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Improving the prospects of disadvantaged children and youth

Every person should have access to quality educational opportunities and learning experiences in order to foster a productive citizenship and healthy democratic society.

Making an impact since 2014

The Scripps Family Fund for Education and the Arts was created in 2014 as a private family foundation to support the philanthropic vision of its founders, Sebastian and Barbara Scripps. The founders believe that every person should have access to quality educational opportunities and learning experiences in order to foster a productive citizenship and healthy democratic society.

  • Connecticut Humanities

Mission

We believe that a productive democratic society is based on a broadly educated and
well-informed population. We seek to improve the prospects of economically
disadvantaged populations with a focus on infants through young adults in
Connecticut and beyond by investing in organizations that provide learning,
enrichment and inspiration to promote self-sufficiency and life success.

Approach

The Scripps Family Fund for Education and the Arts (“SFFEA”) makes grants to organizations in support of programs that serve a range of ages from Pre-K through young adult. Grants are directed at new initiatives, program support and expansion, and capacity building. SFFEA aims to support ideas that might be difficult to fund otherwise and seeks to leverage its grant making by focusing on opportunities that help organizations increase the populations they serve, broaden their effectiveness and impact, and improve financial sustainability. SFFEA does not generally make grants to endowments or for general operating support.

Additionally, in April 2021, SFFEA launched a quick grants initiative to increase funding for the foundation’s mission to support learning, enrichment, and inspiration for economically underserved children and youth. This program makes grants of up to $10,000 to organizations for general operating, program, and scholarship support, with an emphasis on smaller organizations where this level of funding is meaningful. These quick grants are national in scope with a focus on Connecticut. SFFEA expects to continue this funding initiative on an ongoing basis.

SFFEA considers funding opportunities on an invitation-only basis and does not accept unsolicited proposals.

Other initiatives

Wheels to Learning

Wheels to Learning is a pilot program that provides transportation funding for field trips for Windham County, Connecticut public schools.

COVID-19 Response

An emergency response to the Covid-19 crisis supported health and economic needs throughout Connecticut.

Updated February 2024