Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The filing says the foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a cold application is unlikely to be considered and a small nonprofit should first look for an introduction through someone who already knows the foundation.
- Its grants cover education, especially scholarships and school, college and university programmes, along with hospitals and medical initiatives, conservation and land protection, and arts and cultural bodies, so work in those fields is the closest fit, though the filing states no geographic focus.
- Requests should be modest: about 8 in 10 grants fall between $25,000 and $2,350,000, and half of its grants to organisations were $200,000 or less, so asking towards the lower end of that typical range is more realistic than seeking a sum near the largest grant of $31,000,000.
- Relationships matter a great deal, since 87% of grant dollars to organisations went to groups the foundation had also funded in earlier filings, so most of its giving goes to established recipients.
- Organisations without an existing link should expect a longer, relationship-led route rather than a quick one.
Overview
Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund is a US private foundation based in Wilmington, DE.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 12 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The filing’s grant record includes substantial support for education, especially scholarships and student programmes delivered through schools, colleges and universities. It also shows grants to hospitals and medical initiatives, conservation and land-protection organisations, and arts and cultural organisations. Many awards are recorded as general and unrestricted, alongside support for named educational programmes, institutional facilities and other specific projects. Recipients are charitable organisations, with the filing identifying schools, universities, health institutions and cultural bodies among them. The foundation’s filed application information says contributions are made only to preselected charitable organisations and that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Themes
From its grants, not stated by the foundation:
- Education scholarships
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in New Mexico, New York, California, Oklahoma and Maine.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 87% 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 342 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
6 other states: 9%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 7%
- The largest single recipient received 21% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 87% of grant dollars went to organisations Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund had funded in earlier filings.
- <1% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (United Kingdom).
- <1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 118 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $200k (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Armand Hammer United World College Of The American · UWC Forever fund and Davis Scholars Program$26,000,0002024 tax year
- University of Oklahoma Foundation · Davis UWC Scholars Program 2024$13,130,0002024 tax year
- Santa Fe Preparatory School · Davis New Mexico Scholars fund$9,219,0002024 tax year
- Colby College · Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence$6,000,0002024 tax year
- Sonoma Academy · General & Unrestricted$5,580,0002024 tax year
- Macalester College · Davis UWC Scholars Program Fund 2024$5,520,5562024 tax year
- The Brigham & Womens Hospital Inc · Alzheimer Prevention Program$5,000,0002024 tax year
- Coney Island Prep Builders · Pride Promise Scholarship fund for deposit into the account held at fidelity and school's general operations fund$3,500,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Edith Winkler — Director
- Philip O Geier PhD — Assistant Secretary / Executive Director
- Victoria Davis Nosler — Director, Vice Chairman
- Shelby MC Davis — Director, Chairman
- Lansing Davis — Director, Assistant Treasurer
- Charles Cullom Davis — Independent Director
- Christopher C Davis — Secretary, Director
- Andrew A Davis — Treasurer, Director
- Alida Davis — Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $164,399,131 | $160,181,139 | $2,983,649,475 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $117,548,414 | $114,396,076 | $3,544,001,939 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $128,200,786 | $120,240,558 | $4,130,935,555 | 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.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
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Contact
- Wilmington, DE
Applying to Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Wilmington, DE