John & Polly Sparks Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests and works by invitation only, so a cold application is unlikely to be considered and you should wait for a route in before approaching it.
- If you are already known to it, a modest request fits its pattern: about 8 in 10 of its 67 organisation grants fell between $10,000 and $60,000, with a median of $22,000, though its largest grant was $500,000, so that band is typical rather than a ceiling.
- Its filed grants are recorded as general operating support, and recipients include healthcare providers, a university, churches, food banks and service organisations, so a general-support need may suit it.
- The filing shows most named grants going to Georgia, but no geographic focus is stated, so treat that as where grants have mostly gone rather than a rule on who can apply.
- Its partnership with the American Psychological Foundation, which reports up to $22,000 for its early-career programme, is aimed at psychology researchers, so it is unlikely to suit a general charity.
Overview
John & Polly Sparks Foundation is a US private foundation administered by its trustee, Bank of America NA, in Pennington, NJ.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2023, TY2022) and web pages about the foundation (ampsychfdn.org), with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 13 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation's filed organisation grants are recorded as general operating support. Recipients include healthcare providers, a university, churches, food banks and service organisations. Most named grants went to organisations in Georgia, with others spread across a number of states. Separately, it partnered with the American Psychological Foundation on programmes supporting early-career psychologists’ research on early intervention and treatment for serious emotional disturbance in children, and on mental-health interventions for rural first responders. In the early-career programme, the partnership aimed to encourage scientifically based research and programmes capable of providing models for broad-based applications.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Georgia.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Grant size: In its TY2023 filing, half of its 67 grants to organisations were $22,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2023.
Grant dollars by state
5 other states: 3%
- The largest single recipient received 15% of grant dollars to organisations.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 5% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 67 grants in tax year 2023 by size
Median $22,000 (tax year 2023)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Childrens Healthcare Of Atlanta Inc · General operating$500,0002023 tax year
- Emory University · General operating$421,0292023 tax year
- Christian City · General operating$350,0002023 tax year
- Grady Health Foundation · General operating$250,0002023 tax year
- Morehouse School of Medicine · General operating$200,0002023 tax year
- American Psychological Foundation · General operating$150,0002023 tax year
- Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church · General operating$60,0002023 tax year
- Atlanta Community Food Bank · General operating$60,0002023 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Brock Richard Peyer — Advisory Member
- Valerie Shuping — Advisory Member
- Kathy Barronton Hall — Advisory Member
- Kim Barronton Thornton — Advisory Member
- Richard W Hallock — Advisory Member
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
2 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $4,321,392 | $3,725,325 | $78,293,691 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $4,001,252 | $3,258,029 | $92,045,358 | Filing for 2023 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 John & Polly Sparks Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
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Contact
- Pennington, NJ (office of its trustee, Bank of America NA)
Applying to John & Polly Sparks Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Pennington, NJ (office of its trustee, Bank of America NA)