Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc
The Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc is based in Bethesda, Maryland, and its filing type is 990T. Its grantmaking includes support for education and research, higher education programs, public service education, health-related work, and contributions to donor-advised funds.
Key facts about Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc
In short: Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc gave $79.9M across 138 grants in 2024 (avg $579K), top state Virginia. 19% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 20-3672969
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $79,892,000
- Grants made (2024)
- 138
- Average grant
- $578,928
- Median grant
- $187,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (23 of 119, 2024)
- Total assets
- $1,346,829,486
- Primary geography
- Virginia (36% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.3B
-0.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$79.9M
+12.9% YoY
Grant Count
138
-11.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$579K
+26.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $64.7M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 23 of 119 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $174K; repeat grants $791K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $225K repeat.
- 62% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 43% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 129% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to promote entrepreneurship, self-reliance, global understanding, and free enterprise while enhancing quality of life through support for areas including arts, education, health, and environmental preservation. Its reported grants include support for graduate education, research, and health programs.
Among its grantees, Donors Trust describes its mission as supporting charities and programs addressing needs through education, research, and private initiatives, and encouraging private philanthropy. Independent Women’s Forum says it engages people in civic life and educates them about public policy. Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation describes its work as supporting individuals, families, and communities affected by substance use and mental health conditions.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 138 grants totaling $79,892,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $5,000,000, with a median grant of $187,500. Notable grants included three separate $5,000,000 contributions to Donors Trust for donor-advised funds; $5,000,000 to the Heritage Foundation for education and research; $5,000,000 to Hillsdale College for construction of the Graduate School of Classical Education and its endowment; and two $3,500,000 grants to Texas A&M University for the Bush School of Government and Public Service graduate program.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia (36%), the District of Columbia (21%), Texas (10%), Michigan (6%), and Connecticut (5%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 138 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
735 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| DONORS TRUST Alexandria, VA | DONOR ADVISED FUND CONTRIBUTION | $5,000,000 |
| DONORS TRUST Alexandria, VA | DONOR ADVISED FUND CONTRIBUTION | $5,000,000 |
| DONORS TRUST Alexandria, VA | DONOR ADVISED FUND CONTRIBUTION | $5,000,000 |
| HERITAGE FOUNDATION Washington, DC | EDUCATION AND RESEARCH | $5,000,000 |
| HILLSDALE COLLEGE Hillsdale, MI | CONSTRUCTION OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF CLASSICAL EDUCATION AND ENDOWMENT | $5,000,000 |
| TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY College Station, TX | BUSH SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICE GRADUATE PROGRAM | $3,500,000 |
| TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY College Station, TX | BUSH SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICE GRADUATE PROGRAM | $3,500,000 |
| DONORS TRUST Alexandria, VA | DONOR ADVISED FUND CONTRIBUTION | $3,000,000 |
| INDEPENDENT WOMEN'S FORUM Winchester, VA | THE WINNING WOMEN PROGRAM | $2,500,000 |
| DONORS TRUST Alexandria, VA | DONOR ADVISED FUND CONTRIBUTION | $2,000,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant sum | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,346,829,486 | $38,994,993 | $79,205,253 | $79,892,000 | 138 |
| 2023 | $1,347,340,836 | $47,949,417 | $64,801,332 | $70,760,000 | 155 |
| 2022 | $1,356,251,879 | $63,415,278 | $141,986,742 | $82,523,000 | 138 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,346,829,486 | $1,347,340,836 | $1,356,251,879 |
| Revenue | $38,994,993 | $47,949,417 | $63,415,278 |
| Expenses | $79,205,253 | $64,801,332 | $141,986,742 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $83,253,636 | $75,094,635 | $86,923,742 |
| Net Investment Income | $48,319,726 | $36,169,269 | $87,251,859 |
| Distributable Amount | $64,695,976 | $64,894,683 | $69,474,641 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Diana Davis Spencer as Executive Chairman and Abby Spencer Moffat as CEO and President. Other listed officers and directors are Harrison Howard, Trustee; Carole A. Featherstone, Chief Financial Officer; Christopher Burn, Chief Investment Officer; John Richardson and Richard Painter, Audit & Investment Committee Members; Thomas Skilton, General Counsel and Secretary; and Kimberly Lamanna and Spencer Moffat, Trustees.
Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc is led by Abby Spencer Moffat, CEO & President on every filing since 2020; 8 of 10 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Abby Spencer Moffat
CEO & President
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$709K (2020) → $833K (2024)
Diana Davis Spencer
Executive Chairman
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$727K (2020) → $777K (2024)
Harrison Howard
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$30K (2020) → $30K (2024)
Kimberly F. Lamanna
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Spencer Moffat
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carole A. Featherstone
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$620K (2020) → $644K (2024)
Christopher Burn
Chief Investment Officer
Audit & Investment Committee Member → Chief Investment Officer, 2022
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$170K (2020) → $894K (2024)
John Richardson
Audit & Investment Committee Member
Audit Committee Member → Audit & Investment Committee Member, 2021
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
$50K (2020) → $75K (2024)
Richard Painter
Audit & Investment Committee Member
Audit Committee Member → Audit & Investment Committee Member, 2021
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
$50K (2020) → $100K (2024)
Thomas Skilton
General Counsel & Secretary
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$527K (2022) → $688K (2024)
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 2024 IRS filing
Contact
Mailing address: 3 Bethesda Metro Center 118, Bethesda, MD 20814
Phone: (301) 961-4000
Frequently asked questions about Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc
How much does Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc give each year?
Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc gave $79.9M across 138 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $70.8M across 155 grants.
What is Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $187,500, and its average grant was $578,928, across 138 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc that year got $174K on average.
Where does Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc give grants?
Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc's top state is Virginia, with 36% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (21%) and Texas (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (38 grants), Alexandria, VA (10 grants), Bar Harbor, ME (8 grants) and New Haven, CT (5 grants).
Does Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 20% of Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (28 of 138) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Donor Advised Fund Contribution" (7 grants), "Educational Programming" (3 grants) and "Education Programs" (3 grants).
Who are Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Donors Trust ($21,000,000 across 6 grants), Texas A&M University ($7,000,000 across 2 grants) and Heritage Foundation ($5,000,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc?
Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc reported $1.3B in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $83.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $64.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to promote entrepreneurship, self-reliance, global understanding, and free enterprise while enhancing quality of life through support for areas including arts, education, health, and environmental preservation. Its reported grants include support for graduate education, research, and health programs. Among its grantees, Donors Trust describes its mission as supporting charities and programs addressing needs through education, research, and private initiatives,…
How do I apply for a grant from Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc?
In 2024, the foundation reported 138 grants totaling $79,892,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $5,000,000, with a median grant of $187,500. Notable grants included three separate $5,000,000 contributions to Donors Trust for donor-advised funds; $5,000,000 to the Heritage Foundation for education and research; $5,000,000 to Hillsdale College for construction of the Graduate School of Classical Education and its endowment; and two $3,500,000 grants to Texas A&M University for the Bush School of G…
What is Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc's EIN?
Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3672969. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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