The Alsam Foundation

PO BOX CHICA, IL EIN: 74-2364289

The Alsam Foundation is a private foundation established in 1984-1985 by L.S. "Sam" and Aline Skaggs. L.S. Skaggs was the retired Chairman of American Stores, the company whose family origins trace to the grocery and drug store chain that became Safeway, which included Acme Markets, Jewel Food Stores, Osco Drugs, Sav-On, and Alpha Beta. The foundation is based in Chicago, Illinois, and is managed by The Northern Trust Company as trustee.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$50.4M

-45.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$49.1M

-26.7% YoY

Grant Count

20

-28.6% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$2.5M

+2.6% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Alsam Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.5M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation gives primarily for:

  • Pharmacy education
  • Medical research
  • Human services
  • Catholic agencies and charities

The Skaggs family name appears on pharmacy colleges at multiple universities across the western United States, reflecting their long-standing commitment to pharmaceutical education and research. According to foundation leadership, "Student success has been a primary focus of The ALSAM Foundation, which includes providing state-of-the-art facilities that allows students to participate in cutting edge research."

Grantmaking

Grant Range

** $35,000 - $7,500,000

Review Cycle

. General institutional support varies by relationship and need.

Invitation Only

** The foundation does not maintain a public website or email contact. All inquiries should be directed through The Northern Trust Company at (312) 630-6000. The foundation operates on an invitation-based selection model, and success rates are not publicly available.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation focuses primarily on the Western United States, with emphasis on:

  • California
  • Colorado
  • Idaho
  • Minnesota
  • Montana
  • Utah
  • Washington

Grant Distribution by State

8states

States

CaliforniaColoradoIdahoMinnesotaMontanaNorth CarolinaUtahWashington

Cities

AuroraBillingsBoiseBountifulCedar CityChula VistaCottonwoodDenverDraperFlorenceGreenacresHolladayKearnsKernsLa JollaLajollaLewistonLoganMccallMissoula

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Total Assets: $50.4 million to $91.6 million (varies by reporting year)

Annual Expenses: $49.9 million to $68 million (varies by year)

Revenue: $8.5 million to $9.3 million annually

Total Giving: Approximately $49 million to $67 million annually

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$19M$37M$56M$75M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$50,427,712$91,645,117$149,824,327
Revenue$8,566,964$9,385,297$9,030,574
Expenses$49,960,216$68,026,556$39,724,228
Qualifying Distributions$49,777,050$67,708,121$39,271,743
Net Investment Income$3,939,396$9,250,246$8,840,988
Distributable Amount$3,528,860$5,418,215$8,271,584

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$17M$33M$50M$67M32 grants202028 grants202131 grants202228 grants202320 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

SKAGGS CATHOLIC CENTER LLC$16.7MTHE SCRIPPS RESEARCH INS…$10.0MJUDGE MEMORIAL CATHOLIC …$7.5MUNIVERSITY OF UTAH$4.8MFRIENDS OF ZOO BOISE$2.0MIDAHO STATE UNIVERSITY F…$1.5MMADELEINE CHOIR$1.0MTHE LIVING PLANET$893KSAINT VINCENT DE PAUL SC…$856KSOUTHERN UTAH UNIVERSITY$750K

Grant Size Distribution

139 grants across all recorded years

9<$50K13$50–100K36$100–250K21$250–500K15$500K–1M32$1–5M13$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Skaggs Catholic Center Llc ($16,650,237), The Scripps Research Insitute ($10,000,000), Judge Memorial Catholic High School ($7,500,000).

RecipientPurposeAmount
CATHEDRAL OF THE MADELEINE SALT LAKE CITY, UTANNUAL BISHOP DINNER$50,000
FRIENDS OF ZOO BOISE BOISE, IDVETERINARY HOSPITAL$2,000,000
GUADALUPE CENTER EDUCATIONAL SALT LAKE CITY, UTEARLY LEARNING CENTER$25,000
IDAHO STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION POCATELLO, IDSKAGGS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM$1,500,000
JUDGE MEMORIAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL SALT LAKE CITY, UTCAPITAL CAMPAIGN FOR NEW$7,500,000
KEARNS-SAINT ANN SCHOOL SALT LAKE CITY, UTHVAC SYSTEM$109,176
MADELEINE CHOIR SALT LAKE CITY, UTFIELD HOUSE AND EARLY$1,000,000
OUR LADY OF LOURDES CATHOLIC SCHOOL SALT LAKE CITY, UTSAFETY EQUIPMENT/ DOOR$232,549
SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER SCHOOL KEARNS, UTGENERAL SUPPORT$490,260
SAINT JOSEPH CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL OGDEN, UTPURCHASE VEHICLE$254,958

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Ronny L. Cutshall - President (serving since 2006)

The foundation's leadership also includes members of the Skaggs family, who are actively involved in the grants committee.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

RONNY L CUTSHALLPRESIDENT/GRANTS COMMITTEE$353KTHE NORTHERN TRUST C…TRUSTEE$107KDON L SKAGGSTREASURER/GRANTS COMMITTEE$30KMARK S SKAGGSGRANTS COMMITTEE$30KCLAUDIA SKAGGS LUTTR…SECRETARY/GRANTS COMMITTEE$30KSUSIE S BALUKOFFGRANTS COMMITTEE$30KARNOLD LAGUARDIAGRANTS COMMITTEE$30KMONSIGNOR J TERRENCE…V.P./GRANTS COMMITTEE$30K

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
THE NORTHERN TRUST COMPANYTRUSTEE40$107,066
DON L SKAGGSTREASURER/GRANTS COMMITTEE1$30,000
MARK S SKAGGSGRANTS COMMITTEE1$30,000
CLAUDIA SKAGGS LUTTRELLSECRETARY/GRANTS COMMITTEE1$30,000
SUSIE S BALUKOFFGRANTS COMMITTEE1$30,000
RONNY L CUTSHALLPRESIDENT/GRANTS COMMITTEE27$352,536
ARNOLD LAGUARDIAGRANTS COMMITTEE1$30,000
MONSIGNOR J TERRENCE FITZGERALDV.P./GRANTS COMMITTEE1$30,000

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

Idaho State University's L.S. Skaggs College of Pharmacy received $1.5 million from the Alsam Foundation to expand Skaggs Scholarships

L.S. Skaggs College of Pharmacy Receives $1.5 Million from ALSAM Foundation

University of Montana received an $8 million grant to benefit the L.S. Skaggs Institute for Health Innovation

L.S. Skaggs College of Pharmacy Receives $1.5 Million from ALSAM Foundation

University of Colorado's BioFrontiers Institute has received foundation support

Grants | BioFrontiers Institute

University of Colorado Anschutz received a $1 million gift from the Alsam Foundation

L.S. Skaggs College of Pharmacy Receives $1.5 Million from ALSAM Foundation

The Alsam Foundation Pharmacy at Fourth Street Clinic in Salt Lake City dispenses 90,000 medications annually to serve homeless individuals and families

L.S. Skaggs College of Pharmacy Receives $1.5 Million from ALSAM Foundation

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Alsam Foundation fund?

The foundation gives primarily for: • Pharmacy education • Medical research • Human services • Catholic agencies and charities The Skaggs family name appears on pharmacy colleges at multiple universities across the western United States, reflecting their long-standing commitment to pharmaceutical education and research. According to foundation leadership, "Student success has been a primary focus of The ALSAM Foundation, which includes providing state-of-the-art facilities that allows students …

How do I apply for a grant from The Alsam Foundation?

**Grant Range:** $35,000 - $7,500,000 **Annual Giving:** $38.4 million to $74 million (varies by year) **Grant Structure:** The foundation operates primarily through major institutional gifts rather than annual grant cycles. General institutional support varies by relationship and need. **Application Process:** The foundation does not maintain a public website or email contact. All inquiries should be directed through The Northern Trust Company at (312) 630-6000. The foundation operates on an i…

Where does The Alsam Foundation make grants?

The foundation focuses primarily on the Western United States, with emphasis on: • California • Colorado • Idaho • Minnesota • Montana • Utah • Washington

What size grants does The Alsam Foundation award?

In 2024, The Alsam Foundation awarded 20 grants totaling $49.1M — an average of about $2.5M per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Alsam Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Alsam Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.5M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is The Alsam Foundation's EIN?

The Alsam Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-2364289. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Explore Open Grants

Browse active grant opportunities in The Alsam 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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