The Sherman Fairchild Foundation concentrates large, institution-building grants to elite cultural and higher-education institutions, funding capital projects, research infrastructure, and collections/conservation work. Their giving blends support for scientific research and training (especially in physical sciences and high‑tech/precision measurement) with sustained investment in museums, collections care, and performing-arts infrastructure. Grants are substantial and often directed to well-established institutions rather than small community groups.
Sherman Fairchild Foundation Inc. makes large grants that combine scientific infrastructure, museum conservation, and higher-education capital support. One of its largest recent awards went to The Metropolitan Museum of Art for Imaging and Conservation, while another major grant supported Union Theological Seminary’s Burke Library Renovations. These awards fit a pattern of institution-level funding rather than small project grants, with multi-million-dollar commitments recurring across universities, museums, and arts organizations. The foundation also backs technical research capacity at major universities. Recent grants include support for Northwestern University’s Cryoelectron Microscopy Advancement and California Institute of Technology’s Center for Quantum Precision Measurement, alongside training-oriented funding for the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill’s Chancellor’s Science Scholars Program and the University of Southern California’s High-Tech Scholar Program. In the arts, it has funded the New 42nd Street, the Apollo Theater Foundation, and the Fine Arts Museums in San Francisco, showing that its portfolio spans both scientific and cultural institutions. Grants also reach conservation training programs and select social-service organizations, but the overall pattern is concentrated in established institutions with significant operating or capital needs.
Museum and collections work is a recurring theme. Sherman Fairchild Foundation Inc. gave $5,000,000 to Worcester Art Museum for Conservation and Collections Care and $1,382,500 to The Frick Collection for the Center for Art Conservation Campaign. It also supported conservation training at the University of Delaware, the Institute of Fine Arts, and Buffalo State College Foundation Inc. with matching $790,000 grants. In scientific research, the foundation backed Northwestern University for Cryoelectron Microscopy Advancement and California Institute of Technology for the Center for Quantum Precision Measurement. The same university also received $850,000 for SXS Computer Resources, showing continued support for specialized research tooling. Education support appears through named scholarship and access programs. The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill received $7,500,000 for the Chancellor's Science Scholars Program, and the University of Southern California received $5,000,000 for the High-Tech Scholar Program. The Boys' Club of New York also received funding for HS & College access programs.
$48.3M
$689.6M
$68.8M
$55.2M
Most grants fall between $50K and $250K, with a median of $83K.
25th Percentile
$50K
Median
$83K
75th Percentile
$250K
About 4% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a small number of prominent institutions; a mix of capital, endowment/chair funding, and program/infrastructure support. Shows occasional repeat funding to the same institution (e.g., Caltech) and favors large one‑time commitments over many small grants.
Notable grantees: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, California Institute of Technology, Union Theological Seminary, Northwestern University, The New 42nd Street, Inc.
The typical grant size is $50,000 at the 25th percentile, $82,500 at the median, and $250,000 at the 75th percentile, but the recent portfolio also includes several seven- and eight-figure awards. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a DAF and does not make program-related investments. In the recent grants list, some recipients appear across multiple years, including California Institute of Technology, The Apollo Theater Foundation Inc., and Equal Justice Initiative, which points to repeat support rather than one-time gifts. The pattern is institutionally oriented, with funding used for capital projects, research infrastructure, endowments, and multi-year program support.
Grants are national, and every recent recipient in the dataset is in the United States. New York is the top state by grant count, with many awards landing in New York City and nearby locations such as New Haven, CT; Newark, DE; and Evanston, IL. Other frequent recipient cities include Pasadena, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chapel Hill, and Montgomery. Only 2% of grants go to recipients in Maryland, the foundation’s headquarters state.
The recent grants show support for museums, universities, arts organizations, and select social-service groups. Examples include museum conservation and training, science-scholarship programs, library renovations, and general support for organizations such as The Salvation Army of Greater New York Division and Equal Justice Initiative.
The typical recent grant size is $50,000 at the 25th percentile, $82,500 at the median, and $250,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards also include much larger commitments, including several multi-million-dollar grants.
Yes. The recent grants list shows repeat support for California Institute of Technology, The Apollo Theater Foundation Inc., and Equal Justice Initiative across more than one year. That suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated one-off awards.
Three clear patterns appear: museum conservation and collections care, research infrastructure in the physical sciences, and education or training programs. Recent named examples include conservation support at Worcester Art Museum, cryo-electron microscopy at Northwestern University, and scholarship support at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union Theological Seminary | New York, NY | $10,000,000 | 2025 | Burke Library Renovations |
| Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | $7,500,000 | 2025 | Cryoelectron Microscopy Advancement |
| The New 42nd Street Inc | New York, NY | $5,750,000 | 2025 | General Support FY24-27 |
| Worcester Art Museum | Worcester, MA | $5,000,000 | 2025 | Conservation and Collections Care |
| Bard College | AnnandaleonHudson, NY | $5,000,000 | 2025 | Two Micro College Endowed Chairs |
| Equal Justice Initiative | Montgomery, AL | $2,000,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Yale Divinity School | New Haven, CT | $2,000,000 | 2025 | Living Village Residential Complex |
| Corporation of the Fine Arts Museums | San Francisco, CA | $1,500,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| The Apollo Theater Foundation Inc | New York, NY | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Multi-Year Program Support |
| NXTHVN | New Haven, CT | $750,000 | 2025 | Arts, Entrepreneurship and Community |
| The Salvation Army of Greater New York Division | New York, NY | $700,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| The Boys' Club of New York Inc | New York, NY | $500,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| The Salvation Army North & Central Ill Division | Chicago, IL | $300,000 | 2025 | Emergency Services |
| The Salvation Army Mass Division | Canton, MA | $300,000 | 2025 | Emergency Services |
| The Salvation Army Miami | Miami, FL | $300,000 | 2025 | Emergency Services |
| The Salvation Army National Capital Area Command | Washington, DC | $300,000 | 2025 | Emergency Services |
| The Salvation Army of Greater New York Division | New York, NY | $300,000 | 2025 | Emergency Services |
| The Salvation Army of Greater Cleveland | Cleveland, OH | $300,000 | 2025 | Emergency Services |
| The Metropolitan Museum of Art | New York, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | Discretionary Support |
| Purchase College Foundation | Purchase, NY | $206,285 | 2025 | Arts & Technology Program |
| Shepherd University Foundation Inc | Shepherstown, WV | $204,128 | 2025 | Arts & Technology Program |
| Clark University | Worcester, MA | $193,602 | 2025 | Arts & Technology Program |
| College for Creative Studies | Detroit, MI | $167,715 | 2025 | Arts & Technology Program |
| Hamline University | St Paul, MN | $166,980 | 2025 | Arts & Technology Program |
| Oakland Museum of California | Oakland, CA | $125,000 | 2025 | Museum Conservation Program |
| Shelburne Museum Inc | Shelburne, VT | $125,000 | 2025 | Museum Conservation Program |
| Juniata College | Huntingdon, PA | $125,000 | 2025 | SEP Phase XVI |
| Henry Gallery Association Inc | Seattle, WA | $125,000 | 2025 | Museum Conservation Program |
| Museo De Arte DE Puerto Rico Inc | San Juan, PR | $125,000 | 2025 | Museum Conservation Program |
| Willamette University | Salem, OR | $125,000 | 2025 | SEP Phase XVI |
| The Chrysler Museum Inc | Norfolk, VA | $125,000 | 2025 | Museum Conservation Program |
| LaGuardia Community College | Long Island City, NY | $124,894 | 2025 | SEP Phase XVI |
| Lewis and Clark College | Portland, OR | $122,839 | 2025 | A&T Phase VI |
| Rollins College | Winter Park, FL | $122,600 | 2025 | SEP Phase XVI |
| Queens College Foundation Inc | Flushing, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | Summer Stipend Program |
| Lake Forest College | Lake Forest, IL | $99,990 | 2025 | Summer Stipend Program |
| Allegheny College | Meadville, PA | $99,975 | 2025 | Summer Stipend Program |
| University of Portland | Portland, OR | $99,000 | 2025 | Summer Stipend Program |
| Susquehanna University | Selinsgrove, PA | $97,460 | 2025 | Summer Stipend Program |
| Gustavus Adophus College | Saint Peter, MN | $97,248 | 2025 | Summer Stipend Program |
| Medgar Evers Educational Foundation Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $94,000 | 2025 | SEP Phase XVI |
| Beloit College | Beloit, WI | $93,074 | 2025 | A&T Phase VI |
| Cornell College | Mt Vernon, IA | $83,250 | 2025 | SEP Phase XVI |
| Portland Art Museum | Portland, OR | $80,847 | 2025 | Museum Conservation Program |
| Lafayette College | Easton, PA | $64,700 | 2025 | A&T Phase VI |
| Woolly Mammoth Theatre Co | Washington, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Laguardia High School Parents Association | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | Drama Studio |
| Grey Bull Rescue Foundation Corp | Tampa, FL | $50,000 | 2025 | Rescue from Warzones & Natural Dis. |
| Irwin A and Robert D Goodman Community Ctr Inc | Madison, WI | $50,000 | 2025 | Strengthen lives and secure futures |
| Friends of Catherine and Channel Lakes | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | Reduce Eurasian Water Milfoil |
The New 42nd Street Inc
$5,750,000General Support FY24-27
General Support
The Salvation Army of Greater New York Division
$700,000General Support
The Salvation Army North & Central Ill Division
$300,000Emergency Services
The Salvation Army Mass Division
$300,000Emergency Services
The Salvation Army Miami
$300,000Emergency Services
The Salvation Army National Capital Area Command
$300,000Emergency Services
The Salvation Army of Greater New York Division
$300,000Emergency Services
The Salvation Army of Greater Cleveland
$300,000Emergency Services
College for Creative Studies
$167,715Arts & Technology Program
Oakland Museum of California
$125,000Museum Conservation Program
Shelburne Museum Inc
$125,000Museum Conservation Program
Juniata College
$125,000SEP Phase XVI
Museo De Arte DE Puerto Rico Inc
$125,000Museum Conservation Program
Willamette University
$125,000SEP Phase XVI
LaGuardia Community College
$124,894SEP Phase XVI
Lake Forest College
$99,990Summer Stipend Program
Allegheny College
$99,975Summer Stipend Program
University of Portland
$99,000Summer Stipend Program
Susquehanna University
$97,460Summer Stipend Program
Gustavus Adophus College
$97,248Summer Stipend Program
Medgar Evers Educational Foundation Inc
$94,000SEP Phase XVI
Cornell College
$83,250SEP Phase XVI
Laguardia High School Parents Association
$50,000Drama Studio
Grey Bull Rescue Foundation Corp
$50,000Rescue from Warzones & Natural Dis.
Strengthen lives and secure futures
Friends of Catherine and Channel Lakes
$50,000Reduce Eurasian Water Milfoil