Diana Davis Spencer Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Diana Davis Spencer Foundation supports education, entrepreneurship, public policy and national security.
IP TAKE: This conservative funder does not accept unsolicited proposals, but organizations whose work aligns with its values may be able to attract its attention. It’s not accessible, however, and not particularly approachable, but contact information has been provided below. If your work is progressive in nature, it will probably not secure funding here. Those who break into the foundation’s selective group of grantees are often providing services to underprivileged children or advocating for conservative public policy that they believe will help them.
PROFILE: The Diana Davis Spencer Foundation was established by Diana Davis Spencer to continue the work of the Shelby Cullom Davis Foundation and the Kathryn W. Davis Foundation. Shelby Davis, Spencer’s father, was the United States’ longest-serving ambassador to Switzerland. The foundation maintains that the “Founding Fathers enshrined freedom, limited government, and individual responsibility in the Declaration of Independence” and that “the growth of big government endangers these principles.” To that end, it supports conservative philanthropy in the fields of education, entrepreneurship, public policy, and national security.
Grants for Economic Development
The Spencer Foundation’s Entrepreneurship grantmaking works to “instill an entrepreneurial mindset in today’s youth” by “inspiring people to turn their creative ideas and passions into business ventures.” It supports programs such as youth competitions, business programs, and small business assistance. The foundation’s conservative Public Policy grantmaking supports anti-regulation and anti-union efforts based on the belief that “regulations prevent entrepreneurs from creating and growing the small businesses that drive the economy.” Past grantees include National Right to Work, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, and Rising Tide Capital.
Grants for K-12 Education
The Spencer Foundation’s Education program area aims to promote an educational system that “ensures a vibrant, entrepreneurial economy, strengthens national security and public policy, and instills America’s founding values in the next generation of citizens.” It supports organizations that provide educational resources and opportunities in low-performing, underserved areas, as well as programs for “children and adults with learning challenges.” Grantees include KIPP, NFTE, City Year, Turnaround for Children, Teach for America, AppleTree, and After-School All-Stars.
Grants for Civic Engagement and Democracy
The Spencer Foundation Founding Values program claims that “the growth of big government endangers the principles” of “freedom, limited government, and individual responsibility” that it believes the founding fathers held. The foundation supports a range of advocacy, education, and research organizations that work to help Americans “rediscover and apply their founding values.” The foundation’s National Security program seeks to “bolster our national security to safeguard our freedoms and economic prosperity” against threats such as extremism and cyberterrorism. The foundation launched the Daniel Morgan Graduate School of National Security, as well as “funding and spearheading initiatives that give defense and intelligence leaders the tools they need to keep America safe and strong.” Grantees include the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy, One Generation Away, and Liberty’s Promise. The foundation also gave $25 million to the Heritage Foundation, arguably the nation’s most influential conservative think tank.
Important Grant Details:
The Spencer Foundation’s grants generally range from $100,000 to $1 million. The foundation only provides minimal information about its past grantees .
The Spencer Foundation considers applications by invitation only, but grantseekers are welcome to contact the foundation with a brief description of their work.
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