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John H And Regina K Scully Foundation

Annual Giving
$70.5M
Grant Range
$10K - $25.0M

John H And Regina K Scully Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Total Assets: $681.2 million (2023)
  • Annual Giving: $70.5 million (2023)
  • Number of Grants: 21 grants (2023)
  • Grant Range: $10,000 - $25,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily California (Bay Area), with some national funding
  • Application Process: No public application process - invitation only

Contact Details

Address: PO Box 6106, San Rafael, CA 94903-0106
Phone: 419-981-2966
EIN: 46-2014396

Note: The foundation does not maintain a public website and does not accept unsolicited grant applications.

Overview

The John H And Regina K Scully Foundation (formerly Scully Memorial Foundation) was established in May 2013 as a private independent foundation. With total assets of $681.2 million and annual charitable disbursements of $70.5 million in 2023, the foundation represents a major source of philanthropic support in the Bay Area and beyond. The foundation is led by co-founders John H. Scully and Regina K. Scully, who bring distinct but complementary philanthropic visions to their grantmaking. John H. Scully, an investment fund manager and co-founder of Making Waves Foundation, focuses on educational equity and opportunity for underserved students. Regina K. Scully, founder and CEO of Artemis Rising Foundation, champions media and documentary filmmaking that addresses social justice issues including gender bias, women's empowerment, healing, and trauma. The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, making contributions exclusively to preselected charitable organizations with which the trustees have established relationships.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not offer formally named grant programs but provides support through trustee-directed grantmaking across several key areas:

  • Major Institutional Support: $25,000,000+ (multi-year general support and construction projects)
  • Significant Partnership Grants: $100,000 - $5,000,000 (education, social services, community development)
  • Targeted Program Support: $10,000 - $100,000 (arts, environment, specialized causes)

All grants are awarded through trustee discretion to preselected organizations. There are no application deadlines as the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Priority Areas

Based on 2023 grantmaking patterns, the foundation's funding priorities include:

Education: Charter schools (particularly KIPP schools), college preparatory programs, university support, and educational equity initiatives serving underserved and first-generation college students in the Bay Area.

Community Development: Comprehensive support for Richmond, California, including education, youth development, and community transformation initiatives.

Media and Social Justice: Documentary filmmaking and media projects addressing gender bias, women's empowerment, healing, trauma, mental health, and systemic social issues (primarily through Artemis Rising Foundation).

Environment and Conservation: Marine conservation, ocean protection, and wildlife conservation organizations.

Arts and Culture: Museums, theatre organizations, and cultural institutions.

Higher Education: Support for major research universities and educational institutions.

What They Don't Fund

While the foundation has not published explicit exclusions, the closed grantmaking approach means:

  • The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals or letters of inquiry
  • Organizations without existing trustee relationships cannot apply
  • The foundation contributes exclusively to preselected charitable organizations

Governance and Leadership

The foundation is governed by a three-member board:

John H. Scully - President/Director and Co-Founder
John Scully, born in 1944, founded San Francisco Partners (later SPO Partners) at age 27, concentrating capital in both public and private enterprises. He co-founded Making Waves Foundation in 1989 to support underserved students in Richmond, California, and serves as its Board Chair. Scully has stated that "the whole purpose behind his philanthropy is to make the world a better place," emphasizing that "the best people are those who come from modest backgrounds and then, when they reach success, become devoted to giving back." He credits his career with creating jobs and opportunities while becoming financially comfortable enough to give back meaningfully.

Regina K. Scully - CFO/Director and Co-Founder
Regina K. Scully is an Emmy, Academy, and Peabody Award-winning producer who founded Artemis Rising Foundation and has produced over 200 documentary films. She champions powerful stories about challenging social justice issues including gender bias, healing, trauma, mental health, addiction, and women's empowerment. Scully explains her selection criteria: "We choose films based on what will affect people on an emotional, physical and psychic level, and based on what will make their lives better in a holistic way." She emphasizes that "Our films are about breaking the silence and lifting the shame" regarding issues historically buried in culture. Her work has driven meaningful policy change, including 35 pieces of military legislation resulting from the documentary The Invisible War.

Kenneth J. Blum - Secretary/Director

None of the board members received compensation in 2023, reflecting the foundation's commitment to directing maximum resources toward charitable purposes.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation has explicitly stated that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

Grants are awarded entirely at the discretion of the trustees to organizations with which they have established relationships. Organizations cannot submit applications, letters of inquiry, or proposals.

Major Grant Recipients

To understand the foundation's grantmaking approach, the largest 2023 grants included:

  • Artemis Rising Foundation: $74.5 million (three grants for general support focused on documentary filmmaking and social justice media)
  • Making Waves Foundation: $27.5 million (general support and construction for educational equity in Richmond, CA)
  • Making Waves Academy: $4.5 million (general support for public charter school serving grades 5-12)
  • Liberty Science Center
  • Stanford University
  • KIPP Bay Area Schools
  • Oceana (marine conservation)
  • Coastwatch Wildlife Society

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications. Grantmaking decisions are made internally by trustees based on their philanthropic priorities and existing organizational relationships.

Success Rates

Not applicable - organizations cannot apply to this foundation.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications or reapplications.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation's grantmaking is highly concentrated, with the majority of funding directed to organizations co-founded or closely affiliated with the trustees (Artemis Rising Foundation and Making Waves Foundation/Academy).

Connection to Trustees' Core Missions:

  • Organizations working in Richmond, California, on educational equity and youth development align with John H. Scully's longstanding commitment through Making Waves Foundation (founded 1989).
  • Documentary filmmakers and media organizations addressing gender bias, women's empowerment, trauma, and social justice issues align with Regina K. Scully's work through Artemis Rising Foundation.

Secondary Funding Areas: The foundation also supports KIPP charter schools, university programs, environmental conservation (particularly marine protection), and cultural institutions. Organizations in these sectors that connect to the trustees' networks or demonstrated interests may receive consideration.

Relationship-Based Approach: Given that John H. Scully co-founded Making Waves Foundation in 1989 and Regina K. Scully has produced over 200 documentary films, their grantmaking reflects decades of deep engagement in specific sectors. Organizations seeking support would need meaningful connections to the trustees' established networks in Bay Area education or social justice documentary filmmaking.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant applications - it operates exclusively on an invitation-only basis with preselected organizations.

  • Grantmaking is highly concentrated - The vast majority of funding (over 80% in 2023) goes to two organizations: Artemis Rising Foundation and Making Waves Foundation/Academy, both closely affiliated with the trustees.

  • Geographic focus is primarily Bay Area California - Particularly Richmond, CA, with 10 of 21 grants (2023) awarded to California organizations.

  • Two distinct philanthropic visions drive funding - Educational equity for underserved students (John H. Scully) and social justice documentary filmmaking focused on women's empowerment and systemic issues (Regina K. Scully).

  • Multi-year, transformative support model - The foundation provides substantial, sustained funding to core organizations rather than spreading resources across many grantees.

  • If your organization is not already known to the trustees, this foundation is not an accessible funding source - Focus grant research efforts on foundations with public application processes.

  • Documentary filmmakers - Investigate Artemis Rising Foundation separately, as it operates its own grantmaking focused on film and media projects addressing social justice issues.

References

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