The Alsam Foundation
The Alsam Foundation is a private foundation established in 1984-1985 by L.S. "Sam" and Aline Skaggs. L.S. Skaggs was the retired Chairman of American Stores, the company whose family origins trace to the grocery and drug store chain that became Safeway, which included Acme Markets, Jewel Food Stores, Osco Drugs, Sav-On, and Alpha Beta. The foundation is based in Chicago, Illinois, and is managed by The Northern Trust Company as trustee.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$50.4M
-45.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$49.1M
-26.7% YoY
Grant Count
20
-28.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2.5M
+2.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation gives primarily for:
- Pharmacy education
- Medical research
- Human services
- Catholic agencies and charities
The Skaggs family name appears on pharmacy colleges at multiple universities across the western United States, reflecting their long-standing commitment to pharmaceutical education and research. According to foundation leadership, "Student success has been a primary focus of The ALSAM Foundation, which includes providing state-of-the-art facilities that allows students to participate in cutting edge research."
Grantmaking
Grant Range
** $35,000 - $7,500,000
Review Cycle
. General institutional support varies by relationship and need.
Invitation Only
** The foundation does not maintain a public website or email contact. All inquiries should be directed through The Northern Trust Company at (312) 630-6000. The foundation operates on an invitation-based selection model, and success rates are not publicly available.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation focuses primarily on the Western United States, with emphasis on:
- California
- Colorado
- Idaho
- Minnesota
- Montana
- Utah
- Washington
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Total Assets: $50.4 million to $91.6 million (varies by reporting year)
Annual Expenses: $49.9 million to $68 million (varies by year)
Revenue: $8.5 million to $9.3 million annually
Total Giving: Approximately $49 million to $67 million annually
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $50,427,712 | $91,645,117 | $149,824,327 |
| Revenue | $8,566,964 | $9,385,297 | $9,030,574 |
| Expenses | $49,960,216 | $68,026,556 | $39,724,228 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $49,777,050 | $67,708,121 | $39,271,743 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,939,396 | $9,250,246 | $8,840,988 |
| Distributable Amount | $3,528,860 | $5,418,215 | $8,271,584 |
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
139 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
Ronny L. Cutshall - President (serving since 2006)
The foundation's leadership also includes members of the Skaggs family, who are actively involved in the grants committee.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| THE NORTHERN TRUST COMPANY | TRUSTEE | 40 | $107,066 |
| DON L SKAGGS | TREASURER/GRANTS COMMITTEE | 1 | $30,000 |
| MARK S SKAGGS | GRANTS COMMITTEE | 1 | $30,000 |
| CLAUDIA SKAGGS LUTTRELL | SECRETARY/GRANTS COMMITTEE | 1 | $30,000 |
| SUSIE S BALUKOFF | GRANTS COMMITTEE | 1 | $30,000 |
| RONNY L CUTSHALL | PRESIDENT/GRANTS COMMITTEE | 27 | $352,536 |
| ARNOLD LAGUARDIA | GRANTS COMMITTEE | 1 | $30,000 |
| MONSIGNOR J TERRENCE FITZGERALD | V.P./GRANTS COMMITTEE | 1 | $30,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Idaho State University's L.S. Skaggs College of Pharmacy received $1.5 million from the Alsam Foundation to expand Skaggs Scholarships
L.S. Skaggs College of Pharmacy Receives $1.5 Million from ALSAM FoundationUniversity of Montana received an $8 million grant to benefit the L.S. Skaggs Institute for Health Innovation
L.S. Skaggs College of Pharmacy Receives $1.5 Million from ALSAM FoundationUniversity of Colorado's BioFrontiers Institute has received foundation support
Grants | BioFrontiers InstituteUniversity of Colorado Anschutz received a $1 million gift from the Alsam Foundation
L.S. Skaggs College of Pharmacy Receives $1.5 Million from ALSAM FoundationThe Alsam Foundation Pharmacy at Fourth Street Clinic in Salt Lake City dispenses 90,000 medications annually to serve homeless individuals and families
L.S. Skaggs College of Pharmacy Receives $1.5 Million from ALSAM FoundationRelated Funders
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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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