Carthage Foundation was one a foundation associated with the Scaife family that funded right-of-center advocacy. In 2014, it merged into the Sarah Scaife Foundation.

The foundation was established in 1966 and financed numerous conservative organizations. It was also a notable funder of The American Spectator’s “Arkansas Project,” which was an investigation into various scandals associated with Bill and Hillary Clinton. ¹

Background

The Carthage Foundation was a right-of-center grantmaking organization and a funding entity of the Scaife Family Foundation. ²

Richard Mellon Scaife contributed millions of dollars to the Carthage Foundation, which the Washington Post reported “donates those gifts to nonprofits, mostly conservative groups.” ³

The Carthage Foundation merged with the Sarah Scaife Foundation effective December 31, 2014. ⁴

Finances

In its final year of operation, the Carthage Foundation contributed more than $200,000 each to America’s Survival and the Federation for American Immigration Reform. The foundation gave more than $100,000 each to the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy, the Claremont Institute for the Study of Statesmanship and Political Philosophy, the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, the Institute for Religion and Democracy and the Jamestown Foundation. The foundation gave $40,000 to the Cato Institute and $50,000 to the Atlas Research Economic Foundation. ⁵

The Carthage Foundation and the Sarah Scaife Foundation were separately major funders in the 1990s of The American Spectator when the magazine was conducting its “Arkansas Project,” the name for investigations into various scandals associated with Bill and Hillary Clinton. The groups combined gave $2.43 million from 1993 through 1996. Richard Larry, who was president of the Sarah Scaife Foundation and treasurer of the Carthage Foundation, reportedly helped oversee the “Arkansas Project.” ⁶

In 1993, the Carthage Foundation and the Sarah Scaife Foundation gave The American Spectator $430,000 in general operating support. In 1994, the two foundations gave the magazine $605,000, of which $250,000 was earmarked for “special projects.” In 1995, the Carthage and Scaife foundations gave $700,000 to the Spectator. Of that, $500,000 was earmarked for “special projects.”  In 1996, the two foundations gave The American Spectator $695,000. ⁷

Leadership

Richard M. Scaife was the last chairman of the Carthage Foundation. ⁸

Michael W. Gleba was the final president and treasurer of the Carthage Foundation. ⁹

Yvonne Marie Bly was the last secretary and assistant treasurer of the Cartage Foundation. ¹⁰

Roger W. Robinson Jr. was also an assistant treasurer of the Carthage Foundation. ¹¹

1.  Conason, Joe. “Scaife Paid $1.7 Million In Spectator ‘Legal Fees.’” The American Spectator. February 23, 1998. Accessed February 7, 2023. https://observer.com/1998/02/scaife-paid-17-million-in-spectator-legal-fees/
2. “Carthage Foundation.” Society of Nonprofits. Accessed February 7, 2023. https://www.snpo.org/publications/fundingalert_details.php?id=1443
3. “Scaife’s Foundations.” Washington Post. May 2, 1999. Accessed February 7, 2023. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/scaifedough050299.htm
4. ^[1] The Carthage Foundation 2104 Annual Report. Accessed February 7, 2023. http://www.scaife.com/carth14.pdf
5. The Carthage Foundation 2104 Annual Report. Accessed February 7, 2023. http://www.scaife.com/carth14.pdf
6. Conason, Joe. “Scaife Paid $1.7 Million In Spectator ‘Legal Fees.’” The American Spectator. February 23, 1998. Accessed February 7, 2023. https://observer.com/1998/02/scaife-paid-17-million-in-spectator-legal-fees/
7. Conason, Joe. “Scaife Paid $1.7 Million In Spectator ‘Legal Fees.’” The American Spectator. February 23, 1998. Accessed February 7, 2023. https://observer.com/1998/02/scaife-paid-17-million-in-spectator-legal-fees/
8. The Carthage Foundation 2104 Annual Report. Accessed February 7, 2023. http://www.scaife.com/carth14.pdf
9. ^[1] The Carthage Foundation 2104 Annual Report. Accessed February 7, 2023. http://www.scaife.com/carth14.pdf
10. The Carthage Foundation 2104 Annual Report. Accessed February 7, 2023. http://www.scaife.com/carth14.pdf
11. The Carthage Foundation 2104 Annual Report. Accessed February 7, 2023. http://www.scaife.com/carth14.pdf