The Summ Foundation is a politically focused funder that prioritizes advocacy, campaign activity, and organizations working to defend and shape U.S. democratic norms. Its grants concentrate on advocacy groups and political action committees that advance conservative-leaning priorities (electoral support, education reforms, national security) alongside some issue-specific donations (LGBTQ religious freedom advocacy, Ukraine relief, Black economic uplift). The foundation typically funds national organizations and policy-focused groups rather than local service providers.
Summ Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by a $2.27 million grant to With Honor Action Inc for advocacy activities, alongside another large commitment to American Unity Fund for democracy, freedom for LGBTQ Americans, and religious freedom. That pairing points to a funder that backs political and policy-facing organizations rather than direct service programs. The foundation’s grant list also shows support for campaign activity, democratic-norms advocacy, school-curriculum reform, and issue-specific donations tied to Ukraine relief, Black economic uplift, and drug policy. Several of the largest awards went to Washington, DC and Virginia organizations, including Welcome PAC, Defending Democracy, Winning for Women Inc, Parents Defending Education, and American Unity Fund Inc. Summ Foundation appears to favor groups working in the political arena, with grants described as advocacy activities, political campaign activities, and donations to advance specific public-policy goals. Its 2024 and 2025 grants show a consistent preference for organizations that are structured to influence elections, legislation, or public debate across national issues.
On democracy and elections, Summ Foundation gave $300,000 to Welcome PAC for political campaign activities and $100,000 to Democracy First Pac for political campaign activities. In a related vein, it awarded $2.27 million to With Honor Action Inc for advocacy activities, and $200,000 to Defending Democracy to defend America’s democratic norms and values. The foundation also supports education-related advocacy: Parents Defending Education received $175,000 to promote a school curriculum and environment free from political ideology. Other grants reflect targeted issue work, including $150,000 to National Black Empowerment for the economics, educational, and social uplift of Black communities and $50,000 to Drug Policy Action to support new drug laws and policies grounded in evidence and equity.
Summ Foundation’s typical grant size centers on larger checks: the 25th percentile is $125,000, the median is $175,000, and the 75th percentile is $200,000. Its recent awards include both six- and seven-figure grants, with repeated support for some organizations across consecutive years; American Unity Fund appears in both 2024 and 2025, and several Virginia and Washington, DC recipients recur across the list. The foundation is classified as a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Available recent grants are all to U.S. recipients.
$3.2M
$30K
$8
$30K
Most grants fall between $125K and $200K, with a median of $175K.
25th Percentile
$125K
Median
$175K
75th Percentile
$200K
About 9% of grants go to recipients in VA.
ROBERT A GRANIERI
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Concentrated, high-dollar political giving: a small number of large grants drive most giving (top two recipients account for the majority), repeats some grantees (American Unity Fund) and funds a mix of 501(c) advocacy groups and PACs for short-to-medium term policy and electoral impact rather than long-term programmatic grants.
Notable grantees: With Honor Action, American Unity Fund, Welcome PAC, Defending Democracy, Parents Defending Education
Grant recipients are concentrated in the Mid-Atlantic and Washington, DC area. Virginia leads by grant count, with recipients in Alexandria, Annandale, and Arlington. Washington, DC is another major center of giving, with multiple grants there, while New York, New York appears in the recent list as well. Outside that corridor, the foundation gave to Atlanta, Georgia through National Black Empowerment. All listed recent grants went to U.S. organizations.
Summ Foundation mainly funds advocacy groups and political-action organizations. Recent grants went to With Honor Action Inc for advocacy activities, Welcome PAC and Democracy First Pac for political campaign activities, and Defending Democracy for work to defend democratic norms and values. It also supports issue-specific advocacy in education, civil liberties, Ukraine relief, Black uplift, and drug policy.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is relatively high: the 25th percentile is $125,000, the median is $175,000, and the 75th percentile is $200,000. Recent awards also include larger grants above $1 million, indicating that some relationships are funded at a much bigger scale than the median grant.
Yes. American Unity Fund appears in both 2024 and 2025, with grants of $1,167,000 and $500,000. The recent list also shows multiple grants to organizations in the same policy ecosystem across consecutive years, which suggests repeat funding rather than one-time-only support.
The recent grants cover democracy and campaign advocacy, LGBTQ religious freedom and pluralism, school-curriculum reform, Black community uplift, Ukraine front-line aid, and evidence-based drug policy. Examples include grants to Parents Defending Education, National Black Empowerment, Ukraine Freedom Project, and Drug Policy Action, each tied to a distinct policy or community goal.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WITH HONOR ACTION INC | ALEXANDRIA, VA | $2,270,000 | 2025 | ADVOCACY ACTIVITIES |
| AMERICAN UNITY FUND INC | ANNANDALE, VA | $500,000 | 2025 | ADVOCACY ACTIVITIES |
| WELCOME PAC | WASHINGTON, DC | $300,000 | 2025 | POLITICAL CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES |
| DEMOCRACY FIRST PAC | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2025 | POLITICAL CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES |
| AMERICAN UNITY FUND | ANNANDALE, VA | $1,167,000 | 2024 | DONATION TO ADVANCE DEMOCRACY, FREEDOM FOR LGBTQ AMERICANS, AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. |
| DEFENDING DEMOCRACY | WASHINGTON, DC | $200,000 | 2024 | DONATION TO DEFENDING AMERICA'S DEMOCRATIC NORMS AND VALUES. |
| WINNING FOR WOMEN INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $200,000 | 2024 | DONATION TO SUPPORT WOMEN RUNNING FOR POLITICAL OFFICE WHO VALUE ECONOMIC FREEDOM AND NATIONAL SECURITY. |
| PARENTS DEFENDING EDUCATION | ARLINGTON, VA | $175,000 | 2024 | DONATION TO PROMOTE RESTORATION OF A SCHOOL CURRICULUM AND ENVIRONMENT FREE FROM POLITICAL IDEOLOGY. |
| NATIONAL BLACK EMPOWERMENT | ATLANTA, GA | $150,000 | 2024 | DONATION DEVOTED TO THE ECONOMICS, EDUCATIONAL, & SOCIAL UPLIFT OF BLACK COMMUNITIES. |
| UKRAINE FREEDOM PROJECT | ALEXANDRIA, VA | $100,000 | 2024 | DONATION TO ADVANCE THE MISSION TO DELIVER SUPPLIES TO THE FRONT LINES IN THE WAR IN UKRAINE. |
| DRUG POLICY ACTION | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | DONATION TO SUPPORT PASSAGE OF NEW DRUG LAWS AND POLICIES GROUNDED IN EVIDENCE AND EQUITY. |
WITH HONOR ACTION INC
$2,270,000ADVOCACY ACTIVITIES
AMERICAN UNITY FUND INC
$500,000ADVOCACY ACTIVITIES
WELCOME PAC
$300,000POLITICAL CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES
DEMOCRACY FIRST PAC
$100,000POLITICAL CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES
AMERICAN UNITY FUND
$1,167,000DONATION TO ADVANCE DEMOCRACY, FREEDOM FOR LGBTQ AMERICANS, AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.
DONATION TO DEFENDING AMERICA'S DEMOCRATIC NORMS AND VALUES.
WINNING FOR WOMEN INC
$200,000DONATION TO SUPPORT WOMEN RUNNING FOR POLITICAL OFFICE WHO VALUE ECONOMIC FREEDOM AND NATIONAL SECURITY.
DONATION TO PROMOTE RESTORATION OF A SCHOOL CURRICULUM AND ENVIRONMENT FREE FROM POLITICAL IDEOLOGY.
NATIONAL BLACK EMPOWERMENT
$150,000DONATION DEVOTED TO THE ECONOMICS, EDUCATIONAL, & SOCIAL UPLIFT OF BLACK COMMUNITIES.
UKRAINE FREEDOM PROJECT
$100,000DONATION TO ADVANCE THE MISSION TO DELIVER SUPPLIES TO THE FRONT LINES IN THE WAR IN UKRAINE.
DRUG POLICY ACTION
$50,000DONATION TO SUPPORT PASSAGE OF NEW DRUG LAWS AND POLICIES GROUNDED IN EVIDENCE AND EQUITY.