The Scripps Family Fund for Education
The Scripps Family Fund for Education and the Arts (SFFEA) is a private family foundation based in Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky. Created in 2014 by Sebastian and Barbara Scripps, it supports organizations providing educational opportunities, learning, enrichment, and inspiration.
The Scripps Family Fund for Education at a glance
In short: The Scripps Family Fund for Education gave $3.4M across 256 grants in 2025 (avg $13K), mostly in Connecticut. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,441,835
- -17.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 256
- +10.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $13,445
- -25.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $27,959,305
- -6.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (35 of 197, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (65% 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 The Scripps Family Fund for Education
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Invitation Only
-
SFFEA considers funding opportunities on an invitation-only basis and does not accept unsolicited requests. The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: Co 250 Grandview Dr 400, Ft Mitchell, KY 41017
Phone: (859) 581-5758
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Scripps Family Fund for Education funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Connecticut Public Broadcasting Inc ($280K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $849K.
Organizations only. It also paid 5 grants to individuals ($94,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
895 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 826 grants of 895 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s mission names Connecticut and beyond as its geographic scope. In 2025, Connecticut recipients received 65% of grant dollars, New York recipients 21%, Vermont recipients 6%, Massachusetts recipients 3%, and Ohio recipients 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 256 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Scripps Family Fund for Education open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 35 of 197 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $18K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 78% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 57% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 222% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.2M (2019) to $4.2M (2024). In 2025 it made 256 grants totaling $3.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut Public Broadcasting Inc Hartford, CT | Latino Educational Programming | $200,000 |
| Connecticut Public Broadcasting Inc Hartford, CT | Expanding the Fellows Program | $80,000 |
| Sacred Heart University Inc Fairfield, CT | Support for Summer and School Year PRGRM | $80,000 |
| Building One Community Stamford, CT | Support for Academic Enrichment Program | $75,000 |
| The New York Historical New York, NY | Support Education Programs | $75,000 |
| American Museum of Natural History New York, NY | Meep Intern Program and Field Trips | $60,000 |
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $60,000 |
| Leadership Education and Athletics Partnership Inc New Haven, CT | College Access Program | $60,000 |
| The Groundtruth Project Inc Boston, MA | Internship Program for College Seniors | $60,000 |
| Scripps Howard Fund Cincinnati, OH | Support Book Program in Clay County KY | $53,500 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $27,959,305 | $1,814,246 | $3,725,434 | $3,441,835 | 256 | $3,572,665 | $1,671,034 | $1,608,301 |
| 2024 | $29,870,493 | $15,872,762 | $4,369,928 | $4,169,186 | 232 | $4,284,188 | $5,400,813 | $968,100 |
| 2023 | $18,367,659 | $1,119,482 | $3,007,765 | $2,841,031 | 191 | $2,948,737 | $1,039,425 | $991,570 |
| 2022 | $20,255,942 | $449,017 | $2,354,054 | $2,198,645 | 130 | $2,291,126 | $376,089 | $1,075,273 |
| 2021 | $22,160,979 | $3,929,312 | $2,037,310 | $1,786,696 | 86 | $1,879,561 | $3,856,563 | $1,190,283 |
| 2020 | $20,268,977 | $669,725 | $1,639,967 | $1,470,469 | 51 | — | $608,668 | $1,074,840 |
| 2019 | $21,239,219 | $815,136 | $1,357,922 | $1,196,682 | 61 | — | $737,893 | $1,080,895 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Scripps Family Fund for Education reported a distributable amount of $1.6M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
SFFEA’s mission is grounded in the belief that a productive democratic society depends on a broadly educated and well-informed population. It seeks to promote self-sufficiency and life success by investing in organizations that provide learning, enrichment, and inspiration.
Its grants support programs serving a full range of ages, including initiatives that expand organizations’ reach, effectiveness, impact, or financial sustainability. Among its 2025 grantees, Connecticut Public Broadcasting described its mission as informing, educating, and inspiring Connecticut residents through journalism, storytelling, education, and experiences. Building One Community described its work as educating, employing, empowering, and engaging immigrants and the broader community. An individual recipient described its work as supporting Hartford students’ college success and economic mobility.
Grantmaking
The 2025 IRS filing reports 256 grants totaling $3,441,835. Grants ranged from $138 to $200,000, with a median of $10,000. Notable awards included:
SFFEA generally does not make grants to endowments or for general operating support. Its Quick Grants initiative, launched in 2021, offers grants of up to $10,000 for general operating, program, and scholarship support, with an effort to focus on smaller organizations. SFFEA also participates in Wheels to Learning, which provides transportation funding for field trips for K–12 public schools in Windham County, Connecticut, traveling to designated nonprofit cultural institutions.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists the following directors:
- J. Sebastian Scripps
- Barbara Briggs Scripps
- Linda Marshall
The Scripps Family Fund for Education's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Barbara Briggs Scripps
Director
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
J. Sebastian Scripps
Director
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Linda Marshall
Director
New on the 2025 filing
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 The Scripps Family Fund for Education
How much does The Scripps Family Fund for Education give each year?
The Scripps Family Fund for Education gave $3.4M across 256 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $4.2M across 232 grants.
What is The Scripps Family Fund for Education's typical grant size?
The Scripps Family Fund for Education's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $13,445, across 256 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Scripps Family Fund for Education that year got $12K on average.
Where does The Scripps Family Fund for Education give grants?
The Scripps Family Fund for Education gives mostly in Connecticut: 65% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (21%) and Vermont (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (23 grants), Hartford, CT (16 grants), New Haven, CT (14 grants) and Stamford, CT (14 grants).
Does The Scripps Family Fund for Education give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 256 grants with a stated purpose on The Scripps Family Fund for Education's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Field Trip" (71 grants), "Education and Enrichment Programs" (4 grants) and "Education Programs" (3 grants).
Who are The Scripps Family Fund for Education's largest grantees?
The Scripps Family Fund for Education's largest 2025 grantees include Connecticut Public Broadcasting Inc ($280,000 across 2 grants), Sacred Heart University Inc ($80,000) and Building One Community ($75,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 5 grants to individuals ($94,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 13% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Scripps Family Fund for Education?
The Scripps Family Fund for Education reported $28.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.6M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Scripps Family Fund for Education fund?
SFFEA’s mission is grounded in the belief that a productive democratic society depends on a broadly educated and well-informed population. It seeks to promote self-sufficiency and life success by investing in organizations that provide learning, enrichment, and inspiration. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Scripps Family Fund for Education?
SFFEA considers funding opportunities on an invitation-only basis and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Scripps Family Fund for Education's EIN?
The Scripps Family Fund for Education's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-2630731. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Scripps Family Fund for Education 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 13, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work The Scripps Family Fund for Education funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Scripps Family Fund for Education funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-scripps-family-fund-for-education-morg_5789e899384e4fba92238913e8332931
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_472630731_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Scripps Family Fund for Education funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-scripps-family-fund-for-education-morg_5789e899384e4fba92238913e8332931},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 Scripps Family Fund for Education'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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