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The Lipman-Sherman Family Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

The Lipman-Sherman Family Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$30k
Granted FY2025still arriving
5
Grants FY2025still arriving
3
States reached
$16k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2025.

Food & Nutrition$50kArts & Culture$50kEnvironment$34kReligion$29kHealth$20kCivil Rights$13kPhilanthropy$9kInternational$8kOther$0
02FY2025 · 5 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k4 grants · $14k
  • $10k–50k1 grant · $16k
$6,000
Median grant
3
States reached
$543k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
NORTHWEST CONNECTICUT LAND CONSERVANCY$16,000
TEMPLE ISRAEL$6,000
FSU RESEARCH FOUNDATION$6,000
GUNN MEMORIAL LIBRARY & MUSEUM$1,236
ROXBURY AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION$500
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Dollar for dollar, its grants (FY17–25) land where the poverty rate runs at 15%, against an area that typically sits at 11%. 81% of its dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 11%NATIONAL CONSUMER LAW CENTER: $5k → 16%LOS ANGELES REGIONAL FOOD BANK: $5k → 14%SU RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC: $5k → 6%ROXBURY VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT: $500 → 15%WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART: $20k → 17%FSU RESEARCH FOUNDATION: $6k → 19%THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN: $5k → 14%NORTHWEST CONNECTICUT LAND CONSERVANCY: $16k → 9%RILEY CONSERVATION CLUB: $500 → 19%NAVY SEAL FOUNDATION: $1k → 10%NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL: $12k → 17%NORTHWEST CONNECTICUT LAND CONSERVANCY: $5k → 9%WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART: $20k → 17%GUNN MEMORIAL LIBRARY & MUSEUM: $1k → 9%CITY HARVEST: $20k → 17%ROXBURY FUND RELIEF: $5k → 9%CITY HARVEST: $20k → 17%ROXBURY FUND RELIEF: $2k → 9%CITY HARVEST: $5k → 17%ROXBURY FUND RELIEF: $1k → 9%UNICEF USA: $5k → 17%ROXBURY FUND RELIEF: $1k → 9%QUEEN SOFIA SPANISH INSTITUTE: $5k → 17%ROXBURY LAND TRUST INC: $500 → 9%TEMPLE ISRAEL: $9k → 17%ROXBURY LAND TRUST INC: $500 → 9%TEMPLE ISRAEL: $6k → 17%ROXBURY AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION: $500 → 9%TEMPLE ISRAEL: $5k → 17%HSS FOUNDATION: $1k → 17%THE BROTHERHOOD SYNAGOGUE: $5k → 17%THE BROTHERHOOD SYNAGOGUE: $3k → 17%THE BROTHERHOOD SYNAGOGUE: $1k → 17%MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER - PEDIATRICS CANCER RESEARCH: $5k → 17%BATTERY CONSERVANCY: $3k → 17%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.

Which US states its grants reach

MI
NY
MA
IN
PA
CT
CA
VA
MD
FL
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

70%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$158k · 8 repeat orgs$67k to everyone else

8 repeat relationships: 2 still active in FY2025, 6 since wound down; 3 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

8
16

Total granted

$158k
$59k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

0%
0%

Still filing today

63%
69%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 74% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $8k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Arts & CultureEnvironmentHealthInternationalFood & NutritionCivil RightsOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • CITY HARVEST INC
    3× · 2021–2023 · $45k · revenue -36%
  • WM
    WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
    2× · 2017–2018 · $40k · revenue +161%
  • NC
    NORTHWEST CONNECTICUT LAND CONSERVANCY INC
    2× · 2024–2025 · $21k · revenue 0%

Funded once

  • NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL INCgraduated
    one grant, 2020 · $12k · revenue +26%
  • MS
    MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER - PEDIATRICS CANCER RESEARCH
    one grant, 2018 · $5k
  • RO
    REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
    one grant, 2021 · $5k
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
World Wildlife Fund Inc

Wwf's mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on earth. (continued on schedule o)

Environment
2
Conservation International Foundation

Ci works to spotlight and secure the critical benefits that nature provides to humanity.

Environment
3
American Museum of Natural History

The museum's mission statement is: "to discover, interpret, and disseminate - through scientific research and education - knowledge about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe."

Arts & Culture
4
Lowell Observatory

The mission of lowell observatory is to pursue the study of astronomy, especially the study of our solar system and its evolution; to conduct pure research in astronomical phenomena; and to maintain quality public education and outreach…

Science & Tech
5
National September 11 Memorial and Museum At the World Trade Center

The national september 11 memorial & museum at the world trade center bears solemn witness to the terrorist attacks of september 11, 2001, and february 26, 1993. located at a site made sacred through loss, the memorial & museum remembers…

Arts & Culture
6
Resource Renewal Institute

The resource renewal institute facilitates the creation, development and implementation of practical strategies to solve the entire complex environmental problem by addressing it comprehensively.

Environment
7
Conservation Law Foundation Inc

Conservation law foundation, inc. (clf) protects new england's environment for the benefit of all people and future generations. we use the law, science, and markets to create solutions that preserve and restore our natural resources,…

Environment
8
Alliance for Sustainable Energy Llc

The mission of the alliance for sustainable energy llc (alliance) is to operate the u.s. department of energy's national renewable energy laboratory to advance the science and engineering of energy efficiency, sustainable transportation,…

Science & Tech
9
New Jersey Conservation Foundation

Recognizing that a healthy environment is critical to the well-being and survival of all living things, new jersey conservation foundation is devoted to preserving land and protecting natural resources throughout new jersey's (continued on…

Environment
10
Project Drawdown

Project drawdown's mission is to drive meaningful climate action by advancing science-based solutions and strategies. project drawdown's work is focused on three pillars: science - advancing science-based climate solutions and strategies;…

Education
11
Climate Institute

The climate institute is organized for the purpose of educating the general public and policy makers as to the gravity of potential climate change, exploring the policy implications of the latest scientific findings on climate modelling…

Environment
12
National Audubon Society Inc

We work towards a future where birds thrive across the americas because audubon is a powerful, diverse, and ever-growing force for conservation. (continued on schedule o).

Environment
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy Inc; the most unlike its peers is Riley Conservation Club Inc. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

18 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 18 of the 27 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

0
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
1
Early backer (in before they grew)
18/18
Grantees still filing
7/18
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

TEMPLE ISRAEL INC: $20,300 · OtherTEMPLE ISRAEL INCBROTHERHOOD SYNAGOGUE: $9,000 · OtherBROTHERHOOD SYNAGOGUEROXBURY FUND RELIEF: $9,000 · OtherROXBURY FUND RELIEFMEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER - PEDIATRICS CANCER RESEARCH: $5,000 · OtherMEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CE…REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN: $5,000 · OtherREGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHI…LOS ANGELES REGIONAL FOOD BANK: $5,000 · OtherLOS ANGELES REGIONAL FOOD BANKFLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC: $6,000 · OtherFLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH …NATIONAL CONSUMER LAW CENTER INC: $5,000 · OtherNATIONAL CONSUMER LAW CENTER INC+6 more: $4,656 · Other+6 moreWHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART: $40,000 · Arts & CultureWHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERIC…QUEEN SOFIA SPANISH INSTITUTE INC: $4,700 · Arts & CultureQUEEN SOFIA SPANISH INST…THE BATTERY CONSERVANCY INC: $2,700 · Arts & CultureTHE BATTERY CONSERVANCY …+1 more: $1,000 · Arts & CultureCITY HARVEST INC: $45,000 · Food & NutritionCITY HARVEST INCNORTHWEST CONNECTICUT LAND CONSERVANCY INC: $21,000 · EnvironmentNORTHWEST CONNECT…NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL INC: $12,000 · EnvironmentNATURAL RESOURCES…+1 more: $1,000 · EnvironmentAMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE: $12,500 · Civil RightsSU RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC: $5,000 · HealthBREAKTHROUGH T1D: $3,500 · HealthUNITED STATES FUND FOR UNICEF: $5,000 · InternationalFRIENDS OF THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES: $2,000 · International
Other$68,956Arts & Culture$48,400Food & Nutrition$45,000Environment$34,000Civil Rights$12,500Health$8,500International$7,000

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetCITY HARVEST INC: $45,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetWHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART: $40,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetNORTHWEST CONNECTICUT LAND CONSERVANCY INC: $21,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetAMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE: $12,500 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetNATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL INC: $12,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetFLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC: $6,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetUNITED STATES FUND FOR UNICEF: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNATIONAL CONSUMER LAW CENTER INC: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLOS ANGELES REGIONAL FOOD BANK: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSU RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC: $5,000 over 1y, 7.0% of budgetQUEEN SOFIA SPANISH INSTITUTE INC: $4,700 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetBREAKTHROUGH T1D: $3,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHE BATTERY CONSERVANCY INC: $2,700 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetFRIENDS OF THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES: $2,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNAVY SEAL FOUNDATION INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetROXBURY LAND TRUST INC: $1,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetRiley Conservation Club Inc: $500 over 1y, 0.7% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Vanguard Charitable E…National Philanthropi…Donor Advised Charita…Fidelity Investments …Amazonsmile Foundation
Vanguard Charitable Endowment ProgramPA7.9× affinity5 shared granteesties to 4 of 4Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · National Philanthropic Trust · Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund · Amazonsmile Foundation

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization The Lipman-Sherman Family Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from The Lipman-Sherman Family Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 30%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%3%5%8%10%share of the org’s income from government →median 9%
  • Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy Inc: 9% of income from government
  • National Consumer Law Center Inc: 1% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
3get no government money at all
3report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
0rely on government for over half their income
⤢ axis zoomed · 0–10%
typical government reliance, FY20–25
How this is measured
Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.
05Through Plinth

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to The Lipman-Sherman Family Foundation?

Find your warmest path to The Lipman-Sherman Family Foundation through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 27 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

How this is measured
Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Lipman-Sherman Family’s filings →

More from the funding graph

The unnamed billions
grants reported with no recipient in the public record
The regranting layer
51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
The DAF merry-go-round
$9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
The endowment market
who holds foundation money, and what just moved
The camps
funders cluster by geography, not ideology
By state
where grant money is based, and what stays home