Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc

Private foundation · Grantmaker Pewee Valley, KY EIN: 92-0186097

Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Pewee Valley, Kentucky. In its 2025 filing, it reported 16 grants totaling $1,215,000, with most grant dollars going to organizations in Kentucky.

Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc at a glance

In short: Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc gave $1.2M across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $76K), mostly in Kentucky. 19% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$1,215,000
+1.3% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
16
+23.1% vs 2024
Average grant
$75,938
-17.7% vs 2024
Median grant
$80,000
Total assets
$16,755,106
+1.8% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
19% first-time grantees (3 of 16, 2025; small sample)
Primary geography
Kentucky (99% 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 Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
Contact

Mailing address: PO Box 397, Pewee Valley, KY 40056-0397
Phone: (502) 493-3376

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Family Scholar House: $130KFamily Scholar House$130KWest End School: $130KWest End School$130KKY Humane Society: $100KKY Humane Society$100KUniversity of Louisville Foundation: $100KUniversity of LouisvilleFoundation$100KBig Brothers: $80KBig Brothers$80KBoys & Girls Club: $80KBoys & Girls Club$80KBoys and Girls Haven: $80KBoys and Girls Haven$80KCASA: $80KCASA$80KHome of the Innocents: $80KHome of the Innocents$80KMaryhurst: $80KMaryhurst$80K

The largest 2025 recipient was Family Scholar House ($130K). Together the top 10 received $940K.

Grant Size Distribution

111 grants across all recorded years

59<$50K38$50–100K14$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 59 grants of 111 (53%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Kentucky and 1% to recipients in Washington, DC. The listed 2025 grantees include multiple organizations in Louisville, Kentucky.

Grant Distribution by State

4states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.

Cities

LouisvilleWashingtonNaplesCincinnatiMt WashingtonEminenceFrankfortShelbyvilleSmithfield

Is Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc open to new grantees?

19%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 3 of 16 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $35K; repeat grants $85K. How we count

Medians: $25K first-time, $80K repeat.

  • 75% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 61% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 97% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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

$0$500K$1M$1.5M56 grants2020 54 grants2021 15 grants2022 13 grants2023 13 grants2024 16 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $755K (2022) to $1.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $1.2M.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Family Scholar House Louisville, KYSupport$130,000
West End School Louisville, KYSupport$130,000
KY Humane Society Louisville, KYSupport$100,000
University of Louisville Foundation Louisville, KYSupport$100,000
Big Brothers Louisville, KYSupport$80,000
Boys & Girls Club Louisville, KYSupport$80,000
Boys and Girls Haven Louisville, KYSupport$80,000
CASA Louisville, KYSupport$80,000
Home of the Innocents Louisville, KYSupport$80,000
Maryhurst Louisville, KYSupport$80,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$16,755,106$1,738,596$1,449,055$1,215,00016$1,319,554$1,626,595$1,365,289
2024$16,465,565$1,186,746$1,430,954$1,200,00013$1,304,502$1,075,294$1,303,105
2023$16,709,773$715,983$1,097,927$890,00013$989,444$614,000$1,157,159
2022$17,091,717$1,203,487$950,623$755,00015$841,050$1,108,248$1,141,423
2021$16,838,853$1,629,280$1,370,684$1,076,06354$1,181,041$1,439,637$1,253,272
2020$16,580,257$583,929$1,214,991$1,036,47956—$484,075$1,043,911

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $1.4M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including education, child and family services, animal welfare, and food assistance. These are areas reflected in the missions of some of its grantees, not stated priorities of the foundation.

For example, West End School describes its mission as providing an academically rigorous, year-round boarding school for middle school boys who would benefit from a stable, structured, and safe environment. Family Scholar House says it supports single parents and young adults formerly in foster care in pursuing post-secondary education and self-sufficiency. Dare to Care describes its work as providing pathways to end hunger, while Blessings in a Backpack provides weekend food for school-aged children who might otherwise go hungry.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $1,215,000. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $130,000, with a median of $80,000. The largest reported awards were $130,000 each to Family Scholar House and West End School; $100,000 each to the Kentucky Humane Society and University of Louisville Foundation; and $80,000 each to Big Brothers, Boys & Girls Club, Boys and Girls Haven, CASA, Home of the Innocents, Maryhurst, St. Joseph Children’s Home, and Up for Women and Children. The listed purposes for these grants were “SUPPORT.”

The foundation’s 2025 filing states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Brad Swope, Patricia G Swope, and Susan Swope as directors.

Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Brad Swope

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Patricia G. Swope

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Susan Swope

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc

How much does Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc give each year?

Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc gave $1.2M across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.2M across 13 grants.

What is Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc's typical grant size?

Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $80,000, and its average grant was $75,938, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc that year got $35K on average.

Where does Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc give grants?

Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc gives mostly in Kentucky: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Louisville, KY (15 grants).

Does Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support" (16 grants).

Who are Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc's largest grantees?

Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Family Scholar House ($130,000), West End School ($130,000) and KY Humane Society ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 30% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc?

Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc reported $16.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.

What does Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including education, child and family services, animal welfare, and food assistance. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc?

Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines.

What is Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc's EIN?

Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 92-0186097. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Does Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc 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 October 2026.

Data update history

(2)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 26, 2026)
  2. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sam-swope-family-foundation-inc-morg_4228dda614224218a7dc50b2e4ea7d53

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_920186097_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Sam Swope Family Foundation Inc funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/sam-swope-family-foundation-inc-morg_4228dda614224218a7dc50b2e4ea7d53},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 Sam Swope Family 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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