The Scott Foundation
The Scott Foundation is a private foundation based in Palo Alto, California. Founded in 2014, it supports children and young adults through partnerships with community organizations, with stated focus areas that include educational equity, social entrepreneurship, social and reproductive justice, and civic engagement.
The Scott Foundation at a glance
In short: The Scott Foundation gave $1.7M across 21 grants in 2024 (avg $82K), mostly in California. 43% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,722,380
- -4.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 21
- +10.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $82,018
- -13.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $35,000
- Total assets
- $6,133,096
- +11675.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 43% first-time grantees (9 of 21, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (89% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Scott Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Its website says it is not accepting grant applications at this time; its filing states that contributions are made only to preselected charitable organizations. The filing lists application materials and restrictions as N/A and gives no deadline.
- Contact
Application contact: Shannon E Hunt-Scott And James Kevi
Mailing address: 540 Cowper Street Suite 100, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Phone: (650) 618-6388
Website: https://thescottfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Scott Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Hillbrook School ($864K). Together the top 10 received $1.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
97 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 54 grants of 97 (56%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website describes deep local giving and partnerships in Silicon Valley, alongside efforts to support impact and systemic change nationally. In 2024, 89% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 7% to recipients in Washington, DC. The remaining reported shares went to Texas, New York, and North Carolina, at 1% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Scott Foundation open to new grantees?
43%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 9 of 21 grantees (43%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $16K; repeat grants $131K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 52% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 40% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.1M (2020) to $1.8M (2023). In 2024 it made 21 grants totaling $1.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hillbrook School Los Gatos, CA | To support the organization's mission to provide primary school education. | $863,880 |
| Human Rights Watch San Francisco, CA | To support the organization's mission to raise awareness of human rights violations, and promote justice. | $161,000 |
| Ace Charter Schools San Jose, CA | To support the organization's mission to educate struggling students and provide them with the skills and will to succeed in college and beyond. | $150,000 |
| Media Matters for America San Francisco, CA | To support the organization's mission to monitor and correct journalistic misinformation. | $100,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Mar Monte San Jose, CA | To support the organization's mission to provide information and the means to make informed decisions in regards to planning a family. | $50,000 |
| Share Our Strength Washington, DC | To support the organization's mission to end hunger and poverty in the U.S. and abroad. | $50,000 |
| The American Independent Foundation Washington, DC | To support the organization's mission to report on progressive political news and issues. | $50,000 |
| The Tech Interactive San Jose, CA | To support the organization's mission to inspire everyone to become in an innovator. | $50,000 |
| Peninsula Bridge Palo Alto, CA | To support the organization's mission to support and provide education to prepare underprivileged students for higher education. | $35,000 |
| Science Is Elementary Los Altos, CA | To support the organization's mission to improve and increase access to science education for all through teaching students, training teachers and engaging the scientific community. | $35,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Scott Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $6,133,096 | $9,587,697 | $1,770,368 | $1,722,380 | 21 | $1,722,380 | $1,950,708 | $59,698 |
| 2023 | $52,082 | $2,860,274 | $1,828,903 | $1,810,000 | 19 | $1,810,000 | $1,012,915 | — |
| 2022 | $10,216 | $2,247,623 | $1,710,416 | $1,686,800 | 17 | $1,686,800 | $557,865 | — |
| 2021 | $60,858 | $2,115,598 | $1,260,034 | $1,226,265 | 24 | $1,226,265 | $796,155 | — |
| 2020 | $31,300 | $1,382,569 | $1,106,707 | $1,068,145 | 16 | — | $240,121 | $4,387 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Scott Foundation reported a distributable amount of $60K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation says it believes everyone deserves access to high-quality education, the opportunity to succeed, and the confidence to take action. Its website identifies educational equity, social entrepreneurship, social and reproductive justice, and civic engagement as focus areas. It also describes an early emphasis on childhood hunger, early childhood education, and women and girls in technology.
Its 2024 grants included schools and education organizations, as well as organizations working in human rights, journalism, health care, hunger relief, and civic engagement. For example, Hillbrook School describes its mission as fostering a love of learning and helping students develop the skills and confidence to achieve their potential. Share Our Strength says it works to help children and families live free from hunger and poverty, while Voto Latino says it educates and empowers Latino voters and promotes a more inclusive democracy.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 21 grants totaling $1,722,380. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $863,880, with a median grant of $35,000. The largest awards included $863,880 to Hillbrook School, $161,000 to Human Rights Watch, $150,000 to ACE Charter Schools, and $100,000 to Media Matters for America. Other notable awards included $50,000 each to Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, Share Our Strength, The American Independent Foundation, and The Tech Interactive.
The foundation says it uses a hands-on, highly personal approach to grantmaking and partners with organizations working on community challenges. It states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s website identifies Shannon Hunt-Scott as president and co-founder and Kevin Scott as co-founder. The 2024 filing lists Shannon E. Hunt-Scott as chairman of the board and James Kevin Scott as chief financial officer.
The Scott Foundation is led by Shannon E. Hunt-Scott, Chairman of the Board on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Shannon E. Hunt-Scott
Chairman of the Board
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James Kevin Scott
Chief Financial Officer An
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 The Scott Foundation
How much does The Scott Foundation give each year?
The Scott Foundation gave $1.7M across 21 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.8M across 19 grants.
What is The Scott Foundation's typical grant size?
The Scott Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $35,000, and its average grant was $82,018, across 21 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Scott Foundation that year got $16K on average.
Where does The Scott Foundation give grants?
The Scott Foundation gives mostly in California: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Jose, CA (4 grants), San Francisco, CA (3 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants) and Los Gatos, CA (2 grants).
Does The Scott Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on The Scott Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Scott Foundation's largest grantees?
The Scott Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Hillbrook School ($863,880), Human Rights Watch ($161,000) and Ace Charter Schools ($150,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 68% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Scott Foundation?
The Scott Foundation reported $6.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $60K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Scott Foundation fund?
The foundation says it believes everyone deserves access to high-quality education, the opportunity to succeed, and the confidence to take action. Its website identifies educational equity, social entrepreneurship, social and reproductive justice, and civic engagement as focus areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Scott Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Scott Foundation's EIN?
The Scott Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-4644295. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Scott 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Scott Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Scott Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-scott-foundation-morg_e63249ed8ca24832ab9a163c10952b50
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_464644295_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Scott Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-scott-foundation-morg_e63249ed8ca24832ab9a163c10952b50},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 The Scott 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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