The Buckley Foundation concentrates its giving on K–12 faith-based and urban college-preparatory schooling, with a strong emphasis on Catholic and Episcopal institutions and school networks that serve low-income communities. They favor program support for tuition-subsidized, mission-driven schools and for organizations that strengthen experiential and expeditionary learning. Grants also include youth leadership/outdoor-skills programming, indicating interest in character and leadership development alongside academics.
The Buckley Foundation’s recent giving shows a steady commitment to faith-based and urban college-preparatory schooling, with repeated support for schools and networks that serve low-income communities. Among its larger commitments, Independence Missions Schools received $530,000 in 2023 and another $425,000 in 2025, while St James Episcopal School received $450,000 in 2025. Those awards sit alongside support for St Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark and La Salle College High School in Wyndmoor, suggesting a pattern of backing mission-driven schools over multiple years rather than isolated awards. The foundation also funds organizations that shape school instruction and student experience. Grants to El Education, Launch Expeditionary Learning, and Partnership Schools point to interest in expeditionary and network-based school models, not just general operating support. Smaller awards extend that same orientation into youth development: Starfinder Foundation received support for youth sports programming, and The American Adventure Service Corps received funding for leadership and outdoor skills. Across the recent grants list, the same education-centered theme appears in different forms, from tuition-subsidized school support to scholarship assistance and church-linked community programs.
Faith-based urban schooling is the clearest throughline in The Buckley Foundation’s grantmaking. It gave $425,000 to Independence Missions Schools in 2025 for educational program support, $375,000 to St Benedict's Preparatory School in 2025 for educational program support, and $250,000 to Cristo Rey New York High School in 2025 for educational program support. Those grants align with support for college-preparatory schools serving urban communities. The foundation also backs instructional models and school operators. It awarded $375,000 to El Education in 2024 and $250,000 to Launch Expeditionary Learning in 2023, both for education. Partnership Schools received $325,000 in 2024 and $325,000 in 2023, also for education. Beyond school academics, the grant list includes youth development and community-based support. The American Adventure Service Corps received $350,000 in 2025 for leadership and outdoor skills programs, while Good Samaritan Ministries Inc received $100,000 in 2025 for church support.
$2.4M
$38.7M
$1.1M
$2.5M
Most grants fall between $81K and $325K, with a median of $238K.
25th Percentile
$81K
Median
$238K
75th Percentile
$325K
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Concentrated, high-dollar giving with multiple multi-year or repeat grants to a small set of core education grantees; predominantly program-level support rather than one-off project donations. Funding is regionally focused (Philadelphia area with some out-of-region strategic gifts) and prioritizes sustaining existing partner schools over broad exploratory grants.
Notable grantees: Independence Mission Schools, St Benedict's Preparatory School, La Salle College High School, Partnership Schools, EL Education
The Buckley Foundation’s typical grant size is substantial: the 25th percentile is $81,250, the median is $237,500, and the 75th percentile is $325,000. The grant list shows repeat awards to several recipients across multiple years, including Independence Missions Schools, St Benedict's Preparatory School, St James Episcopal School, Cristo Rey New York High School, El Education, Launch Expeditionary Learning, Partnership Schools, Starfinder Foundation, Good Samaritan Ministries Inc, Orion Military Scholarship Fund Inc, and La Salle College High School. It is a Regular Funder, and the foundation also funds individuals. The recent grants suggest direct program support is a common mode, especially for schools and youth-serving organizations.
Most recent grants land in the Northeast, led by Philadelphia, New York, and Newark. Philadelphia recipients include Independence Missions Schools, St James Episcopal School, and Starfinder Foundation. New York recipients include El Education, Partnership Schools, Cristo Rey New York High School, and Launch Expeditionary Learning. Newark appears through St Benedict's Preparatory School, while Wyndmoor and Jamestown also show up in the recent list. Overall, 43% of grants go to recipients in Pennsylvania, the foundation’s HQ state is also Pennsylvania, and all recent grants in the dataset are in the United States.
Its recent grants center on K–12 faith-based and urban college-preparatory schooling, especially Catholic and Episcopal institutions. The list also includes organizations tied to expeditionary learning, school networks serving low-income neighborhoods, youth leadership and outdoor skills, scholarship support, church support, and youth sports programming.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is relatively high. The 25th percentile is $81,250, the median grant is $237,500, and the 75th percentile is $325,000. Recent awards include both six-figure school grants and smaller program grants.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Independence Missions Schools, St Benedict's Preparatory School, St James Episcopal School, Cristo Rey New York High School, El Education, Launch Expeditionary Learning, Partnership Schools, Starfinder Foundation, Good Samaritan Ministries Inc, Orion Military Scholarship Fund Inc, and La Salle College High School.
By grant count, New York is the top state in the recent dataset. Pennsylvania still receives a large share of grants, with 43% going to recipients in the HQ state. Recent city-level recipients include Philadelphia, New York, Newark, Wyndmoor, and Jamestown.
The recent grants include $350,000 to The American Adventure Service Corps for leadership and outdoor skills programs and $50,000 to Starfinder Foundation for youth sports programming. It also supports scholarship funding, including a $100,000 award to Orion Military Scholarship Fund Inc.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST JAMES EPISCOPAL SCHOOL | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $450,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| INDEPENDENCE MISSIONS SCHOOLS | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $425,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| ST BENEDICT'S PREPARATORY SCHOOL | NEWARK, NJ | $375,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE SERVICE CORPS | JONAS RIDGE, NC | $350,000 | 2025 | LEADERSHIP AND OUTDOOR SKILLS PROGRAMS |
| LA SALLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL | WYNDMOOR, PA | $300,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| CRISTO REY NEW YORK HIGH SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| ORION MILITARY SCHOLARSHIP FUND INC | JAMESTOWN, RI | $100,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING |
| GOOD SAMARITAN MINISTRIES INC | JOHNSON CITY, TN | $100,000 | 2025 | CHURCH SUPPORT |
| STARFINDER FOUNDATION | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $50,000 | 2025 | YOUTH SPORTS PROGRAM |
| EL EDUCATION | NEW YORK, NY | $375,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| PARTNERSHIP SCHOOLS | NEW YORK, NY | $325,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| ST BENEDICT'S PREPARATORY SCHOOL | NEWARK, NJ | $300,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| LA SALLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL | WYNDMOOR, PA | $300,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| INDEPENDENCE MISSIONS SCHOOLS | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $250,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| LAUNCH EXPEDITIONARY LEARNING | BROOKLYN, NY | $200,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| CRISTO REY NEW YORK HIGH SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $190,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| GOOD SAMARITAN MINISTRIES INC | JOHNSON CITY, TN | $75,000 | 2024 | CHURCH |
| STARFINDER FOUNDATION | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $75,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| ORION MILITARY SCHOLARSHIP FUND INC | JAMESTOWN, RI | $75,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| ST JAMES EPISCOPAL SCHOOL | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $50,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| INDEPENDENCE MISSIONS SCHOOLS | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $530,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| PARTNERSHIP SCHOOLS | NEW YORK, NY | $325,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| ST BENEDICT'S PREPARATORY SCHOOL | NEWARK, NJ | $325,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| LAUNCH EXPEDITIONARY LEARNING | BROOKLYN, NY | $250,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| LA SALLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL | WYNDMOOR, PA | $225,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| EL EDUCATION | NEW YORK, NY | $150,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| CRISTO REY NEW YORK HIGH SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $120,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| STARFINDER FOUNDATION | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $75,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| ST JAMES EPISCOPAL SCHOOL | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $50,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION | HARRISBURG, PA | $50,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
ST BENEDICT'S PREPARATORY SCHOOL
$375,000EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE SERVICE CORPS
$350,000LEADERSHIP AND OUTDOOR SKILLS PROGRAMS
LA SALLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL
$300,000EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
ORION MILITARY SCHOLARSHIP FUND INC
$100,000SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING
STARFINDER FOUNDATION
$50,000YOUTH SPORTS PROGRAM
ST BENEDICT'S PREPARATORY SCHOOL
$300,000EDUCATION
LA SALLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL
$300,000EDUCATION
INDEPENDENCE MISSIONS SCHOOLS
$250,000EDUCATION
STARFINDER FOUNDATION
$75,000EDUCATION
ORION MILITARY SCHOLARSHIP FUND INC
$75,000EDUCATION
INDEPENDENCE MISSIONS SCHOOLS
$530,000EDUCATION
ST BENEDICT'S PREPARATORY SCHOOL
$325,000EDUCATION
LA SALLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL
$225,000EDUCATION
STARFINDER FOUNDATION
$75,000EDUCATION