About Sherman Family Foundation
The Sherman Family Foundation makes a small number of very large general‑operating grants concentrated in Baltimore and the state of Maryland, prioritizing major local institutions that serve education, workforce/family stability, arts, and community well‑being. Their support favors established nonprofits and higher‑education foundations with broad institutional impact rather than many small or project‑specific awards.
Focus Areas
Public higher education foundations in Maryland (e.g., USM, UMBC)Workforce development and family stability programs in Baltimore (e.g., Center for Urban Families)Major performing arts institutions in Baltimore (e.g., Baltimore Symphony Orchestra)Community recreation and youth services through regional YMCAs
Who They Fund
unspecified
Giving Approach
Highly concentrated giving: very few, large unrestricted/general‑operating grants to established local institutions. Emphasis on flagship organizations with measurable regional reach rather than dispersed or numerous small awards.
Funding Style
About Sherman Family Foundation
The Sherman Family Foundation’s recent giving is shaped by a few very large general-operating grants to Baltimore institutions, led by $7,000,000 to the University System of Maryland Foundation and $2,900,000 to the UMBC Foundation. That pattern points to a funder that backs established organizations with broad reach rather than many small project grants. In Baltimore, the foundation has also made major operating support gifts to the Center for Urban Families, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and the Y of Central Maryland, showing attention to education, workforce and family stability, arts, and youth-serving infrastructure. The grant lists show recurring support to some recipients across multiple years, alongside newer awards, which suggests sustained relationships with a core set of local nonprofits. Its active grant programs focus on vulnerable young people in Baltimore, especially early childhood, K-12 education, children, youth, and families, with program evaluation and research included among the funding priorities. Several program descriptions also note support for general operating, capital, and other organizational needs, reinforcing the foundation’s preference for capacity-building rather than narrowly restricted project funding.
What Sherman Family Foundation Funds
In higher education, the foundation has supported public university-related organizations in Maryland with seven-figure operating grants, including the University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation for general operations. In workforce and family stability, it has backed Baltimore-based service organizations such as Center for Urban Families for general operations, aligning with its focus on children, youth, and families. The arts are another visible thread: Baltimore Symphony Orchestra received a major general-operating grant, and the foundation also supported The Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship Inc. For youth development, grants to The Y of Central Maryland and Boys and Girls Club of Metro Baltimore show an emphasis on community-based programs that serve children and young people.
How Sherman Family Foundation Gives
Typical awards cluster around core support rather than small project grants, with a p25 of $9,500, a median grant of $25,000, and a p75 of $100,000. Recent grant records also show that the foundation can make very large operating grants, including multi-million-dollar awards. The same organizations appear across multiple years in the recent-grants list, indicating recurring relationships rather than one-time support. The foundation is structured as a family foundation, funds only organizations, and does not make program-related investments. Its active grant programs are invitation-only or non-unsolicited, so grants are not pursued through open applications.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$19M
Total Assets
$73.3M
Total Revenue
$6M
Total Expenses
$20.2M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $100K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$100K
Geographic Reach
Regional20 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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