The Scripps Howard Foundation is a private foundation based in Cincinnati, Ohio. It provides funding for the Scripps Howard Fund, a sister organization that administers the funding and gives away significant amounts of money as a public charity that was established by the E.W. Scripps Company. ¹

Background

The foundation and fund are tied to the fortune of the family of the late E.W. Scripps, who founded a media conglomerate in Cincinnati, which today remains in the top five American broadcasters of local television. ² The Scripps Howard Foundation was incorporated in 1962 to support causes of importance to the Scripps family and its business activities, especially in the Cincinnati area and Northern Kentucky. ^{3 4}

Activities

Much of the giving of the foundation and its sister fund focuses on childhood literacy and on supporting journalism and freedom of the press, with more than $4 million in contributions supporting those topics in 2021. ⁵

The fund conducts a campaign for childhood literacy and claimed to have raised $1.2 million in support of it in 2023. ⁶

Like many left-leaning funding organizations, the Scripps Howard foundation in 2021 provided $100,000 to the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press. ⁷ The foundation, through the Scripps Howard Fund, supports journalism students at Arizona State University and the University of Maryland, having established a Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at each institution. ⁸ These centers produce investigative reporting that often covers issues like poverty, homelessness, and racism from a left-leaning perspective. ⁹

In 2003, the Scripps Howard Foundation provided $750,000 to launch an endowment for the University of Northern Kentucky’s Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement. ¹⁰

The Scripps Howard Fund oversees the Scripps Howard Awards for journalism, awarding $170,000 in 2023 to winning left-leaning organizations and individual journalists. ¹¹ Awardees included investigative reporting alleging predatory behavior by a police department in Alabama, ¹² an exploration of former Trump administration National Security Advisor Michael Flynn’s influence, ¹³ and a New York Times report that claimed to explore the “apocalyptic worldview” of Tucker Carlson and makes allegations of racism, anti-Semitism, and misogyny. ¹⁴

Funding

In 2021, the Androcles Foundation provided more than $2 million to the Scripps Howard Foundation. Most other support was provided by members of the Scripps family, with Edward Scripps providing $1.4 million. ¹⁵

1.  Faherty, John O. “Liz Carter of Scripps: The Hard Work of Smart Giving.” Movers & Makers Cincinnati, November 22, 2022. https://moversmakers.org/2022/11/22/liz-carter-of-scripps-the-hard-work-of-smart-giving/.
2. Faherty, John O. “Liz Carter of Scripps: The Hard Work of Smart Giving.” Movers & Makers Cincinnati, November 22, 2022. https://moversmakers.org/2022/11/22/liz-carter-of-scripps-the-hard-work-of-smart-giving/.
3. “Giving In Our Hometown.” Scripps Howard Fund. Accessed November 25, 2023. https://scripps.com/fund/community-giving/our-hometown/.
4. “Scripps Howard Foundation Awarded $6.4 Million to Community and Journalism Programs in 2021.” Cision PR Newswire, February 3, 2022. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/scripps-howard-foundation-awarded-6-4-million-to-community-and-journalism-programs-in-2021–301475040.html.
5. Faherty, John O. “Liz Carter of Scripps: The Hard Work of Smart Giving.” Movers & Makers Cincinnati, November 22, 2022. https://moversmakers.org/2022/11/22/liz-carter-of-scripps-the-hard-work-of-smart-giving/.
6.  Miossi, Molly. “Scripps Howard Fund Raises Record-Breaking $1.2 Million for Annual Childhood Literacy Campaign.” Scripps Howard Fund, October 11, 2023. https://scripps.com/fund/news/scripps-howard-fund-raises-record-breaking-1-2-million-for-annual-childhood-literacy-campaign/.
7. “Scripps Howard Foundation Awarded $6.4 Million to Community and Journalism Programs in 2021.” Cision PR Newswire, February 3, 2022. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/scripps-howard-foundation-awarded-6-4-million-to-community-and-journalism-programs-in-2021–301475040.html.
8. “Howard Center Investigation Examines Increasing Influence of ‘constitutional Sheriffs’ Group.” ASU News, August 21, 2023. https://news.asu.edu/20230821-howard-center-investigation-examines-increasing-influence-constitutional-sheriffs-group.
9. “Howard Center for Investigative Journalism.” University of Maryland. Accessed November 25, 2023. https://merrill.umd.edu/howard-center-for-investigative-journalism.
10. “Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement.” Northern Kentucky University. Accessed November 25, 2023. https://inside.nku.edu/civicengagement/about.html.
11. “Scripps Howard Fund Announces Winners of 70th Scripps Howard Awards.” Cision PR Newswire, October 22, 2023. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/scripps-howard-fund-announces-winners-of-70th-scripps-howard-awards-301963916.html.
12.  Archibald, John, Ashley Remkus, and Ramsey Archibald. “‘The Rise And Fall Of A Predatory Police Force.’” Scripps Howard Fund. Accessed November 25, 2023. https://scripps.com/fund/journalism/award-finalists/the-rise-and-fall-of-a-predatory-police-force/.
13. Rowley, Richard, and Michelle R. Smith. “‘Michael Flynn’s Holy War.’” Scripps Howard Fund. Accessed November 25, 2023. https://scripps.com/fund/journalism/award-finalists/michael-flynns-holy-war/.
14. “‘Inside the Apocalyptic Worldview of “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”’” Scripps Howard Fund. Accessed November 25, 2023. https://scripps.com/fund/journalism/award-finalists/inside-the-apocalyptic-worldview-of-tucker-carlson-tonight/.
15. Scripps Howard Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/316025114/202243199349102589/full