The Sherrill Family Foundation concentrates its philanthropy into a small number of relatively large gifts focused on medical research/healthcare, wildlife conservation, and performing arts. Most funding goes to well-established New York institutions (notably Memorial Sloan Kettering and the Wildlife Conservation Society), with a willingness to support both science/clinical institutions and cultural innovation such as live-stream theatre. The foundation appears outcome-oriented, favoring direct donations to prominent organizations rather than many small grants.
A defining pattern for the Sherrill Family Foundation is its concentration on a small set of sizable gifts to established institutions, especially in medical research, wildlife conservation, and the performing arts. In 2024, the foundation’s largest recent grant was $375,000 to the Wildlife Conservation Society in Bronx, New York, and the same year it gave $300,000 to The League of Live Stream Theater Inc. in New York. Those grants show two of its clearest priorities: conservation organizations with professional research programs and arts groups experimenting with digital presentation. The foundation also backs major medical centers. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center received $275,000 in 2024 and $270,000 in 2025, making it one of the clearest repeat recipients in the recent record. Other grants go to institutions such as Phillips Academy, Yale University, and the New York School of Interior Design, indicating a preference for direct institutional support rather than a broad small-grants portfolio. The recent record is entirely U.S.-based and heavily weighted toward New York recipients, with many awards going to organizations in New York City and the Bronx.
Cancer research and patient care are a visible part of the foundation’s giving. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center received $275,000 in 2024 and $270,000 in 2025, both as donations. That repeat support places a major medical center at the center of the foundation’s health-related grantmaking. Wildlife conservation is another sustained theme. The Wildlife Conservation Society received $375,000 in 2024 and another $100,000 in 2025, both directed to its Bronx, New York base. The recent record also includes a $20,000 grant to Audubon Nature Inst in New Orleans, showing support for conservation work beyond New York. In the arts, the foundation has funded both live performance and larger cultural institutions. The League of Live Stream Theater Inc received $300,000 in 2024, Second Stage Theatre received $50,000 in 2024 and $65,000 in 2025, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art received $30,000 in 2025.
The foundation gives at a relatively high level for a small asset base, with a p25 grant size of $15,000, a median of $25,000, and a p75 of $62,500. Recent grants show repeated support to the same institutions across multiple years, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the Wildlife Conservation Society, Pro Bono Publico Foundation, Second Stage Theatre, Phillips Academy, The Adderley School Foundation, Buckley Institute, The Buckley School, Central West Ballet, and Yale University. The pattern is direct institutional giving through donations rather than individual awards or program-related investments. The record also suggests a regional, relationship-based approach with recurring gifts rather than many one-off microgrants.
$1.1M
$3.2M
$3M
$1.1M
Most grants fall between $15K and $63K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$63K
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Concentrated giving: few, large donations with repeat support for select flagship institutions; primarily one-time or direct donations rather than broad small-grantmaking.
Notable grantees: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Wildlife Conservation Society, The League of Live Stream Theater Inc
The grant record is entirely U.S.-based, and New York is the top state by grant count, accounting for 53% of grants. New York City appears frequently, along with the Bronx, which received major support through the Wildlife Conservation Society. Outside New York, recipients include New Orleans, Andover, New Haven, Austin, Cambridge, Sun Valley, Redmond, and Modesto. The geographic spread is regional rather than national, with a strong concentration in New York institutions and a smaller set of grants to organizations in other states.
Recent grants point to three main areas: cancer research and patient care at major medical centers, wildlife conservation and biodiversity programs, and performing arts. The foundation also funds educational and cultural institutions, including schools and universities, through direct donations.
Yes. Several recipients appear in more than one year, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the Wildlife Conservation Society, Pro Bono Publico Foundation, Second Stage Theatre, Phillips Academy, The Adderley School Foundation, Buckley Institute, The Buckley School, Central West Ballet, and Yale University.
The typical recent grant falls in the $15,000 to $62,500 range, with a median grant of $25,000. Larger awards also appear, including $375,000 to the Wildlife Conservation Society, $300,000 to The League of Live Stream Theater Inc, and $275,000 to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Most grants go to New York recipients. New York is the top state by grant count, and 53% of grants are awarded to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. New York City and the Bronx are especially prominent locations in the recent record.
No. The recent grant record is entirely U.S.-based, with 45 grants going to U.S. recipients and no non-U.S. countries appearing in the recent grants list.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $270,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| PHILLIPS ACADEMY | ANDOVER, MA | $150,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY | BRONX, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| PRO BONO PUBLICO FOUNDATION | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $75,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| SECOND STAGE THEATRE | NEW YORK, NY | $65,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| YALE UNIVERSITY | NEW HAVEN, CT | $50,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| TEACH FOR AMERICA INC | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| SUN VALLEY CENTER FOR THE ARTS INC | SUN VALLEY, ID | $26,400 | 2025 | DONATION |
| ONCOURSE FOUNDATION INC | REDMOND, OR | $25,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| HARVARD UNIVERSITY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| CENTRAL WEST BALLET | MODESTO, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| NEW YORK SCHOOL OF INTERIOR DESIGN | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| BUCKLEY INSTITUTE | NEW HAVEN, CT | $25,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| THE BUCKLEY SCHOOL | NEW YORK CITY, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| THE ADDERLEY SCHOOL FOUNDATION | AUSTIN, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| AUDUBON NATURE INST | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $20,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| THE SOUTHAMPTON HOSPITAL FOUNDATION INC | SOUTH HAMPTON, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| DOE FUND INC | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| LOUISIANA ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| PHELPS ASSOCIATION | NEW HAVEN, CT | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| CHELSEA PIERS FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| 564 PARK AVE PRESERVATION FOUNDATION | NEW YORK CITY, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| MUNICIPAL ART SOCIETY OF NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| JAMES C FERRER EDUCATION FUND | SOUTH HAMPTON, NY | $2,500 | 2025 | DONATION |
| JAMES B LEE JR SCHOLARSHIP AND RELIEF FUND IN HONOR OF JOSEPH | SOUTHAMPTON, NY | $2,500 | 2025 | DONATION |
| WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY | BRONX, NY | $375,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| THE LEAGUE OF LIVE STREAM THEATER INC | NEW YORK, NY | $300,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $275,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| PHILLIPS ACADEMY | ANDOVER, MA | $125,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| PRO BONO PUBLICO FOUNDATION | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $75,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| HELEN HAY WHITNEY FOUNDATION | NEW YORK CITY, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| SECOND STAGE THEATRE | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| THE ADDERLEY SCHOOL FOUNDATION | AUSTIN, TX | $50,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| BUCKLEY INSTITUTE | NEW HAVEN, CT | $30,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| THE BUCKLEY SCHOOL | NEW YORK CITY, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| MANHATTAN INSTITUTE FOR POLICY RESEARCH | NEW YORK CITY, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| CENTRAL WEST BALLET | MODESTO, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| YALE UNIVERSITY | NEW HAVEN, CT | $25,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| AUDUBON NATURE INST | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $15,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| HARVARD UNIVERSITY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $15,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| THOMAS FINE ART | PORTLAND, OR | $9,254 | 2024 | DONATION |
| 564 PARK AVE PRESERVATION FOUNDATION | NEW YORK CITY, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| JAMES C FERRER EDUCATION FUND | SOUTH HAMPTON, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | DONATION |
| ST ANDREWS DUNE CHURCH | SOUTHAMPTON, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | DONATION |
| WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY | BRONX, NY | $475,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| THE LEAGUE OF LIVE STREAM THEATER | NEW YORK, NY | $250,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $250,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| SECOND STAGE THEATRE | NEW YORK, NY | $165,927 | 2023 | DONATION |
| NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $140,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
$270,000DONATION
PHILLIPS ACADEMY
$150,000DONATION
DONATION
ONCOURSE FOUNDATION INC
$25,000DONATION
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
$25,000DONATION
CENTRAL WEST BALLET
$25,000DONATION
THE ADDERLEY SCHOOL FOUNDATION
$25,000DONATION
PHELPS ASSOCIATION
$10,000DONATION
CHELSEA PIERS FOUNDATION
$10,000DONATION
564 PARK AVE PRESERVATION FOUNDATION
$5,000DONATION
JAMES C FERRER EDUCATION FUND
$2,500DONATION
JAMES B LEE JR SCHOLARSHIP AND RELIEF FUND IN HONOR OF JOSEPH
$2,500DONATION
THE LEAGUE OF LIVE STREAM THEATER INC
$300,000DONATION
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
$275,000DONATION
HELEN HAY WHITNEY FOUNDATION
$50,000DONATION
THE ADDERLEY SCHOOL FOUNDATION
$50,000DONATION
CENTRAL WEST BALLET
$25,000DONATION
YALE UNIVERSITY
$25,000DONATION
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
$15,000DONATION
THOMAS FINE ART
$9,254DONATION
JAMES C FERRER EDUCATION FUND
$2,500DONATION
ST ANDREWS DUNE CHURCH
$2,500DONATION
THE LEAGUE OF LIVE STREAM THEATER
$250,000DONATION
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
$250,000DONATION
NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART
$140,000DONATION