The Flinn Foundation is a privately endowed, philanthropic grantmaking organization established in 1965 by Dr. Robert S. and Irene P. Flinn. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, the Foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to improve the quality of life in Arizona to benefit future generations.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$263.1M
+3.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$7.7M
+11.6% YoY
Grant Count
111
+23.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$69K
-9.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Flinn Foundation reported a distributable amount of $12.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation's mission is to improve the quality of life in Arizona to benefit future generations. To achieve this mission, the Foundation focuses on four primary program areas:
Biosciences — The Foundation's primary focus is advancing Arizona's bioscience sector with a long-term strategic goal to establish the state as a national leader in precision medicine, cancer research, neurosciences, bioengineering, diagnostics, and agricultural biotechnology. Since 2002, the Foundation has served as steward of Arizona's Bioscience Roadmap, a long-term strategic plan guiding the growth and development of the state's bioscience sector.
Flinn Scholars Program — The Foundation enhances undergraduate education for high-achieving students at Arizona's public universities through partnership with the state's three public universities, providing scholarships to outstanding high school students.
Arts and Culture — The Foundation elevates the fiscal and creative capacity of the state's arts and culture organizations. Support is provided principally through the Initiative for Financial and Creative Health, which helps Arizona's largest arts-and-culture organizations identify and design strategies to impact programmatic innovations and priority capitalization needs. The Foundation also supports SMU DataArts, which provides Arizona's arts-and-culture sector access to standardized data.
Civic Leadership — The Foundation supports and administers the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership to enhance civic life in Arizona through education, engagement, and leadership programs. A primary component is the Flinn-Brown Fellowship, which aims to develop future state-level leaders through non-partisan, objective seminars on policy issues. The Foundation also offers Civex, a monthly virtual public policy seminar series emphasizing learning and discussion.
Grantmaking
The Foundation awards grants to nonprofit organizations to advance interests in the biosciences, Flinn Scholars, and arts and culture.
Grant Range
s and Activity:**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Arizona statewide. The Foundation's grantmaking is focused on supporting organizations and initiatives within Arizona.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets and Giving:
- Total assets: $254 million to $263 million (as of 2023)
- Total revenues: $32.4 million (2023)
- Total expenses: $13.4 million (2023)
- Total liabilities: $1.55 million (2023)
- Annual giving: Approximately $6.7 million
Historical Context:
The Foundation received a bequest of nearly $25 million from Irene P. Flinn's estate in 1982 and contributions from the Robert S. Flinn Unitrust totaling $33.3 million in 1984.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $263,088,486 | $254,366,726 | $234,975,126 |
| Revenue | $19,915,239 | $32,441,807 | $9,489,645 |
| Expenses | $15,528,134 | $13,396,379 | $12,850,052 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $13,357,744 | $13,067,781 | $11,826,454 |
| Net Investment Income | $28,076,222 | $23,914,059 | — |
| Distributable Amount | $12,841,415 | $12,328,250 | $11,545,660 |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Flinn Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Arizona State University Foundationmayo ($665,757), Arizona State University ($643,500), Arizona State University Foundation ($334,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION PHOENIX, AZ | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $250 |
| AMERICAN JOURNALISM PROJECT WASHINGTON, DC | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $12,500 |
| ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION CHANDLER, AZ | SUPPORT WHITE HAT CONFERENCE | $15,000 |
| ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION CHANDLER, AZ | SUPPORT ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM TO ADVANCE BIOSCIENCES | $207,000 |
| ARIZONA CENTER FOR NATURE CONSERVATION PHOENIX, AZ | INITIATIVE FOR FINANCIAL AND CREATIVE HEALTH (2024-2027) | $33,000 |
| ARIZONA CHAMBER FOUNDATION SCOTTSDALE, AZ | SUPPORT NATIONAL CIVICS BEE - ARIZONA STATEWIDE COMPETITION | $10,000 |
| ARIZONA COMMUNTY FOUNDATION PHOENIX, AZ | SUPPORT AZ CLIMATE SMART ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUND | $30,000 |
| ARIZONA LOCAL NEWS FOUNDATION PHOENIX, AZ | SUPPORT FOR GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $10,000 |
| ARIZONA LOCAL NEWS FOUNDATION PHOENIX, AZ | SUPPORT FOR GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $1,000 |
| ARIZONA OPERA PHOENIX, AZ | SUPPORT FOR CHANGE CAPITAL (2024-2027) | $100,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JULIE BALDWIN | DIRECTOR | 2.5 | $30,000 |
| DREW M BROWN | DIRECTOR | 2.5 | $30,000 |
| CHRIS CAMACHO | DIRECTOR (START 3/24) | 2.5 | $30,000 |
| RICHARD J CASELLI MD | DIRECTOR | 2.5 | $30,000 |
| DAVID J GULLEN | CHAIRMAN (LEFT 3/24) | 2.5 | $7,500 |
| HEIDI JANNENGA | SECRETARY | 2.5 | $30,000 |
| ADAM GOODMAN | DIRECTOR (START 3/24) | 2.5 | $30,000 |
| SHAUN A KIRKPATRICK | DIRECTOR | 2.5 | $30,000 |
| ROSELLEN PAPP | VICE CHAIR & TREASURER | 2.5 | $32,000 |
| ERIC REIMAN MD | CHAIRMAN | 4 | $42,500 |
| ALPA SHAH MD | DIRECTOR | 2.5 | $30,000 |
| STEVEN M WHEELER | VICE CHAIR (LEFT 3/24) | 2.3 | $7,500 |
| TAMMY MCLEOD | PRESIDENT & CEO/ASST SECRETARY | 45 | $482,648 |
| STACY L TUCKER | CFO/ASST TREASURER | 45 | $262,570 |
| CAMERON BLACK | DIRECTOR (INVESTMENT COMM) | 2.3 | $6,000 |
| W SCOTT ROBERTSON | DIRECTOR (INVESTMENT COMM) | 2.3 | $6,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In 2015, the Flinn Foundation marked its 50th anniversary with a $1 million gift to Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center to establish the Dr. Robert S. Flinn Cardiology Fellowship Program. This grant honored Dr. Flinn's legacy and his five-decade affiliation with the hospital. The Foundation's first grant in 1965 was for five cardiac-arrest carts and two EKG units for St. Joseph's Hospital.
JUDSON CENTER AWARDED $150,000 GRANT FROM FLINN FOUNDATION FOR INFANT MENTALSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Flinn Foundation fund?
The Foundation's mission is to improve the quality of life in Arizona to benefit future generations. To achieve this mission, the Foundation focuses on four primary program areas: **Biosciences** — The Foundation's primary focus is advancing Arizona's bioscience sector with a long-term strategic goal to establish the state as a national leader in precision medicine, cancer research, neurosciences, bioengineering, diagnostics, and agricultural biotechnology. Since 2002, the Foundation has served…
How do I apply for a grant from Flinn Foundation?
**Grant Programs:** The Foundation awards grants to nonprofit organizations to advance interests in the biosciences, Flinn Scholars, and arts and culture. **Translational Seed Grants Program** — Provides $100,000 over 18 months to approximately 10 Arizona research teams annually, with potential for an additional $100,000 in the following year for the most successful projects. **Grant Ranges and Activity:** • Grant range: $100,000 to $1,500,000 • Annual giving: Approximately $6.7 million (approx…
Where does Flinn Foundation make grants?
Arizona statewide. The Foundation's grantmaking is focused on supporting organizations and initiatives within Arizona.
What size grants does Flinn Foundation award?
In 2024, Flinn Foundation awarded 111 grants totaling $7.7M — an average of about $69K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Flinn Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Flinn Foundation reported a distributable amount of $12.8M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Flinn Foundation's EIN?
Flinn Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 86-0421476. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Flinn Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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