OVERVIEW: The Sunshine Lady Foundation supports prison education programs and services and education for victims and survivors of domestic violence.
IP TAKE: The Sunshine Lady Foundation’s domestic violence grantees are small, community-based organizations. This foundation has backing from a member of the Buffett family, so grantmaking may ramp up in the future. Unfortunately, this small, focused funder is not accessible at this time, but interested grantseekers should email the Sunshine Lady Foundation with inquiries.
PROFILE: The Sunshine Lady Foundation was established in 1996 by the late Doris Buffett, the sister of billionaire investor Warren Buffett. The foundation invests in “organizations and programs dedicated to providing opportunities for the advancement of education, well being and new life choices for disadvantaged people with special empathy for the working poor and families in crisis.” Its current giving areas are College Degree Programs in Prison and Safety Support and Education for Victims and Survivors of Domestic Violence.
Grants for Criminal Justice and Higher Education
The Sunshine Lady Foundation’s higher education grantmaking stems from both of its current initiatives. The prison program supports two- and four-year colleges for inmates and parolees of federal and state prisons and correctional facilities in the U.S. Grantees include the Prison University Project of San Quentin, California and the Louisiana Parole Project. The foundation’s domestic violence initiative supports high education programs and scholarships for victims and survivors. Grants have gone to programs at Clemson University, North Carolina State University and Germanna Community College in Fredericksburg, Virginia, among others.
Grants for Violence Prevention
The Sunshine Lady Foundation has provided ongoing support to a variety of organizations that provide shelter, counseling, advocacy and vocational training to victims of domestic abuse. Past recipients include the Sexual Assault/Spouse Abuse Resource Center of Bel Air, Maryland; the Family Center of Southern Oklahoma and the Carousel Center of Wilmington North Carolina, an advocacy center that works with child victims of physical and sexual abuse.
Important Grant Details:
The Sunshine Lady Foundation made about $7.5 million in grants in a recent year. Grants are generally awarded in amounts up to $500,000. This funder supports a broad range of organizations working in its areas of interest; its prison education grantees tend to be large prison education or university programs, while its domestic violence grantees are often small, community-based organizations. For additional information about past grantmaking, see the foundation’s news page or its recent tax filings.
This funder does not appear to accept unsolicited grant applications. Interested grantseekers may email the foundation with inquiries.
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