Richard S. Shineman Foundation

What Richard S. Shineman Foundation does

The Richard S. Shineman Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) charitable foundation established in September 2011 through the estate of Dr. Richard S. Shineman, a SUNY Oswego chemistry professor, and stewarded by his widow Barbara Palmer Shineman. Headquartered at 121 East First Street, Oswego, New York, the foundation operates with a two-person staff (led by Foundation Director Chena Tucker) and a nine-member Board of Directors, distributing grants from an endowed fund to nonprofit organizations and governmental subdivisions primarily in Oswego County and Central New York.

Its core product offering is a three-tier grantmaking program: Strategic Grants (over $10,000, reviewed twice yearly in May and November, requires a Letter of Inquiry), Community Impact Grants ($2,500-$10,000, reviewed quarterly), and Community Enrichment Grants (up to $2,499, reviewed quarterly). Applications are processed through Foundant Technologies' online portal, with strategic grants subject to a co-funding requirement (no more than 10% of total project budget; requests over $200,000 require 50% pre-raised). Beyond grantmaking, the foundation operates a capacity-building program called the Non-Profit Education & Training (NET) Series — including in-person workshops, virtual webinars, complimentary coaching via the Nonprofit Lifecycles Institute framework, strategic visioning sessions, and a Virtual Library of curated resources.

The foundation's revenue model is endowment-based rather than commercial: it generates investment returns on a permanently invested fund (seeded in part by a $5 million 2012 gift to the Oswego College Foundation and a $1 million 2018 gift to SUNY Oswego's Sheldon Institute) and distributes those returns as grants and capacity-building programs. Since inception, the foundation has approved over $12.2 million in grants to more than 200 nonprofit organizations across Arts and Culture, Civic Benefit, Economic/Workforce Development, Education, Environment, Health and Human Services, and Historic Preservation. The foundation has earned AFP Outstanding Foundation recognition (2016, 2019), the Chamber of Commerce Not for Profit of the Year (2014), and multiple regional awards.

Name

Richard S. Shineman Foundation

Legal name

Richard S. Shineman Foundation

Website

https://shinemanfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Richard S. Shineman Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) charitable foundation that distributes endowment-funded grants and nonprofit capacity-building programs to over 200 organizations across Oswego County and Central New York.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Nonprofit capacity building
• Community foundation grants
• Charitable endowment funding
• Nonprofit education training

Headquarters

HQ city

Oswego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Endowment-based Grantmaking: The foundation operates as an endowed philanthropic organization, distributing grants from a permanently invested endowment fund established by Dr. Richard S. Shineman's charitable bequest. The foundation makes charitable gifts to benefit Upstate New York and Oswego County, focusing on economic development, environment, educational institutions, parks, arts, and human services organizations.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Richard S. Shineman Foundation is a private charitable foundation that distributes grants from a permanently invested endowment to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and governmental subdivisions in Oswego County, New York. It offers three grant categories (Strategic Grants over $10,000, Community Impact Grants $2,500–$10,000, and Community Enrichment Grants up to $2,499) and complements its grantmaking with a capacity-building program called the Non-Profit Education & Training (NET) Series, including workshops, coaching, and strategic visioning services.

Product overview

The Richard S. Shineman Foundation operates as a philanthropic grantmaking organization with a three-pronged approach: Grantmaking, Collaboration, and Capacity Building. Its core grant products include Strategic Grants (over $10,000), Community Impact Grants ($2,500-$10,000), and Community Enrichment Grants (up to $2,499). The foundation also provides nonprofit capacity building through its NET (Nonprofit Education and Training) Series, which encompasses in-person and virtual workshops, office hours with coaching, and strategic visioning sessions. Additional resources include a Virtual Library and Funding Resources Directory for Oswego County nonprofits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Grants Large-scale funding requests over $10,000 requiring a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) process, reviewed twice yearly in May and November, available to qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofits and governmental subdivisions in Oswego County.
• Community Impact Grants

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $12.2 million in grants distributed to over 200 nonprofit organizations
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Foundant TechnologiescoreTechnology or IntegrationFoundant Technologies is the third-party grantmaking application provider used by the Richard S. Shineman Foundation for its online application portal. The foundation utilizes Foundant's easy-to-use platform for account creation, application submission, grant review, and grant agreement processing. The platform also supports collaborative features allowing multiple applicants from one organization to work together on a single request.
• BoardSourceminorOthersBoardSource is featured in the foundation's Nonprofit Network resource library as a recommended resource for board governance. The foundation links to BoardSource materials as part of its capacity building support for local nonprofits.
• CandidminorOthersCandid (formerly GuideStar and Foundation Center) is featured in the foundation's Nonprofit Network resource library. Candid provides the most comprehensive data and insights about the social sector and is recommended as a resource for Oswego County nonprofits.
• Nonprofit Lifecycles InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation offers capacity consulting scholarships using the proven Nonprofit Lifecycles approach, with referrals for up to three hours of complimentary coaching with consultants whose expertise aligns with nonprofit goals. This is a key component of the foundation's capacity building mission.
• New York Council of Nonprofits, Inc. (NYCON)minorOthersNYCON is featured in the foundation's Nonprofit Network resource library as a key nonprofit support organization providing business and capacity building services, consulting, and training to nonprofits in New York State.
• Tech SoupminorOthersTech Soup is featured in the foundation's Nonprofit Network resource library as a recommended resource providing technology solutions, skills training, and discounts on technology tools for nonprofits.
• The Council on FoundationsminorOthersThe Council on Foundations is featured in the foundation's Nonprofit Network resource library as the primary membership association serving and guiding philanthropies in advancing the greater good.
• The Association of Fundraising Professionals of Central New York (AFP-CNY)minorOthersAFP-CNY is featured in the foundation's Nonprofit Network resource library. The association advances philanthropy through education, training, and advocacy across Central New York, serving Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oswego, Oneida, Onondaga, and St. Lawrence counties.
• Central New York Community FoundationminorOthersThe Central New York Community Foundation is featured as a local funding resource for Oswego County nonprofits. Its Strategic Partnership Fund supports organizations seeking to create new synergies. The Oswego County Community Foundation is also listed as a geographically-specific fund administered by CNYCF.
• SUNY OswegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation maintains a deep partnership with SUNY Oswego, including a $5 million endowment with the Oswego College Foundation (September 2012) and a $1 million endowed gift for the Sheldon Institute for Barbara Shineman Scholars (July 2018). The foundation was also founded through Dr. Richard S. Shineman's tenure as a chemistry professor at SUNY Oswego, and Barbara Shineman is an alumna and professor emerita of the institution.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Central New York Community Foundation: Regional grantmaking foundation serving Central New York counties including Oswego. It administers the Oswego County Community Foundation as a geographic affiliate, making it the most directly comparable peer in scope, mission, and applicant pool.
• Oswego County Community Foundation: A geographic affiliate fund of the Central New York Community Foundation focused exclusively on Oswego County. Operates in the same geographic footprint with overlapping nonprofit applicants and similar grantmaking scope.
• Health Foundation for Western & Central New York: Regional health-focused foundation serving Western and Central New York. Listed as a funding resource in Shineman's own directory, it competes for the same health and human services grantees in overlapping counties.
• Garrett Dunsmoor Memorial Foundation: Regional Central New York grantmaking foundation listed by Shineman as a local funding resource. Board member Pamela Caraccioli also serves on its board, evidencing direct overlap in the regional grantmaking network.

Regional players

• The Fred L. Emerson Foundation: A family-founded private grantmaking foundation serving Central and Western New York. Comparable in structure (private endowed foundation), scale, and regional focus to Shineman.
• Gifford Foundation: Family foundation supporting nonprofits in Central New York, including arts, education, and human services. Overlaps with Shineman's arts, education, and human services focus areas in the same geography.
• Community Foundation of Greater Rochester: Large community foundation serving the greater Rochester region of Upstate New York. Comparable as a multi-county endowed foundation pursuing community development and capacity building, though in a larger and economically stronger market.
• The Allyn Family Foundation: A private family foundation in Central New York focused on community health, education, and economic development in the Syracuse and Oswego region. Comparable in scale and focus areas.

Broad incumbents

• Ford Foundation: One of the largest U.S. private foundations. Relevant as a broad incumbent for benchmarking governance, capacity-building practices, and the structural role of endowed foundations in regional development.

Others

• Council on Foundations: National membership association for philanthropic foundations. Featured as a resource partner in Shineman's Nonprofit Network; relevant as an ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ShinemanFound
• Facebookfacebook.com/ShinemanFoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments2 records

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Frequently asked questions about Richard S. Shineman Foundation