Flinn Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Flinn Foundation funds organisations in Arizona only, with themes covering bioscience research, arts and culture, and university scholarships; the scholarship funding goes to the state's public universities rather than to individual students, and arts funding is primarily limited to Arizona organisations with annual operating budgets of $2.5 million or more.
- A realistic request should sit within the typical range of $4,600 to $165,000, where about 8 in 10 of its 285 grants fall, with a median grant of $40,000; named programmes such as the Translational Seed Grants Program and the Bioscience Entrepreneurship Program cap support at $100,000 and $75,000 respectively.
- The Foundation prefers invited proposals that contribute to its strategic goals and show institutional collaboration and funding partnerships, and 66% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had also funded in the two prior filings, so this reads as a relationship-led funder.
- Application method varies by programme, so check the route for your area of work; the Translational Seed Grants Program, for instance, is applied for through an online application portal.
- Do not apply for grants to individuals, for grant funds in response to fundraising campaigns, or for studies or projects of groups advocating a political or public-policy perspective, as the Foundation states these are not funded.
Overview
Flinn Foundation is a US private foundation based in Phoenix, AZ.
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
Flinn Foundation’s grantmaking is tightly focused on Arizona’s strategic priorities. In bioscience, it supports universities, nonprofit research institutions, health systems and related organisations to strengthen Arizona’s bioscience and biomedical-research infrastructure, collaboration, research and commercialisation. Its Translational Seed Grants Program backs institution-affiliated research teams with innovations addressing significant clinical needs and translating discoveries into products or services for patients. In arts and culture, funding is primarily limited to Arizona organisations with annual operating budgets of $2.5 million or more. Flinn Scholars funding goes to the state’s public universities, not individual students. The Foundation prefers invited proposals that contribute to its strategic goals and show institutional collaborations and funding partnerships; grants are made to Arizona-based institutions or programmes benefiting Arizona.
Themes
- Bioscience research
- Arts and culture
- University scholarships
Geographic Focus
Arizona.
What They Don't Fund
- Grant funds in response to fundraising campaigns
- Grants to individuals
- Studies or projects of groups advocating for a political or public-policy perspective
How to apply
Research teams applying to the Translational Seed Grants Program submit their application and required materials through the programme’s online application portal.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 66% 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 285 grants to organisations were $40,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Competitive proposals address a clearly defined, compelling clinical need with a proposed product or process.
- Competitive teams blend multidisciplinary skills to meet the proposal goals.
- Competitive plans for translation are supported by customer discovery and a clear path to market.
- The Foundation prefers proposals that contribute to strategic goals and demonstrate institutional collaboration and funding partnerships.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
3 other states: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 21% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 66% of grant dollars went to organisations Flinn Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 111 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $33,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Arizona State University Foundationmayo · Support division for medical engineering$665,7572024 tax year
- Arizona State University · Support for 2019-2024 scholarship awards$643,5002024 tax year
- University of Arizona · Support for 2021-2024 scholarship awards$552,7502024 tax year
- Maricopa County School Superintendents Office · Support exploring pathways to biocience careers initiative support$504,0002024 tax year
- Arizona State University Foundation · Support health research data mgt phx core$334,0002024 tax year
- SRI International · Support arizona bioscience roadmap update$291,7262024 tax year
- Northern Arizona University Foundation · Support flinn faculty fellows program to advance bioscience research$220,0002024 tax year
- Arizona Bioindustry Association · Support entrepreneurship program to advance biosciences$207,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- W Scott Robertson — Director (Investment Committee)
- Cameron Black — Director (Investment Committee)
- Stacy L Tucker — CFO / Assistant Treasurer
- Tammy McLeod — President & CEO / Assistant Secretary
- Alpa Shah MD — Director
- Eric Reiman MD — Chairman
- Rosellen Papp — Vice Chair & Treasurer
- Shaun A Kirkpatrick — Director
- Adam Goodman — Director (Start 3/24)
- Heidi Jannenga — Secretary
- Richard J Caselli MD — Director
- Chris Camacho — Director (Start 3/24)
- Drew M Brown — Director
- Julie Baldwin — Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $12,850,052 | $6,788,330 | $234,975,126 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $13,396,379 | $6,884,510 | $254,366,716 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $15,528,134 | $7,686,206 | $263,088,486 | 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
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Applying to Flinn Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required