The Scharpf Family Foundation makes modest, targeted grants to organizations that advance leadership, civic inclusion, and higher education. In this grant cycle they split funding evenly among a social entrepreneurship fellowship organization, a civic diversity initiative, and a Catholic college, suggesting interest in leadership development, pluralistic civic engagement, and postsecondary education.
Concentrated giving in a small number of mid-sized one-off grants (three equal $50K grants). Funding appears distributed across distinct thematic interests rather than focused on repeated support to a single grantee.
Scharpf Family Foundation Inc Eric Scharpf backs a compact set of grants that often center on leadership development, civic inclusion, and higher education. One clear thread is support for organizations that cultivate emerging leaders and broaden participation in public life: Echoing Green received $50,000 in 2023, Inclusive America also received $50,000 in 2023, and The Oped Project received $25,000 in 2025. The foundation also shows steady interest in education, including a $50,000 grant in 2025 to Holy Cross College and additional support for Harvard Kennedy School and the Trustees of U of Penn - Wharton Fun. Recent awards also include gifts to groups serving LGBTQ communities and related family and advocacy networks, such as Girls for Gender Equity, Family Equality, and Pacific Pride Foundation. Taken together, the grants point to a donor that favors discrete program support for organizations working in leadership pipelines, civic participation, and educational access.
In leadership development, the foundation gave $50,000 to Echoing Green in 2023 for charitable purposes, a grant that fits its interest in emerging social entrepreneurs and civic leaders. Civic inclusion appears as a second thread: Inclusive America received $50,000 in 2023 for diversity and another $25,000 in 2025 for charitable purposes, showing repeated support for participation-focused work. Education is another consistent area. Holy Cross College received $50,000 in 2025 for education, while Harvard Kennedy School received $20,000 in 2025 and $10,000 in 2023 for educational purposes. The grant list also includes support for organizations connected to LGBTQ communities, such as Family Equality and Pacific Pride Foundation, indicating attention to inclusion-oriented service and advocacy groups.
Typical grants are modest but not uniform: the 25th percentile is $2,500, the median is $10,000, and the 75th percentile is $20,000. The recent record also shows repeated support for several recipients across years, including Inclusive America, Girls for Gender Equity, Grameen Foundation, The Oped Project, Harvard Kennedy School, and Pacific Pride Foundation. That pattern suggests some ongoing relationships rather than isolated one-time gifts. The foundation is a private family foundation, and its grants are concentrated in direct program or charitable support rather than individuals or program-related investments.
$302K
$6.7M
$192K
$350K
Most grants fall between $3K and $20K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$20K
About 7% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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Notable grantees: Echoing Green, Inclusive America, Holy Cross College
The foundation gives nationally, with 100% of grants in the United States and 7% in New Jersey, its headquarters state. New York appears most often among recipient locations, including New York, NY and Brooklyn, NY. Washington, DC is another frequent destination, alongside Boston-area grantmaking in Cambridge, MA and West Coast recipients in Los Angeles, Berkeley, and Santa Barbara. New Jersey recipients such as Metuchen and Wickatunk also appear in the recent grant list.
Its recent grants support leadership development, civic inclusion, higher education, and LGBTQ-related service and advocacy. Examples in the data include Echoing Green, Inclusive America, Holy Cross College, Family Equality, and Pacific Pride Foundation.
The grant-size distribution is modest: the 25th percentile is $2,500, the median is $10,000, and the 75th percentile is $20,000. Recent awards also include larger gifts such as $50,000 and smaller gifts around $5,000 to $8,471.
Yes. Several recipients appear in more than one year, including Inclusive America, Girls for Gender Equity, Grameen Foundation, The Oped Project, Harvard Kennedy School, and Pacific Pride Foundation. That indicates at least some recurring relationships in the grant record.
The top state by grant count is New York. Recent recipient cities there include New York, NY and Brooklyn, NY, while Washington, DC and several California cities also appear frequently in the grant list.
Its scope of giving is national. In the recent grant record, every grant went to a U.S. recipient, with grants spread across New Jersey, New York, Washington, DC, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California, and Indiana.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOLY CROSS COLLEGE | NOTRE DAME, IN | $50,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| EARTH ISLAND INSTITUTE | BERKELEY, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| GRAMEEN FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| THE OPED PROJECT | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| INCLUSIVE AMERICA | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| CALLIERS YOUTH SERVICES | WICKATUNK, NJ | $20,000 | 2025 | EDUCATOIN |
| GIRLS FOR GENDER EQUITY | BROOKLYN, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL |
| DESI RAINBOW PARENTS ALLIES | METUCHEN, NJ | $17,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| PACIFIC PRIDE FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| FAMILY EQUALITY | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| EQUALITY CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE | LOS ANGELES, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARTIABLE |
| TRUSTEES OF U OF PENN - WHARTON FUN | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $10,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| GREENBAUM FOUNDATION | WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA | $8,471 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD | NEW YORK, NY | $6,216 | 2025 | HEALTH CARE |
| CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHIL | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITIBLE |
| TWELVE GATES ARTS | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| SATRANG-SOUTH ASIAN LGBTQ SUPPORT | CERRITOS, CA | $2,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| MONTESSORI CENTER SCHOOL | GOLETA, CA | $2,266 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| SAM MILNER | SANDY SPRING, MD | $1,412 | 2025 | CHARIABLE |
| VSA FOR UNFPA | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| CAUSE | LOS ANGELES, CA | $1,000 | 2025 | CHARIABLE |
| GIRL RISING | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| EMBER CHARTER SCHOOLS | BROOKLYN, NY | $500 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| BELLOGUARDO FOUNDATON | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $300 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| ECHOING GREEN | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| INCLUSIVE AMERICA | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2023 | DIVERSITY |
| GIRLS FOR GENDER EQUITY | BROOKLYN, NY | $30,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| DESI RAINBOW PARENTS ALLIES | METUCHEN, NJ | $25,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| GRAMEEN FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $20,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| EPISCOPAL ACADEMY FUND | NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA | $15,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| SATRANG-SOUTH ASIAN LGBTQ SUPPORT | CERRITOS, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| WITNESS | BROOKLYN, NY | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| LOCAL INITIATIVES SUPPORT CORP | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| PACIFIC PRIDE FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $10,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL |
| BROOKLYN COMMUNITY PRIDE | BROOKLYN, NY | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| THE OPED PROJECT | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| GREENER PARTNERS | NORRISTOWN, PA | $1,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| VISUALLY IMPAIRED PRESCHOOL SERVICE | LOUISVILLE, KY | $1,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED |
| WOMEN'S ECONOMIC VENTURES | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $1,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
HOLY CROSS COLLEGE
$50,000EDUCATION
INCLUSIVE AMERICA
$25,000CHARITABLE
CALLIERS YOUTH SERVICES
$20,000EDUCATOIN
HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL
$20,000EDUCATIONAL
DESI RAINBOW PARENTS ALLIES
$17,000CHARITABLE
TRUSTEES OF U OF PENN - WHARTON FUN
$10,000EDUCATION
GREENBAUM FOUNDATION
$8,471CHARITABLE
PLANNED PARENTHOOD
$6,216HEALTH CARE
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHIL
$5,000CHARITIBLE
TWELVE GATES ARTS
$5,000EDUCATION
SATRANG-SOUTH ASIAN LGBTQ SUPPORT
$2,500CHARITABLE
MONTESSORI CENTER SCHOOL
$2,266EDUCATION
SAM MILNER
$1,412CHARIABLE
CAUSE
$1,000CHARIABLE
EMBER CHARTER SCHOOLS
$500EDUCATION
BELLOGUARDO FOUNDATON
$300EDUCATION
INCLUSIVE AMERICA
$50,000DIVERSITY
DESI RAINBOW PARENTS ALLIES
$25,000CHARITABLE
EPISCOPAL ACADEMY FUND
$15,000EDUCATION
SATRANG-SOUTH ASIAN LGBTQ SUPPORT
$10,000CHARITABLE
WITNESS
$10,000CHARITABLE
BROOKLYN COMMUNITY PRIDE
$10,000CHARITABLE