Sarah Scaife Foundation: Grant Guidelines

The Sarah Scaife Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, whose grant program is, in its own words, “primarily directed toward public policy programs that address major domestic and international issues.” This guide sets out its published application requirements, what it routinely declines, and the one rule that catches first-time applicants out: an organization that has never received a Foundation grant must submit on paper, not electronically. Everything below is as described on the Foundation’s official guidelines page and its 2024 annual report, checked on 2026-10-29. Programs change, so confirm against the current page before you submit.

What it is and who runs it

The Sarah Scaife Foundation Incorporated is one of the “Scaife Foundations” listed together on the scaife.com site. Its 2024 annual report names Michael W. Gleba as Chairman/CEO and Treasurer, Montgomery B. Brown as Vice President, and Linda M. Buckley as Secretary and Assistant Treasurer. Applications are addressed to the Chairman and CEO at One Oxford Centre, 301 Grant Street, Suite 3900, Pittsburgh, PA 15219-6402.

The same report’s statement of investments at December 31, 2024 shows a total market value of $1,025,359,435 against a book value of $587,477,037. That puts the Foundation in the category of large private funders; for how such funders differ from federal agencies, see private foundation research funding.

Scaife Foundations versus Scaife Family Foundation

Searches for “scaife foundations” mix several names. On scaife.com the “Scaife Foundations” group has pages for the Sarah Scaife Foundation, the Allegheny Foundation and the Carthage Foundation. The Scaife Family Foundation is not one of the pages in that scaife.com group and is not covered by the guidelines on this page; check it on its own materials rather than assuming the same rules apply.

Eligibility

As described on the official page on 2026-10-29, the Foundation states that its grant program is primarily directed toward public policy programs addressing major domestic and international issues. It does not make grants to:

individuals, for any purpose;
nationally organized fundraising groups; or
organizations that are not publicly supported non-profit charitable organizations.

It also says that applications for two kinds of support are routinely declined: (1) event sponsorships, endowments, capital campaigns and building projects, and (2) support for organizations primarily dependent upon government funds, and for government agencies. A university department or a government-funded research unit should read the second exclusion carefully before investing time in an application.

What it funds or requires

The guidelines describe the scope in general terms (public policy programs) rather than as a list of funding areas. The 2024 annual report’s schedule of grants shows how that scope appears in practice: recipients are listed by name and location, and the type of support is labelled for each, most often “General operating support”, with “Program support”, “Project support” and combined “General operating and program support” also appearing. So the Foundation funds both an organization’s core operations and specific programs, but the schedule does not state a standard grant size, and you should not infer one from individual lines.

What it requires is more specific. A grant application must contain the items in the next section, and the cover letter must state that the application has the approval of the organization’s board of directors.

Application steps

1. Assemble the required documents

The official page lists thirteen items, A to M:

A cover letter signed by the organization’s president or authorized representative, stating board approval, the amount requested, and a concise description of the organization and, if applicable, the project or program.
A grant proposal narrative that includes a one-page executive summary.
If applicable, a report on any previous Sarah Scaife Foundation grant, with a narrative and a financial report of how the funds were spent.
The organization’s current annual budget.
The project or program budget, if applicable. See grant budget structure and categories.
The project or program timetable, if applicable.
The most recent audited financial statements.
An unaudited balance sheet and revenue and expense statement for the most recently concluded fiscal year, unless that year is the period covered by item 7.
The current Form 990.
The most recent annual report.
A list of governing board members and officers, with their affiliations.
A list of key or major supporters.
The most recent IRS correspondence evidencing 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.

The page adds that additional information may be requested if needed for further evaluation. For help with the narrative itself, see components of a grant proposal and how to write a grant proposal.

2. Choose the right submission route

The Foundation separates applicants into two groups. Organizations that have previously received a grant from the Foundation, or have been pre-vetted by Foundation staff, are given access to its online submission portal; they should not send a hard copy and must use the portal. Unsolicited applications from an organization that has not previously received a Sarah Scaife Foundation grant must be submitted in hard copy, and the Foundation says it will not consider electronic requests in such cases.

3. Address and send it

Address the application to the Chairman and CEO at the Pittsburgh address given above. Applications may be submitted at any time.

Typical timeline phases

The Foundation publishes no step-by-step calendar, so the phases below follow only what the official page states.

Preparation. Gather the thirteen items, including audited financials and board approval, which usually involve people outside the development office.
Submission. Open at any time, by portal for prior grantees and pre-vetted organizations, by hard copy for everyone else.
Review. The Foundation says it meets four times a year to consider grant applications, and that applications submitted between meetings will be acted upon as expeditiously as possible. It does not publish meeting dates on this page.
Follow-up. If a grant is made, a later application must include the narrative and financial report on how the earlier grant was spent (item 3).

Common mistakes

Emailing a first application. Electronic requests from organizations with no prior grant are not considered; send hard copy.
Applying for an excluded purpose. Event sponsorships, endowments, capital campaigns and building projects are routinely declined.
Applying as a government-dependent organization. Organizations primarily dependent upon government funds, and government agencies themselves, are routinely declined.
Omitting the board-approval statement. The cover letter must say the application has board approval.
Leaving out the previous-grant report. A returning grantee must report on how the earlier grant was spent.
Applying as an individual. The Foundation does not make grants to individuals for any purpose.

If you are still deciding whether a foundation is the right route, a short letter of inquiry is the usual first step for many funders, though this Foundation’s own page asks for a full application package rather than a separate inquiry stage.

Related programs

Name	What the official site says
Sarah Scaife Foundation	Public policy programs; application items A to M; portal for prior grantees and pre-vetted organizations, hard copy for first-time unsolicited applicants.
Allegheny Foundation	Listed on scaife.com as a separate Scaife Foundation with its own guidelines. It says it concentrates its giving in the Southwestern Pennsylvania area, with most awards for historic preservation, civic development and education, and asks for an initial inquiry in letter form.
Carthage Foundation	Its page states that, effective December 31, 2014, the Carthage Foundation merged with and into the Sarah Scaife Foundation Incorporated and no longer accepts grant inquiries.
Scaife Family Foundation	Not one of the pages in the scaife.com “Scaife Foundations” group; the guidelines on this page do not apply to it.

For other private funders in the same landscape, see major private foundations that fund institutional research.

FAQ

What is the Sarah Scaife Foundation?

A private grantmaking foundation in Pittsburgh whose grant program is primarily directed toward public policy programs that address major domestic and international issues.

Can I apply online?

Only if you have previously received a Foundation grant or have been pre-vetted by its staff; those organizations must use the online portal. Everyone else must send a hard copy.

How often does it decide on applications?

The Foundation says it meets four times a year to consider applications, while accepting them at any time.

Does it fund individuals, events or building projects?

No individuals. Event sponsorships, endowments, capital campaigns and building projects are routinely declined.

Is the Carthage Foundation still accepting inquiries?

No. Its page says it merged into the Sarah Scaife Foundation effective December 31, 2014 and no longer accepts grant inquiries.

Sources

All sources checked 2026-10-29. The scaife.com site was served with an expired security certificate on that date, so open these pages with that in mind.