John & Polly Sparks Foundation
The John and Polly Sparks Foundation is a Christian-based, private independent foundation headquartered in Pennington, New Jersey. Established in 2012, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with a single employee and focuses on charitable giving primarily in the southeastern United States, continuing the philanthropic tradition of its founders.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$70.9M
+6.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.3M
-12.5% YoY
Grant Count
67
+6600.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$49K
-98.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission centers on giving primarily for:
- Mental illness, chemical imbalance, and depression in infancy
- Housing for children and adults
- Assistance with health and aging
The foundation also supports research in early intervention and treatment for serious emotional disturbance in children, and funds work in education, philanthropy, voluntarism, and human services.
Grantmaking
The foundation partners with the American Psychological Foundation to administer the John and Polly Sparks Early Career Grant for Psychologists Investigating Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED). This program provides up to $22,000 to early career psychologists (no more than 10 years postdoctoral) conducting research on early intervention and treatment for serious emotional disturbance in children.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation operates primarily in the southeastern United States, with documented giving in Georgia, Florida, and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (as of November 2024):
- Total assets: $70,869,717
- Total revenues: $8,199,428
- Total expenses: $4,001,252
- Investment income and dividends: $2,444,966
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $70,869,717 | $66,720,746 | $67,644,511 |
| Revenue | $8,199,428 | $3,578,217 | $8,189,018 |
| Expenses | $4,001,252 | $4,321,392 | $4,256,661 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,653,662 | $4,087,195 | $3,884,549 |
| Net Investment Income | $7,896,898 | $3,183,026 | $7,687,333 |
| Distributable Amount | $3,837,679 | $3,823,099 | $3,957,717 |
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
103 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| BANK OF AMERICA N A | TRUSTEE | 2 | $403,890 |
| RICHARD W HALLOCK | ADVISORY MEMBER | 1 | $15,000 |
| KIM BARRONTON THORNTON | ADVISORY MEMBER | 1 | $15,000 |
| KATHY BARRONTON HALL | ADVISORY MEMBER | 1 | $15,000 |
| VALERIE SHUPING | ADVISORY MEMBER | 1 | $5,000 |
| BROCK RICHARD PEYER | ADVISORY MEMBER | 1 | $15,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has supported collaborative initiatives addressing mental health and addiction services, including partnerships with Emory University and Grady Health Foundation to integrate addiction services into primary care. The foundation also funds early career psychological research through its partnership with the American Psychological Foundation, with recent recipients conducting research on serious emotional disturbance in children.
Sparks Foundation supports collaboration integrating addiction services intoSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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