Sonscope Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $1,034,500 (2023)
• Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation-only)
• Decision Time: At trustee discretion
• Grant Range: Varies by program
• Geographic Focus: National (with Chattanooga, TN area connections)

Contact Details

• Website: No public website
• Phone: Not publicly available
• Email: Not publicly available
• Registered Address: Wilmington, Delaware
• Operational Base: Signal Mountain/Chattanooga, Tennessee area

Overview

The Sonscope Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation (EIN: 464239579) established as a 501(c)(3) organization that focuses primarily on adoption assistance and orphan care. The foundation operates through both direct grants to preselected charitable organizations and through a partnership with ABBA Fund to provide adoption assistance to Christian families. With annual giving exceeding $1 million in 2023, the foundation has maintained consistent grant-making activity for over a decade, making between 15-22 grants annually. The foundation is connected to Ben Fischer, Founder & Managing Partner of Sonscope Capital, who brings a strong commitment to faith-based philanthropy centered on removing financial barriers to adoption and addressing poverty alleviation.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

• Sonscope Adoption Fund (administered through ABBA Fund): $6,000-$8,000 interest-free loans and grants for Christian families adopting children
• Direct Organizational Grants: Variable amounts to preselected charitable organizations (by invitation only)

Priority Areas

• Adoption assistance and financial support for adoptive families
• Orphan care programs and services
• Organizations removing financial barriers to adoption
• Home study assistance for prospective adoptive families
• Broader poverty alleviation initiatives
• Faith-based charitable organizations

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the foundation's narrow focus suggests they likely do not fund:

• General operating support outside their mission areas
• Secular adoption programs (primary partnership is with Christian-focused ABBA Fund)
• Programs unrelated to adoption, orphan care, or poverty alleviation

Governance and Leadership

The foundation is led by individuals connected to Sonscope Capital and the broader Chattanooga philanthropic community. Ben Fischer, Founder & Managing Partner of Sonscope Capital, is a key figure associated with the foundation. Fischer also serves as a board member of The Maclellan Foundation and is a trustee at Baylor School in Chattanooga, where the Sonscope Foundation is listed as a leadership donor. The foundation's philanthropic philosophy emphasizes "removing financial barriers preventing families from adopting" and focuses on Christian faith-based approaches to adoption assistance and orphan care.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations at the discretion of its trustees. Organizations cannot submit unsolicited grant applications directly to the foundation.

For families seeking adoption assistance, the Sonscope Adoption Fund is administered through ABBA Fund as part of their Christian Family Adoption Grant Fund program. Interested families should apply through ABBA Fund's established application process.

Getting on Their Radar

Given the foundation's connection to the Chattanooga philanthropic community and its leadership's involvement with other foundations and educational institutions in the area, organizations working in adoption and orphan care might build visibility through:

• Connections within the Chattanooga/Signal Mountain philanthropic ecosystem
• Participation in adoption and orphan care networks where foundation leadership is involved
• Partnership opportunities with ABBA Fund or similar faith-based adoption organizations
• Board member Ben Fischer's involvement with The Maclellan Foundation and Baylor School suggests these institutions' networks may provide connection opportunities

Decision Timeline

Decisions are made at trustee discretion without a public timeline. The foundation has shown consistent annual grant-making patterns, with grants distributed throughout the year based on Form 990-PF filing patterns.

Success Rates

Not applicable due to invitation-only grant process.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - grants are made by invitation only to preselected organizations.

Application Success Factors

Since the foundation operates by invitation only, traditional application success factors don't apply. However, organizations that align with the foundation's mission might increase their visibility by:

• Demonstrating measurable impact in removing financial barriers to adoption
• Operating faith-based adoption or orphan care programs with proven outcomes
• Building relationships within the Chattanooga area philanthropic community
• Showing innovative approaches to supporting adoptive families, particularly in covering initial adoption costs like home studies
• Establishing credibility within Christian adoption and orphan care networks

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• This is an invitation-only funder - do not submit unsolicited applications
• The foundation has a very specific focus on adoption assistance and orphan care with a Christian faith orientation
• Families seeking adoption support should apply through the ABBA Fund partnership rather than directly to the foundation
• Building relationships within the Chattanooga philanthropic community may be the most viable path to consideration
• The foundation has consistent annual giving patterns, distributing over $1 million in 2023 across 15 grants
• Leadership connections to The Maclellan Foundation and Baylor School suggest involvement in broader Chattanooga-area philanthropy
• Focus on demonstrating impact in removing financial barriers to adoption when seeking to get on their radar

References

• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Sonscope Foundation Profile. Accessed March 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/464239579
• Instrumentl 990 Report - Sonscope Foundation. Accessed March 2024. https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/sonscope-foundation
• Grantmakers.io - Sonscope Foundation Profile. Accessed March 2024. https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/464239579-sonscope-foundation/
• ABBA Fund - Sonscope Adoption Fund. Accessed March 2024. https://abbafund.org/funds/sonscope-adoption-fund/
• Cause IQ - Sonscope Foundation Profile. Accessed March 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/sonscope-foundation,464239579/
• Praxis Community - Ben Fischer Profile. Accessed March 2024. https://www.praxis.co/people/ben-fischer
• Baylor School Annual Report - Leadership Donors List. Accessed March 2024.