The James and Sharon Maida Foundation concentrates its giving on higher education scholarships and local healthcare/medical support, primarily in New Jersey and nearby Pennsylvania institutions. Most funding goes to repeat, large-dollar awards to a small set of universities and a major regional health system, indicating a preference for institutional scholarship programs and health-related education initiatives. The foundation appears to prioritize measurable educational support (scholarships) and health system capacity rather than broad community-based or arts funding.
The James and Sharon Maida Foundation’s largest recent grant is a $1,062,500 scholarship award to Lehigh University, which captures the center of its giving: higher education support, especially scholarships, paired with health-system funding. Across the recent grants list, the foundation repeatedly backs universities and medical institutions rather than one-off community projects, with multi-year support visible at Lehigh, Rutgers University Foundation, and RWJ Barnabas Health Care System. The pattern points to institutional grants that help sustain scholarship programs, health and education initiatives, and related support services. Repeat awards also show a clear preference for organizations that can absorb ongoing funding over time. Lehigh received both a seven-figure scholarship grant in 2024 and a $680,000 scholarship grant in 2023, while RWJ Barnabas Health Care System received $501,000 in 2024 after a $500,000 grant in 2023. Rutgers University Foundation also appears twice with scholarship funding in consecutive years. Taken together, the foundation’s grant record suggests a focus on measurable educational access and health-related capacity-building through established institutions.
Higher education scholarships are the clearest theme in the recent grants. The foundation gave $375,000 to Lehigh for education and scholarships, and it provided $45,000 in both 2023 and 2024 to Kutztown University of Pennsylvania for scholarship support. Rutgers University Foundation also received $275,000 in each of those two years for scholarships, reinforcing the importance of recurring student aid. Health and medical education form the other major strand. RWJ Barnabas Health Care System received $501,000 in 2024 for health and education after a $500,000 grant in 2023 for the same purpose. Monmouth Medical Center also appears with $20,000 in 2023 and $10,000 in 2024 for health and education. Outside those core areas, the foundation has smaller grants for community and educational work, including $16,000 to We Care Solar and $7,500 to Habitat for Humanity.
Typical grant size is modest at the middle of the distribution, with p25 at $500, median at $1,000, and p75 at $7,575. The list also includes a small number of much larger institutional awards, which creates a wide spread between routine support and flagship grants. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Lehigh University, RWJ Barnabas Health Care System, Rutgers University Foundation, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, Monmouth Medical Center, Save Barnegat Bay, Rocking the Boat, Cape Eleuthra Foundation, and Habitat for Humanity. The foundation funds individuals as well as organizations, and the 2024 990 shows no program-related investments.
$2.6M
$15.7M
$2.7M
$2.7M
Most grants fall between $500 and $8K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$500
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$8K
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Highly concentrated giving: few, large grants with repeated multi-grant relationships to the same institutions (Lehigh, Rutgers, RWJ Barnabas). Emphasis on institutional scholarship and program support rather than many small or one-off community grants.
Notable grantees: Lehigh University, Rutgers University Foundation, RWJ Barnabas Health Care System, Lehigh (separate grant listed as Lehigh)
Most grants land in the United States, and New Jersey is the top state by grant count, with 37% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Recent recipient cities include West Orange, New Brunswick, Long Branch, Hamilton Township, Lavallette, Titusville, Trenton, and Lawrenceville in New Jersey; Bethlehem and Kutztown in Pennsylvania; and Bronx and New York in New York. The list also reaches beyond the Northeast to Atlanta, Berkeley, and Key Largo, showing a national footprint even though the strongest concentration is in New Jersey.
Its largest recent awards go to universities and health systems. Lehigh University received $1,062,500 in 2024 for scholarships, RWJ Barnabas Health Care System received $501,000 in 2024 for health and education, and Rutgers University Foundation received $275,000 in both 2023 and 2024 for scholarships.
The distribution is small at the middle and wider at the top: p25 is $500, median is $1,000, and p75 is $7,575. That means many awards are relatively modest, even though a few institutional grants are much larger.
Yes. Several grantees appear in more than one year, including Lehigh University, RWJ Barnabas Health Care System, Rutgers University Foundation, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, Monmouth Medical Center, Save Barnegat Bay, Rocking the Boat, Cape Eleuthra Foundation, and Habitat for Humanity.
New Jersey is the top state by grant count, with 37% of grants going to recipients in NJ. Recent New Jersey recipients include West Orange, New Brunswick, Long Branch, Hamilton Township, Lavallette, Titusville, Trenton, and Lawrenceville.
Beyond scholarships and health, the foundation also supports community and education-related work. Examples include $16,000 to We Care Solar, $7,500 to Habitat for Humanity, $8,620 to Save Barnegat Bay, $5,030 to Rocking the Boat, and $1,500 to Mercer Street Friends.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lehigh University | Bethlehem PA, PA | $1,014,407 | 2026 | Education & Scholarships |
| RWJ Barnabus Health Care System | West Orange, NJ | $509,501 | 2026 | Health & Education |
| RWJ Barnabus Health Care System | West Orange, NJ | $508,453 | 2026 | Health & Education |
| Rutgers University Foundation | New Brunswick, NJ | $279,571 | 2026 | Educational |
| Make a Change World | New York, NY | $120,000 | 2026 | Enviromental |
| MONMOUTH MEDICAL CTR | LONG BRANCH, NJ | $45,500 | 2026 | HEALTH and Education |
| Lehigh University | Bethlehem PA, PA | $28,667 | 2026 | Scholarship |
| We Care Solar | Berkeley, CA | $16,000 | 2026 | Community |
| HABITAT for HUMANITY | Atlanta, GA | $10,200 | 2026 | Community Resources |
| Kutztown Univer of PA | Kutztown PA, PA | $10,000 | 2026 | Scholarship |
| Save Barnegat Bay | Lavallette, NJ | $5,550 | 2026 | Cultural |
| Rocking the Boat | Bronx, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | Advancement |
| Ocean Reef Chapel Foundation | Key Largo, FL | $4,500 | 2026 | Community |
| St George Church | Titusville, NJ | $2,500 | 2026 | Religious |
| ALEX LEMONADE STAND FOUNDATION | WYNNEWOOD, PA | $2,500 | 2026 | CANCER RESEARCH |
| Joshua Harr Shane Fnd | Monroe Township, NJ | $2,000 | 2026 | Medical Awareness |
| Homefront | Lawerenceville, NJ | $1,800 | 2026 | Children's Issues |
| ANNUAL CATHOLIC APPEAL | Newark, NJ | $1,500 | 2026 | Religious |
| Mercer Street Friends | Trenton, NJ | $1,500 | 2026 | Children's Issues |
| GOOD SHEPHERD REHAB | Allentown, PA | $1,000 | 2026 | HealthCare |
| Trenton Area Soup Kitchen | Trenton, NJ | $1,000 | 2026 | Cultural |
| Mt CARMEl GUILD | Trenton, NJ | $1,000 | 2026 | CHILDREN'S ISSUES |
| Preservation Society of Newport Cou | Newport, RI | $1,000 | 2026 | Cultural |
| PHILABUNDANCE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $1,000 | 2026 | HUNGER |
| Island Heights Sailing Foundation | Island Heights, NJ | $1,000 | 2026 | Community |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2026 | HEALTH |
| St Jude Childrens Research | Memphis, TN | $750 | 2026 | Childrens Research Cancer |
| WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT | PITTSBURGH, PA | $700 | 2026 | VETERAN |
| Independent Seaport Museum | Philadelphia, PA | $550 | 2026 | Community |
| Independence Seaport Museum | Philadelphia, PA | $550 | 2026 | Museum Maintenance |
| WomanspaceYOUNITY | Lawrence Township, NJ | $500 | 2026 | Women & Children |
| Inspired by giving | Fort Worth, TX | $400 | 2026 | Community |
| NYPublic Lib Sch PA | New York, NY | $400 | 2026 | Community |
| Ocean Reef Community Foundation | Key Largo, FL | $350 | 2026 | Community |
| Covenant House | Newark, NJ | $300 | 2026 | Community |
| Pennington Public Library | Pennington, NJ | $250 | 2026 | Community |
| Upper Makefield Fire Dept | Washington Crossing, PA | $200 | 2026 | Community Support |
| Colonial Williamsburg Fund | Williamsburg, VA | $200 | 2026 | Cultural |
| Somerset Children's Center | Bridgewater, NJ | $200 | 2026 | Children's Issues |
| Mantoloking Fire Company | Mantoloking, NJ | $175 | 2026 | Equipment & Gear |
| SAILING FOUNDATION OF BARNEGAT BAY | ISLAND HEIGHTS, NJ | $150 | 2026 | Community |
| AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY | ATALANTA, GA | $100 | 2026 | health |
| Bayhead PBA | PT Pleasant Beach, NJ | $100 | 2026 | Community |
| Hopewell Valley Arts | Hopewell, NJ | $55 | 2026 | Community Culture |
| RWJ Barnabus Health Care System | West Orange, NJ | $554,754 | 2025 | Health & Education |
| Lehigh University | Bethlehem PA, PA | $535,300 | 2025 | Scholarship |
| Rutgers University Foundation | New Brunswick, NJ | $263,891 | 2025 | Educational |
| Make a Change World | New York, NY | $120,000 | 2025 | Enviromental |
| OCEAN REEF MED CNTR FND | Key Largo, FL | $60,000 | 2025 | Community |
| Kutztown Univer of PA | Kutztown PA, PA | $45,000 | 2025 | Scholarship |
RWJ Barnabus Health Care System
$509,501Health & Education
RWJ Barnabus Health Care System
$508,453Health & Education
Make a Change World
$120,000Enviromental
MONMOUTH MEDICAL CTR
$45,500HEALTH and Education
HABITAT for HUMANITY
$10,200Community Resources
Kutztown Univer of PA
$10,000Scholarship
Save Barnegat Bay
$5,550Cultural
St George Church
$2,500Religious
ALEX LEMONADE STAND FOUNDATION
$2,500CANCER RESEARCH
Joshua Harr Shane Fnd
$2,000Medical Awareness
ANNUAL CATHOLIC APPEAL
$1,500Religious
GOOD SHEPHERD REHAB
$1,000HealthCare
Trenton Area Soup Kitchen
$1,000Cultural
Mt CARMEl GUILD
$1,000CHILDREN'S ISSUES
Preservation Society of Newport Cou
$1,000Cultural
Island Heights Sailing Foundation
$1,000Community
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING
$1,000HEALTH
St Jude Childrens Research
$750Childrens Research Cancer
Independent Seaport Museum
$550Community
WomanspaceYOUNITY
$500Women & Children
Inspired by giving
$400Community
Pennington Public Library
$250Community
Upper Makefield Fire Dept
$200Community Support
Somerset Children's Center
$200Children's Issues
Mantoloking Fire Company
$175Equipment & Gear
SAILING FOUNDATION OF BARNEGAT BAY
$150Community
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
$100health
Bayhead PBA
$100Community
Hopewell Valley Arts
$55Community Culture
RWJ Barnabus Health Care System
$554,754Health & Education
Make a Change World
$120,000Enviromental
OCEAN REEF MED CNTR FND
$60,000Community
Kutztown Univer of PA
$45,000Scholarship