Scripps Family Impact Fund

Areas of Focus (by year)

2019

children's services

2020

coronavirus

2021

healthcare

2022

animals

2023

journalism

Who We Are

The Scripps Family Impact Fund was created as a partnership between the 4th and 5th generations of the Scripps family, with hopes that it will be a fixture of family affairs for generations to come.
We are a large and diverse family that seeks to combine our resources and invest in “big-impact” charitable projects.
We are proud of our long and rich history in media and philanthropy and we seek to carry on the legacy of generations past by addressing a wide range of issues and causes.

Why We Created It

We launched the Scripps Family Impact Fund in 2018 as a fresh way to collaborate with our extended family.
We wanted to coordinate our giving in a way that could have a material “impact” on worthy organizations.
The board is composed entirely of members of the family’s fifth generation, and we desire to have a positive influence on the world around us.

How it Works

1^st Grant applications are solicited by board and family members, consistent with the themed focus of that year’s cycle.
2^nd After thorough research, the board narrows the list of candidates to three, all of which are asked to submit a brief video about their organization.
3^rd Family members are asked each Spring to donate to a pool. After reading the grant submissions and watching the videos, donors indicate which organization (or organizations) they favor to receive their contributions.

Who We're Looking to Partner with

Large or small, new or old…
If you’re a registered 501c3 public charity and have an effective solution to a worldly problem, and your organization fits into this year’s giving cycle, then you might be the next partner for us.

Vision Statement

We seek to build upon the family’s enduring charitable legacy by helping worthy nonprofits make an even bigger difference.

Mission Statement

Unleashing our collective power to help others by combining our passions and pocketbooks with the collaborative energy that the family has harnessed since 1878 to make communities stronger.

FAQ

Questions we’ve heard from nonprofits

1. Are there any restrictions on the types of projects you will fund?

The 2023 cycle is the fifth year for the Scripps Family Impact Fund (SFIF) and we are focusing on journalism and media arts for middle and high school students. Our board seeks to avoid any controversial funding, so any project that is related to any politically sensitive or divisive subject, for example, is not likely to receive funding from the SFIF.

2. What levels of grants will you be making?

It is tough to specify exactly what level of funding we will provide in any given year because our first three years were starkly different. Our first year provided over $250,000 to three organizations focused on children, but the figure jumped to over a million in each 2020 and 2021 because of the atypical nature of our COVID-19 relief efforts and support for healthcare charities. It is likely that most years will be more akin to the first years’ experience, but we won’t know for certain until the top-three applications are shared with the family funders.

3. What are the key dates in the cycle?

We are using a grants management software platform and expect to open the invitations by the end of January 2023. Invitees will receive an email from donotreply@smartsimple.com. Grant applications are to be completed and submitted within the system by February 28, 2023. The board will narrow the list of prospective recipients to three and then ask the funders to contribute to the SFIF. We expect to notify the three finalists in May. In late June, the grant amounts will be assigned following a vote by the funders.

4. When would the grant money be available to winners?

We anticipate recipients will receive their funds mid to late summer. This allows the parties time to put grant agreements in place and to take care of any other compliance matters.

5. What type of projects does the Scripps Family Impact Fund typically fund? Do you have a preference for granting money for operating expenses (such as salaries) vs. funding specific projects?

We can’t handicap how the funders will vote, but your application should specify a use for the money that will do the most good for your organization and further its mission.

6. Can you suggest a range of dollars to ask for?

Flexibility is built into our process. We would recommend you submit your application with a menu of options that allows funding for at least one of your projects if you are selected as one of the top three grantees.

7. Who is eligible to apply?

Application is by invite only and will be offered to public charities that are recognized by the Internal Revenue Service pursuant to IRC section 501(c)(3).

8. Can the funds be used internationally?

We cannot send money to an organization that is based overseas, but we can fund US-based organizations that have international initiatives.

9. What kind of outcomes do you hope to see accomplished with the grant money?

Members of our family have a long history of supporting philanthropic causes, and we are proud to continue that legacy. What we want to see accomplished will change from one year to the next, but the shared goal that motivates all of us is that our joint effort will make a material difference in the mission of a cause that is easy for all of us to rally around.

10. How large are the SFIF assets?

This is a way in which we are different from other grant makers. The fund is not powered by an endowed foundation. We will ask our family members to contribute every year, giving us plenty of room to grow in the future.