Buckingham Foundation Inc
Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, Buckingham Foundation Inc. is a public charity and the philanthropic partner of Buckingham Companies. Founded in 2006, it supports affordable housing, community and economic development, arts and culture, and food-related initiatives, and works in communities connected to Buckingham Companies.
Buckingham Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Buckingham Foundation Inc gave $625K across 18 grants in 2024 (avg $35K), mostly in Indiana. 61% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $624,912
- +46.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 18
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $34,717
- +46.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $11,260
- Total assets
- $32,854,083
- -4.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 61% first-time grantees (11 of 18, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Indiana (93% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Buckingham Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The Foundation requires an application. Proposals should be no longer than three pages, apart from supporting documents such as nonprofit certification, financial statements, letters of support, board lists, and brochures. Organizations may submit one application in a 12-month period. Site visits are part of review. Grantees must submit a follow-up report within six months of receiving a grant and a final report on outcomes and next steps within 12 months. The Foundation says awards depend on available resources and alignment with its charitable criteria, and that its grants are coordinated with Buckingham Companies’ corporate support.
- Review Cycle
- The 2026 application period closed July 15, 2026. The Foundation’s website says applications are accepted May 1 through July 15; awards are distributed in Q4 for the following calendar year. It asks prospective applicants to check back in 2027.
- Deadline
- The 2026 application period closed July 15, 2026.
- Contact
Mailing address: 941 N Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: (317) 974-1234
Website: https://buckinghamfoundationinc.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Buckingham Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was First Baptist Athletics ($400K). Together the top 10 received $548K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($15,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
60 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 55 grants of 60 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation gives priority to organizations serving communities where Buckingham Companies has a presence. In 2024, 93% of grant dollars went to recipients in Indiana; 4% went to Ohio, 2% to Tennessee, and 2% to Texas. The Foundation describes its work as focused on communities where its employees work, residents live, and it builds.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Buckingham Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
61%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 11 of 18 grantees (61%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $68K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $13K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $145K (2020) to $625K (2024). In 2024 it made 18 grants totaling $625K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| First Baptist Athletics Indianapolis, IN | To Support Youth Sports Programs | $400,000 |
| Startedup Foundation Inc Noblesville, IN | Encourage Entrepreneurship and Mentorship | $25,000 |
| Herron Classical Schools Indianapolis, IN | Provide support in classical and liberal arts and college preparation | $25,000 |
| International Center of West Lafayette Inc West Lafayette, IN | Economic Developemtn Through Education and Arts | $17,925 |
| Gleaners Food Bank Indianapolis, IN | To Support the Food Pantry | $17,717 |
| Horizon House Indianapolis, IN | To Support the Homeless | $15,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $15,000 |
| Girl Scouts of Central Indiana Inc Indianapolis, IN | Leadership and Character Development | $15,000 |
| Seeds of Caring Columbus, OH | To Support Youth Development | $12,520 |
| The Parks Alliance of Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN | To support transformational parks and inspire the communtiy to action | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $32,854,083 | $5,600,901 | $7,252,628 | $624,912 | 18 | $589,019 |
| 2023 | $34,274,035 | $5,665,324 | $6,766,241 | $426,384 | 18 | $315,495 |
| 2022 | $35,371,283 | $9,070,003 | $5,197,133 | $369,100 | 9 | $4,859,852 |
| 2021 | $17,790,312 | $3,277,572 | $3,599,340 | $245,650 | 5 | $-46,116 |
| 2020 | $13,144,924 | $3,283,438 | $3,227,993 | $145,000 | 10 | $-1,896 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s stated mission is to proactively initiate positive change in affordable housing, community and economic development, and arts and culture. It says it prioritizes opportunities that promote long-term sustainability, support innovation, and leverage significant impact. Its application information also identifies food insecurity as a focus area.
The Foundation considers new and existing programs. Its website says it seeks organizations that need financial or in-kind support, can catalyze positive change, and have potential to produce measurable improvements and long-term sustainability. Examples of grantee missions illustrate the range of organizations it supports: StartedUp Foundation says it empowers students through entrepreneurship and mentoring; Horizon House says it helps neighbors experiencing homelessness secure and maintain housing; and Gleaners Food Bank received support for its food pantry, according to the 2024 grant listing.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Foundation reported 18 grants totaling $624,912. Grant amounts ranged from $6,000 to $400,000, with a median of $11,260. The largest award was $400,000 to First Baptist Athletics in Indianapolis to support youth sports programs. Other notable grants included $25,000 to StartedUp Foundation to encourage entrepreneurship and mentorship, $25,000 to Herron Classical Schools for classical and liberal arts and college preparation, and $17,717 to Gleaners Food Bank to support its food pantry.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Bradley B. Chambers as director and president; Mark Bernstein as director and treasurer; Matt Ehinger as director and secretary; and Carol Chambers and Theresa Rhodes as directors. The Foundation’s website identifies Chambers as chairman, Bernstein as treasurer, Ehinger as secretary, and Carol Chambers and Rhodes as directors.
Buckingham Foundation Inc is led by Bradley B. Chambers, Director & President on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Bradley B. Chambers
Director & President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Theresa Rhodes
Director
Executive Director → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
$154K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Matt Ehinger
Director & Secretary
On filings since 2022
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Bernstein
Director & Treasurer
On filings since 2023
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carol Chambers
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Ashley Parker (2022–2023) — Director of Philanthropy
- Former: Keith Veal (2023) — Vice President & Buckingham Foundation
- Former: Kent Manuel (2020–2022) — Director & Treasurer
- Former: Thomas Schnellenberger (2020–2021) — Director & Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2023 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2023 filing was $123K, to Ashley Parker (Director of Philanthropy). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Buckingham Foundation Inc
How much does Buckingham Foundation Inc give each year?
Buckingham Foundation Inc gave $625K across 18 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $426K across 18 grants.
What is Buckingham Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Buckingham Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $11,260, and its average grant was $34,717, across 18 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Buckingham Foundation Inc that year got $14K on average.
Where does Buckingham Foundation Inc give grants?
Buckingham Foundation Inc gives mostly in Indiana: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Indianapolis, IN (10 grants).
Does Buckingham Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Occasionally: 6% of Buckingham Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 18) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Who are Buckingham Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Buckingham Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include First Baptist Athletics ($400,000), Startedup Foundation Inc ($25,000) and Herron Classical Schools ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($15,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 72% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Buckingham Foundation Inc?
Buckingham Foundation Inc reported $32.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $5.6M.
What does Buckingham Foundation Inc fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to proactively initiate positive change in affordable housing, community and economic development, and arts and culture. It says it prioritizes opportunities that promote long-term sustainability, support innovation, and leverage significant impact. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Buckingham Foundation Inc?
The Foundation requires an application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Buckingham Foundation Inc's EIN?
Buckingham Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-2825177. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 2, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 13, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Buckingham Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Buckingham Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/buckingham-foundation-inc-morg_3be603ad59e04a0284a48dfb403bef66
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_202825177_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Buckingham Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/buckingham-foundation-inc-morg_3be603ad59e04a0284a48dfb403bef66},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Buckingham Foundation Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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