Caroline Alexander Buck Foundation
Philadelphia, PA · EIN 23-6257115. Reported 123 grants totalling $3,728,936 to 91 recipients across tax years 2021-2025. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Caroline Alexander Buck Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $20,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $12,000 and $30,000; the smallest was $1,447 and the largest $100,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St James School | Philadelphia, PA | $325,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| A Book a Day | Philadelphia, PA | $225,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Inn Dwelling Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $210,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Big Picture Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Collective Climb | Philadelphia, PA | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Project Home | Philadelphia, PA | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Gateway Horseworks | Malvern, PA | $125,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Thomas Jefferson University | Philadelphia, PA | $120,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Reading Allowed | Philadelphia, PA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Settlement Music School | Philadelphia, PA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Youth Empowerment for Advancement Hangout | Philadelphia, PA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Jubilee School | Philadelphia, PA | $95,373 | 16 | 5 | 2025 |
| Community Partnerships School | Philadelphia, PA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Heights Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Thorncroft Therapeutic Riding | Malvern, PA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Tree House Books | Philadelphia, PA | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Youth Mentorship and Partnership | Exton, PA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Providence Center | Philadelphia, PA | $45,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Mindfulness Through Movement Inc | Wayne, PA | $40,600 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| The Adoption Center | Philadelphia, PA | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Unscripted Project | Philadelphia, PA | $37,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Feast of Justice | Philadelphia, PA | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Brighter Horizon Foundation | Philadelphia, PA | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Connectedly | Philadelphia, PA | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Holy Child Academy | Philadelphia, PA | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Mercy Neighborhood Ministries | Philadelphia, PA | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Philadelphia Futures | Philadelphia, PA | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Students Run Philly Style | Philadelphia, PA | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Anti-Violence Partnership | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Book Trust | Denver, CO | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Ccsa Foundation | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Chester Charter Scholars Academy | Chester, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Chester Eastside | Chester, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Community Volunteers in Medicine | West Chester, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Drueding Center | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Envision Success | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Family Promise of Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Leveling the Playing Field | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Need in Deed | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Norris Square Community Alliance | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Northern Children's Services | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Philadelphia Mural Arts Advocates | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Police Athletic League | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Southwest Community Development Corporation | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Education Culture Opportunity Foundation | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Lighthouse | St Paul, MN | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Monkey & the Elephant | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Thorncroft Equestrian Center | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Well Rooted | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Art Sphere Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Centro De Cultura | Blue Bell, PA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Centro Nueva Creation | Philadelphia, PA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Discover Pathways | Philadelphia, PA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Fab Youth Philly | Philadelphia, PA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Face to Face | Philadelphia, PA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Girls Justice League | Philadelphia, PA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Girls on the Run Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Sankofa Healing Studio | Philadelphia, PA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Supportive Older Womans Network | Philadelphia, PA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Women's Empowerment Series Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Yoga for Philly | Philadelphia, PA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Montgomery County Norristown Public Library | Philadelphia, PA | $15,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Bridge Academy and Community Center | Coatesville, PA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Camp Jamison | Philadelphia, PA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Camp Sojoumer | Philadelphia, PA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| CASA of Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Eclose Institute | Wyncote, PA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Historic Fair Hill | Philadelphia, PA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Horizons at Springside | Philadelphia, PA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Mom's House Inc of Greater Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Oxford Area Neighborhood Services Center | Oxford, PA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Students Run Philly Stlyle | Philadelphia, PA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| The Niche Clinic | Philadelphia, PA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Youth Empowerment Services | Philadelphia, PA | $12,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Achieve Now | Philadelphia, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Book Trust | Denver, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Bucks County Opportunity Council | Philadelphia, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Cosmic Writers | Philadelphia, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Joyful Readers | Philadelphia, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Peter's Place | Philadelphia, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Philadelphia Children's Alliance | Philadelphia, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Playworks Education Energized | Oakland, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Support Center for Child Advocates | Philadelphia, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Weavers Way Community Center | Philadelphia, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Vanguard Charitable Fund | Warwick, RI | $7,963 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Gemma Services | Plymouth Mtng, PA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Westside Community Center | Philadelphia, PA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Girls on the Run Southeastern Suburban Pa | Fort Washington, PA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Historic Stenton | Philadelphia, PA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Kamp for Kids | Feasterville, PA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
14 of 91 (15%) received money in more than one year over the 5 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 12%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- Collective Climb
TO EMPOWER BIPOC TEENAGERS AND YOUNG ADULTS IN WEST PHILADELPHIA - Project Home
TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY IN PHILADELPHIA - Reading Allowed
TO PROVIDE SPECIALIZED, STRUCTURED LITERACY TUTORING TO CHILDREN AND ADULTS - St James School
TO EDUCATE TRADITIONALLY UNDERRESOURCED STUDENTS - A Book a Day
ENGAGE THE ARTS TO EXPAND LITERACY. - Big Picture Philadelphia
SUPPORT TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES FOR UNDERSERVED HS YOUTH.
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 87 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 22 | $789,864 | $22,500 |
| 2022 | 12 | $640,327 | $40,000 |
| 2023 | 15 | $698,940 | $28,940 |
| 2024 | 27 | $808,288 | $25,000 |
| 2025 | 47 | $791,517 | $15,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
98% of its giving went to organizations in Pennsylvania. If your organization is based elsewhere, look in the recipient list for grants to your area before writing.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $20,000. A request many times that size asks for something it has rarely or never given.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Pennsylvania.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Caroline Alexander Buck Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2021-2025). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: Co N Doolittle 30 S 17TH St 820, Philadelphia, PA, 19103. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 23-6257115 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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