Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund Inc
Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund Inc is a private foundation established in December 2006 and based in Wilmington, Delaware. The organization operates as a family foundation focused on philanthropic grantmaking across multiple sectors including education, arts and culture, environment, community development, and health.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$3.1B
+13.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$120.2M
+5.1% YoY
Grant Count
118
+5.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$1.0M
-0.2% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary funding interests include:
- Education — including scholarships and educational initiatives
- Arts & Culture
- Environment
- Community Development
- Health
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
The foundation provides support through general and unrestricted initiatives, including programs such as the Davis UWC Scholar Program, the Davis International Scholars Program, and the Save Pocantico Lake Project. The fund also aims to provide income earned from program-related investment loans for substantive and sustainable financial services to impoverished communities, including work in rural areas of Peru.
Grantmaking
The foundation does not respond to unsolicited applications for funding. No confirmed application deadlines are provided by the foundation.
Review Cycle
are provided by the foundation.
Grant Types
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds initiatives in New York, California, and Massachusetts. The foundation also supports international programs, including work in Peru and scholarships for international scholars.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets:
- $3,074,380,027 (2024)
- $2,715,444,397 (2023)
Annual Giving & Revenue:
- Total giving: $120,240,558 (2024)
- Total revenues: $143,676,662 (2023)
- Total expenses: $117,548,414 (2023)
Ranking: Ranked #44 among U.S. foundations by assets (top 1%), and ranked #361 in the FoundationSearch Top 10,000 U.S. Foundations by Assets.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,074,380,027 | $2,715,444,397 | $2,688,706,449 |
| Revenue | $487,136,416 | $143,676,662 | $54,145,915 |
| Expenses | $128,200,786 | $117,548,414 | $164,399,131 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $120,579,968 | $118,260,710 | $162,508,207 |
| Net Investment Income | $485,673,454 | $143,099,922 | $60,586,404 |
| Distributable Amount | $188,383,773 | $157,938,440 | $152,611,551 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation operates with limited paid staffing and is governed by a board of directors:
- Shelby MC Davis — Director, Chairman
- Victoria Davis Nosler — Director, Vice Chairman
- Andrew A Davis — Treasurer, Director
- Christopher C Davis — Secretary, Director
- Lansing Davis — Director, Assistant Treasurer
- Alida Davis — Director
- Charles Cullom Davis — Independent Director
- Edith Winkler — Director
- Philip O Geier, PhD — Assistant Secretary/Executive Director ($200,000 annual compensation)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alida Davis | Dir | 1 | — |
| Andrew A Davis | Treas, Dir | 2 | — |
| Christopher C Davis | Sec, Dir | 2 | — |
| Charles Cullom Davis | Independent Dir | 1 | — |
| Lansing Davis | Dir, Assistant Treas | 2 | — |
| Shelby MC Davis | Dir, Chairman | 2 | — |
| Victoria Davis Nosler | Dir, Vice Chairman | 2 | — |
| Philip O Geier PhD | Assistant Sec/Executive Dir | 10 | $200,000 |
| Edith Winkler | Dir | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
First-generation students at the University of Virginia received a $5 million scholarship gift from the foundation
First-Generation Students at UVA to Benefit from $5M Scholarship GiftThe foundation, in partnership with Mission and partner colleges, launched the Davis Maine Scholarship, a four-year scholarship program
Mission, Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund, and Partner Colleges LaunchThe foundation has supported scholarship initiatives benefiting local students across multiple regions
First-Generation Students at UVA to Benefit from $5M Scholarship GiftSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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