICAN MUSICAL DRAMATIC ACADEMY | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| BOSTON UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| UNIVERISTY OF MAINE | ORONO, ME | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND | KINGSTON, RI | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE | PORTLAND, ME | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| COLBY COLLEGE | WATERVILLE, ME | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
MAINE GENERAL MEDICAL CENTER
$80,000GENERAL OPERATING
CHRIST CHURCH
$60,000GENERAL OPERATING
AUGUSTA FOOD BANK
$50,000GENERAL OPERATING
AMERICAN RED CROSS
$35,000GENERAL OPERATING
KENNEBEC VALLEY HUMANE SOCIETY
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING
THE CAPITAL AREA RECREATION ASSOCIATION
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING
AUGUSTA COLONIAL THEATER
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING
SPECTRUM GENERATIONS
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF GARDINER
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING
GARDINER PUBLIC LIBRARY
$18,750GENERAL OPERATING
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
$15,000GENERAL OPERATING
FAMILY VIOLENCE PROJECT
$15,000GENERAL OPERATING
GREATER AUGUSTA BACK TO SCHOOL PROGRAM
$15,000GENERAL OPERATING
PALS NO-KILL CAT SHELTER
$15,000GENERAL OPERATING
CHRYSALIS PLACE FOOD CENTER
$15,000GENERAL OPERATING
TURNER PUBLIC LIBRARY
$15,000GENERAL OPERATING
KENNEBEC VALLEY YMCA
$15,000GENERAL OPERATING
VILES ARBORETUM
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING
AUGUSTA TEEN CENTER
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING
WINTHROP FOOD PANTRY
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING
MUSIC FOR MAVIS
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING
SEXUAL ASSAULT CRISIS AND SUPPORT
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING
FRIENDS OF LITHGOW LIBRARY INC
$4,000GENERAL OPERATING
AMERICAN MUSICAL DRAMATIC ACADEMY
$2,500GENERAL OPERATING
BOSTON UNIVERSITY
$2,500GENERAL OPERATING
UNIVERISTY OF MAINE
$2,500GENERAL OPERATING
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND
$2,500GENERAL OPERATING