Adam R. Scripps Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation says it does not accept unsolicited requests and works by invitation only, so an approach should follow an introduction rather than a cold application, and your work should clearly match one of its five pillars (animal welfare, education, health, local community or self-sufficiency) and its Vision and Mission.
- Most of its grants are modest: about 8 in 10 fall between $5,000 and $250,000, and half of its 515 grants to organisations are $50,000 or less, so a request in that range fits typical grantmaking, although its largest grant was $2,000,000 and that band is not a ceiling.
- The filing shows that 67% of grant dollars went to organisations it had also funded earlier, so existing relationships appear to carry real weight.
- The foundation says it favours general-operations support, transformational gifts and a streamlined process, and community development grants for beautification alone are generally not funded.
- No geographic focus is stated, so the grants mainly in Texas, California, the District of Columbia and Ohio do not by themselves limit who may apply.
Overview
Adam R. Scripps Foundation is a US private foundation based in Ft Mitchell, KY.
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 makes grants across five stated pillars: animal welfare, education, health, local community and self-sufficiency. Its animal-welfare work spans habitat conservation and education, care facilities and therapy programmes. It supports lifelong learning at every stage, including early childhood education, literacy, summer camps, testing and college and career preparation. Its health work covers healthcare, mental wellness and medical research. In local communities, it supports civic infrastructure and the people for whom it is designed, including parks and green spaces, recreation facilities, arts, community-service organisations and historic-building preservation. Its self-sufficiency work addresses employment, food insecurity, housing and homelessness, and critical human needs. The Community Grant & Loan Program supports investable initiatives; its grant component centres on community assets such as infrastructure, public works and green space, while its loan component prioritises essential services. The foundation favours streamlined grantmaking, transformational gifts and general-operations support.
Themes
- Animal welfare
- Education
- Health
- Local community
- Self-sufficiency
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Texas, California, District of Columbia and Ohio.
What They Don't Fund
- Community Development Grant only: Generally, funds used exclusively for beautification
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 67% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 515 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Organisations should align with the foundation's Vision and Mission.
- Its family leaders favour a streamlined grant process, transformational gifts and general-operations grantmaking.
- Its family advisory board identifies the organisations it wishes to fund across five pillars.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 10%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 6%
- The largest single recipient received 7% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 67% of grant dollars went to organisations Adam R. Scripps Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- 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 281 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $50,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- University of California San Diego · Birch Aquarium Hall of Fishes Remodel$2,000,0002024 tax year
- Society for Science · Purchase and renovation of building$2,000,0002024 tax year
- Scripps Research · Research Programs$1,865,0002024 tax year
- Foundation Communities · capital projects in pipeline$1,000,0002024 tax year
- Austin Habitat for Humanity · Capital Campaign$1,000,0002024 tax year
- Scripps Health Foundation · Equipment purchase$778,0002024 tax year
- Sundari Foundation · National Women's Shelter Network$717,0002024 tax year
- College Possible · Scholarships$701,2002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Miramar Fiduciary Corporation — Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $0 | $0 | $917 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $33,213,572 | $26,764,336 | $820,448,424 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $43,288,477 | $35,457,978 | $878,336,905 | 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
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to Adam R. Scripps Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Ft Mitchell, KY
- arsfound.org
Applying to Adam R. Scripps Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Ft Mitchell, KY
- arsfound.org