Diana Davis Spencer Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 20-3672969 · since 2007ddsfoundation.org·District of Columbia, Michigan, New York, Texas, Virginia·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$79.2M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$25,000 to $1M

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$188k

Typical grant (median)

138 grants in the latest filing

Invitation only

Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.

Key takeaways

This foundation operates strictly by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited requests or general grant-application enquiries, so the only way in is to send a short note with contact details and a brief project description to ask for an invitation.
Its funding sits within national security, entrepreneurship, education, public policy, global understanding, health advancements and environmental preservation, so check your work against these themes before approaching.
Typical grants to organisations run from $25,000 to $1,000,000, with a median of $200,000, so pitching a request in that broad band is realistic, though a few grants have been much larger.
No geographic focus is stated, though its grants have mainly gone to organisations in Virginia, the District of Columbia, New York, Texas and Michigan.
With 92% of its grant dollars going to organisations it had already funded in the prior two filings, this looks like a relationship-led funder where most of the money goes to known partners, so new applicants should expect it to be competitive and should not expect a quick response outside of being invited.

Overview

Diana Davis Spencer Foundation is a US private foundation based in Bethesda, MD.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The foundation's mission is to promote national security, entrepreneurship, self-reliance and free enterprise, while enhancing quality of life through the arts, education, global understanding, health advancements and environmental preservation. It funds initiatives that equip defence and intelligence leaders with tools to safeguard the United States. In education, it supports initiatives from pre-school through adulthood, including resources for low-performing schools in high-poverty areas and programmes for children and adults with learning challenges. It also works to develop an entrepreneurial mindset among young people through education. In public policy, it backs institutes and think tanks researching, developing and advocating less intrusive laws and regulations, and seeks to empower leaders committed to policies embodying its founding principles.

Themes

National security
Entrepreneurship
Education
Public policy
Global understanding
Health advancements
Environmental preservation

Geographic Focus

No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Virginia, District of Columbia, New York, Texas and Michigan.

How to apply

An organisation may request an invitation by providing contact information and a brief description of the project it wishes to fund. General grant-application enquiries are not accepted.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 92% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 431 grants to organisations were $200,000 or less.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

Virginia30%

District of Columbia20%

New York11%

Texas11%

Michigan5%

Maryland4%

6 other states: 13%

Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 5%

The largest single recipient received 20% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 92% of grant dollars went to organisations Diana Davis Spencer Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
20% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

138 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $188k

How much do they typically give?

Share of 138 grants in tax year 2024 by size

$5k–$10k4%

$10k–$25k7%

$25k–$50k4%

$50k–$100k18%

$100k–$250k25%

$250k–$500k14%

$500k–$1M11%

$1M and over17%

Median $188k (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

DonorsTrust · Donor advised fund contribution
$5,000,0002024 tax year
Hillsdale College · Construction of the graduate school of classical education and endowment
$5,000,0002024 tax year
DonorsTrust · Donor advised fund contribution
$5,000,0002024 tax year
Heritage Foundation · Education and research
$5,000,0002024 tax year
DonorsTrust · Donor advised fund contribution
$5,000,0002024 tax year
Texas A&M University · Bush school of government and public service graduate program
$3,500,0002024 tax year
Texas A&M University · Bush school of government and public service graduate program
$3,500,0002024 tax year
DonorsTrust · Donor advised fund contribution
$3,000,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Diana Davis Spencer — Executive Chairman
Spencer Moffat — Trustee
Kimberly Lamanna — Trustee
Thomas Skilton — General Counsel And Secretary
Richard Painter — Audit & Investment Committee Member
John Richardson — Audit & Investment Committee Member
Christopher Burn — Chief Investment Officer
Carole A Featherstone — Chief Financial Officer
Harrison Howard — Trustee
Abby Spencer Moffat — CEO & President

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$141,986,742	$82,523,000	$1,356,251,879	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$64,801,332	$70,760,000	$1,347,340,836	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$79,205,253	$79,174,000	$1,346,829,486	Filing for 2024 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.