Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation
The Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation is a private foundation based in La Jolla, California. In 2025, it reported 41 grants totaling $1,106,576 to organizations in California, Illinois, and New York.
Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation at a glance
In short: Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation gave $1.1M across 41 grants in 2025 (avg $27K), mostly in California. 7% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,106,576
- +2.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 41
- +2.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $26,990
- -0.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $10,234,725
- -5.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (3 of 41, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (94% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 6121 Terryhill, La Jolla, CA 92037
Phone: (858) 212-3311
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Zoological Society of San Diego ($110K). Together the top 10 received $589K.
Grant Size Distribution
208 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 178 grants of 208 (86%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 94% of grant dollars went to organizations in California, 5% to Illinois, and 1% to New York. Listed recipients included organizations in San Diego, La Jolla, La Mesa, Claremont, and Escondido, California, as well as Galesburg, Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 41 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 41 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $28K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 93% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−11%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 132% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.1M (2024) to $1.2M (2022). In 2025 it made 41 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Zoological Society of San Diego San Diego, CA | Funds for Discretionary Use | $110,000 |
| Scripps Green Hospital San Diego, CA | Funds for Discretionary Use | $100,000 |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA | Funds for Discretionary Use | $100,000 |
| Maritime Museum of San Diego San Diego, CA | Funds for Discretionary Use | $50,000 |
| Scripps Research Foundation La Jolla, CA | Funds for Discretionary Use | $50,000 |
| Horseless Carriage Foundation La Mesa, CA | Funds for Discretionary Use | $40,000 |
| Scripps College Claremont, CA | Funds for Discretionary Use | $39,663 |
| St Vincent De Paul Center San Diego, CA | Funds for Discretionary Use | $35,000 |
| Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, CA | Funds for Discretionary Use | $34,809 |
| Knox College Galesburg, IL | Funds for Discretionary Use | $30,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $10,234,725 | $773,348 | $1,406,391 | $1,106,576 | 41 | $1,163,999 | $550,235 | $880,339 |
| 2024 | $10,867,768 | $1,193,670 | $1,358,026 | $1,082,293 | 40 | $1,137,622 | $980,549 | $821,566 |
| 2023 | $11,032,124 | $666,302 | $1,386,837 | $1,125,322 | 40 | $1,178,495 | $461,522 | $805,205 |
| 2022 | $11,752,659 | $726,458 | $1,512,066 | $1,244,073 | 44 | $1,295,608 | $522,387 | $940,033 |
| 2021 | $12,538,267 | $984,630 | $1,429,140 | $1,177,655 | 43 | — | $786,993 | $921,744 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation reported a distributable amount of $880K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. The Zoological Society of San Diego describes its mission as saving species worldwide through wildlife care, conservation science, and inspiring passion for nature. The Horseless Carriage Foundation says it preserves information on the evolution of the automobile for historical and educational benefit. Scripps College describes its mission as educating women through participation in a community of scholars, while Knox College describes its mission as providing a liberal arts education to students from diverse backgrounds. The Elizabeth Hospice says it seeks to enhance quality of life for people nearing the end of life and those who grieve.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 41 grants totaling $1,106,576. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $110,000, with a median of $20,000. Notable grants included $110,000 to the Zoological Society of San Diego; $100,000 each to Scripps Green Hospital and Scripps Memorial Hospital; $50,000 each to the Maritime Museum of San Diego and Scripps Research Foundation; and $40,000 to the Horseless Carriage Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Paul K Scripps, Deborah M Goddard, and Roxanne Davis Greene as trustees.
Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Deborah M. Goddard
Trustee
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paul K. Scripps
Trustee
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Roxanne Davis Greene
Trustee
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation
How much does Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation give each year?
Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation gave $1.1M across 41 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.1M across 40 grants.
What is Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation's typical grant size?
Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $26,990, across 41 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation that year got $17K on average.
Where does Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation give grants?
Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation gives mostly in California: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Diego, CA (19 grants), La Jolla, CA (9 grants) and Escondido, CA (3 grants).
Does Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 41 grants with a stated purpose on Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Funds for Discretionary Use" (41 grants).
Who are Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation's largest grantees?
Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Zoological Society of San Diego ($110,000), Scripps Green Hospital ($100,000) and Scripps Memorial Hospital ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation?
Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation reported $10.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $880K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. The Zoological Society of San Diego describes its mission as saving species worldwide through wildlife care, conservation science, and inspiring passion for nature. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation's EIN?
Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-1644633. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ellen-browning-scripps-foundation-morg_5ce5243e1223414cbb5c0893849dd22a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_951644633_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ellen-browning-scripps-foundation-morg_5ce5243e1223414cbb5c0893849dd22a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation'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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