Los Angeles, CA

SHAPELL MANUSCRIPT FOUNDATION

EIN 20-2159043

Arts, Culture & Heritage Cultural Heritage & Traditions

Mission

The Shapell Manuscript Foundation is an independent educational organization dedicated to collecting, researching, digitizing, and exhibiting original manuscripts and historical documents, with a focus on the histories of the United States and the Holy Land (principally the 19th and 20th centuries).

IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) private non-operating foundation Contributions are tax-deductible

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About SHAPELL MANUSCRIPT FOUNDATION

The Shapell Manuscript Foundation (SMF) preserves, researches, digitizes, and publishes primary-source manuscripts and documents spanning American and Holy Land history, with particular strengths in presidential papers (notably Abraham Lincoln), 19th– and 20th‑century figures, and Jewish military history. The Foundation maintains an active public web collection, produces articles, podcasts, teacher resources and exhibitions, and operates the Shapell Roster project — a sustained, scholarly effort to document Jewish service in the American Civil War. SMF is an operating, donor-facing private foundation headquartered in Los Angeles and maintains partnerships and loans with major cultural institutions while continuing to publish new research and digital content (notably new publications and virtual events in 2024–2026).

Notable achievements

Large digitized manuscript collection

Built and published an extensive, searchable online collection of thousands of original manuscripts and documents, making primary sources widely accessible for research, teaching, and public engagement.

Shapell Roster research

Established and expanded the Shapell Roster of Jewish Service in the American Civil War, a multi-year research project that has identified and documented hundreds of previously unrecognized Jewish soldiers and sailors and continues to add verified entries and scholarship.

Books, exhibitions and media

Produced and supported scholarly publications and exhibitions (including a 2025 paperback edition of Lincoln and the Jews with newly released documents) and has loaned items to major institutions for national and international exhibitions.

At a glance

Total assets: $1.5M
Tax status: 501(c)(3)Private non-operating foundation
EIN: 20-2159043
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Website: www.shapell.org
On Mahalo since: April 2026

Financial figures from the IRS Business Master File, the IRS’s registry of tax-exempt organizations.

Recognition

Collections and projects regularly partnered with and loaned to major institutions (examples include the Library of Congress, the National Library of Israel, the New‑York Historical Society, the Smithsonian, and other presidential and historical libraries).

Shapell research and publications have received scholarly recognition (the first edition of Lincoln and the Jews won multiple prizes) and the Foundation's teacher resources have been incorporated in broader national education initiatives.

Registered and publicly documented as an IRS‑recognized private foundation (files and Form 990‑PF data appear in public nonprofit databases and organizational registries), and maintains profiles on major nonprofit information platforms.

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