Scanlan Family Foundation

The Scanlan Family Foundation is a personal, family-directed philanthropy anchored by Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan, daughter of Martin and Melva Bucksbaum, who built General Growth Properties into one of America's largest commercial real estate companies before their deaths. The foundation was established in 2003 and operates as a pure expression of the Bucksbaum-Scanlan family's values — principally Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan's deep commitments to arts education, gifted youth programs, and environmental research.

The single most critical fact for prospective grant seekers is that this foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. IRS filings formally document the application instructions as absent, and the foundation's profile is flagged as preselected-only. There is no portal, no LOI template, and no published deadline. Every known grantee shares a direct personal or institutional relationship with Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan: she is a Bennington College alumna (class of 1991) and current trustee who co-chairs the Art for Access initiative; she has deep ties to the University of Iowa through her family's Iowa roots (her parents are honored in the named Bucksbaum Early Entrance Academy); and she has sustained philanthropic interest in Gulf of Maine environmental research.

The foundation has no paid staff — zero employees and zero officer compensation across all available filings. Contact is handled by Michael Greaves, who serves as trustee and administrative contact at 111 S Wacker Dr, Suite 3975, Chicago, IL 60606, phone (312) 262-2074. The board consists solely of Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan (President/Director), Patrick Scanlan (Vice President/Director), and Catherine O'Brien (Treasurer/Secretary/Director). This intimate, family-controlled structure means every grant decision is highly personal.

Giving patterns reflect long-term institutional partnerships rather than one-time grants. Bennington College has received funding across multiple grant years ($6M in database records, a $12M endowment announcement, and $4M in 2024). The University of Iowa ecosystem has similarly received sustained support ($4.8M historically, $3.9M in 2024). The Gulf of Maine Research Institute, while smaller ($580,400 over two grants), represents a consistent environmental science partnership.

For organizations seeking a relationship, the only realistic path runs through Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan's existing networks: Bennington College's Board of Trustees, University of Iowa advancement circles, Loomis Chaffee alumni networks, and marine research communities in Maine. Cold outreach is inappropriate; warm introductions through existing grantees are the only viable entry point.

The Scanlan Family Foundation has displayed markedly variable annual giving driven by the personal priorities of a small family board rather than a systematic grant calendar. Total disbursements have ranged from $4.1M (2021) to $16.9M (2024) over the documented filing period, with a pronounced upward surge beginning in 2023:

• 2024: ~$16.9M disbursed, 11 awards (most active year on record)
• 2023: $15.4M total giving, $15M grants paid, 9 awards
• 2022: $6.1M total giving, $5.7M grants paid, 3 awards
• 2021: $4.1M total giving, $3.9M grants paid, 5 awards
• 2020: $5.2M total giving, $5.1M grants paid, 9 awards
• 2019: $5M total giving, $3.4M grants paid
• 2015: $8.8M total giving, $8.6M grants paid

The 2023–2024 surge — from $6.1M to $15.4M to $16.9M — likely reflects the foundation executing on multi-year pledge commitments, including the $12M Bennington endowment gift, while simultaneously expanding its portfolio. Total assets declined from $158.8M in 2021 to $103.4M in 2024 as a direct result of this intensified grantmaking, indicating a payout rate of approximately 16% on assets — well above the IRS-mandated 5% minimum for private foundations.

Typical grant sizes are large: the foundation's database profile documents a minimum of $110,000, a median of $250,000, and a maximum of $2.4M for typical grants, with a portfolio average of approximately $789,000. Recent mega-grants ($4M to Bennington, $4M to Loomis Chaffee, $3.9M to U of Iowa in 2024) substantially exceed the documented ceiling, suggesting the typical range reflects earlier years before the foundation scaled up.

By focus area (inferred from known grantees across all filing years): - Higher education: ~80%+ of dollar volume (Bennington College, University of Iowa, Loomis Chaffee School, Belin-Blank Center) - Visual arts embedded in education: significant share of education giving - Marine and environmental science: ~3–5% (Gulf of Maine Research Institute, $580,400 documented)

By geography: - Iowa: University of Iowa ecosystem has received cumulative grants exceeding $8.7M across documented filing years - Vermont: Bennington College has received $10M+ cumulatively plus a $12M endowment pledge - Maine: Gulf of Maine Research Institute has received $580,400+ - Connecticut: Loomis Chaffee School received $4M in 2024 (emerging geography)

Revenue is generated primarily through investment returns: $3.1M in net investment income in 2023, with $6.4M total revenue in 2024 driven by dividend income and asset sales.

The five foundations closest to Scanlan Family Foundation by asset size — all in the $103–104M range and all classified under Philanthropy & Grantmaking (NTEE code T) — offer context for understanding where this funder sits.

Scanlan Family Foundation stands out in two important ways. First, its 2024 payout rate of approximately 16.4% ($16.9M on $103M in assets) is exceptionally high — most private foundations target the IRS minimum of 5%, and even active grantmakers rarely exceed 8–10%. This reflects either an intentional spend-down strategy or the fulfillment of large multi-year pledges. Second, unlike The Grove Foundation (which publishes LOI guidelines and program areas) or Bryan Cameron Education Foundation (which operates a structured scholarship program with published criteria), Scanlan has no public-facing application infrastructure whatsoever — confirming it belongs to the subset of peer foundations that are entirely closed to outside applicants. Shillman and Bagwell share this closed structure, making Scanlan typical among family foundations of this scale and personal character.

The most significant recent development is the foundation's dramatic acceleration of grantmaking beginning in 2023. After distributing $6.1M across 3 awards in 2022, the foundation gave $15.4M across 9 awards in 2023, then $16.9M across 11 awards in 2024 — the highest annual giving in its documented history, representing a 175% increase over two years.

The 2024 grant cycle included three anchor gifts: $4M to Loomis Chaffee School (Windsor, CT), $4M to Bennington College Corporation (North Bennington, VT), and $3.9M to the University of Iowa Center for Advancement (Iowa City, IA). These three awards account for approximately $11.9M of the $16.9M total.

The Bennington College relationship reflects sustained deep investment: Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan is a class of 1991 alumna and active trustee who co-chairs the Art for Access initiative (launched 2018). The foundation announced a landmark $12M gift to Bennington establishing the endowed Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan '91 Visual Arts Creativity Fund, supporting scholarships for visual arts students, Field Work Term internship grants, faculty appointments, and Usdan Gallery programming. This was described as part of the college's $150M campaign, which reached $99.9M with her gift.

On the University of Iowa side, a $10M gift announced February 25, 2016 created the Martin and Melva Bucksbaum Early Entrance Academy for STEAM — Iowa's first residential academy for high-ability high school students entering the university at approximately age 16. Continued annual grants to Iowa's Center for Advancement indicate this relationship remains active and growing.

No leadership changes have been publicly announced. Total foundation assets declined from $158.8M (2021) to $103.4M (2024), consistent with the accelerated distribution cycle.

Given the foundation's preselected-only status, conventional application guidance does not apply. No grant portal exists, no LOI format is published, and no open deadlines are posted. What follows is guidance on cultivating a legitimate, long-term relationship with this funder.

Understand the access architecture. The only viable path to Scanlan Family Foundation support is through relationships Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan has already built over decades: Bennington College's trustee and alumni networks (especially the class of 1991 cohort), University of Iowa advancement and Belin-Blank Center leadership, Loomis Chaffee School's community, and the Gulf of Maine scientific and environmental research ecosystem. If your organization has formal ties to any of these anchor institutions, that affiliation is your most relevant credential.

Speak the Bucksbaum family legacy language. The foundation consistently funds programs that honor Martin and Melva Bucksbaum — through named academies, endowed funds, and programs in Iowa. Organizations in Des Moines or Iowa City with any connection to the Bucksbaum family's history should make that connection explicit and respectful, not transactional.

Position arts and gifted education together. Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan is both a visual artist by training (Bennington '91) and a champion of programs that identify and accelerate high-ability young people. The intersection of visual arts, advanced academics, and access for high-potential students defines her philanthropic identity. Programs that sit squarely in this overlap — arts scholarships for talented youth, gifted education initiatives, or arts-in-STEM integration — reflect every documented priority.

Engage through board-adjacent channels, not cold outreach. With three board members and no staff, the foundation's only reachable administrative contact is Michael Greaves at (312) 262-2074. Any outreach should be brief and explicitly acknowledge the invitation-only model — ask whether a brief introduction is appropriate, not whether funding is available. A concise, one-page organizational overview delivered without a dollar request is a lower-risk entry than a formal proposal.

Think in decades, not grant cycles. Bennington College and the University of Iowa have appeared in at least four separate filing years each. Gulf of Maine Research Institute appears in two consecutive cycles. This foundation rewards multi-year institutional relationships, not one-time grant-seeking. Building authentic connections to the foundation's existing grantee network is a multi-year investment, not a quarterly application strategy.