What Scranton Area Community Foundation does

The Scranton Area Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public community foundation established in 1954, headquartered at 612 Jefferson Avenue in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It manages more than 350 charitable funds and administers six affiliated foundations: NEPA Healthcare Foundation, Robert H. Spitz Foundation, Sheldon Family Foundation, Catholic Foundation, Electric City Foundation, and Community Foundation of Monroe County. The foundation serves individual donors, nonprofit organizations, students, and professional advisors across Northeastern Pennsylvania, offering donor-advised funds, designated funds, field-of-interest funds, scholarship funds, agency endowments, and charitable gift annuities.

Its core products and community impact programs include Women in Philanthropy (over $190,000 invested since 2014), NEPA Gives (the region's largest 24-hour online giving day, raising $1.6 million in 2026 for 400+ nonprofits), NEPA Moves (transportation), NEPA Thrives (workforce, housing, and economic mobility), the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, the NEPA Learning Conference, and the NEPA Animal Welfare Collaborative. The foundation also administers the Robert H. Spitz Foundation grants (over $6 million awarded since 2016) and distributes scholarships to students in Lackawanna and surrounding counties. Technology infrastructure is limited to a grant application portal (Grant Interface), an advisor ERP portal, and standard website/email communications; no proprietary technology platform is built or sold.

The business model is a traditional community-foundation structure: the foundation receives charitable contributions and bequests from individuals, organizations, and corporations, invests and administers the resulting fund assets, charges administrative fees on managed assets to support operations, and distributes grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofits and scholarships to students. Grant amounts typically range from $4,200 to $10,000. The foundation is governed by a Board of Governors led by President and CEO Laura Ducceschi, with David J. Price named as incoming Board Chair in January 2026. Pennsylvania's Act 50 of 2025 (effective January 2026) directs certain intestate estates in Lackawanna County to the foundation's community grantmaking fund, creating a structural revenue channel.

Name

Scranton Area Community Foundation

Legal name

Scranton Area Community Foundation

Website

https://safdn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Scranton Area Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public community foundation founded in 1954 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, managing 350+ charitable funds and serving donors, nonprofits, students, and professional advisors across Northeastern Pennsylvania through grantmaking, scholarships, and regional community impact programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Charitable fund management
• Donor-advised funds
• Regional grantmaking programs
• Scholarship administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Scranton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor Contributions and Charitable Giving: Receives charitable donations and bequests from individuals, organizations, and corporations to establish and grow charitable funds. Donors can establish donor-advised funds, designated funds, field-of-interest funds, and scholarship funds.
2. Administrative Fee on Fund Assets: Community foundations typically charge administrative fees on managed fund assets to support operations. The foundation manages over 350 charitable funds.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Scranton Area Community Foundation manages more than 350 charitable funds for individual, family, corporate, and organizational donors across Northeastern Pennsylvania, including donor-advised funds, designated funds, field-of-interest funds, scholarship funds, and agency endowments. It distributes grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofits through programs such as the Robert H. Spitz Foundation and Women in Philanthropy, administers scholarships to local students, and convenes regional community impact initiatives (NEPA Gives, NEPA Moves, NEPA Thrives, Center for Nonprofit Excellence, NEPA Animal Welfare Collaborative) that address health, education, arts, environment, human services, and civic affairs in the region.

Product overview

The Scranton Area Community Foundation is a regional philanthropic organization offering a comprehensive suite of charitable giving and community impact programs. The foundation manages over 350 charitable funds and operates community initiatives including Women in Philanthropy (WIP), NEPA Gives (regional giving day), NEPA Moves (transportation), NEPA Thrives (workforce/economic mobility), NEPA Animal Welfare Collaborative, and the Center for Nonprofit Excellence. Additional offerings include grant programs such as the Robert H. Spitz Foundation grants, scholarship programs, and estate/charitable planning resources. The foundation serves donors, nonprofits, students, and the broader community across Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NEPA Gives: The region's largest 24-hour online giving day that brings Northeastern Pennsylvania together for generosity
• Women in Philanthropy (WIP)
• NEPA Moves
• NEPA Thrives
• Center for Nonprofit Excellence
• NEPA Learning Conference
• NEPA Animal Welfare Collaborative

Products and services

• Charitable Funds Management Professional administration of more than 350 charitable funds established by donors, including donor-advised funds, donor-designated funds, field-of-interest funds, scholarship funds, agency endowments, and memorial funds supporting diverse causes across Northeastern Pennsylvania.
• Women in Philanthropy (WIP) Initiative dedicated to advancing opportunities for women, girls, and their families through community-driven grantmaking; awards grants up to a maximum of $10,000 with an average award of approximately $5,000.
• NEPA Gives Annual 24-hour online giving event bringing Northeastern Pennsylvania together for generosity; the 2026 event raised over $1.6 million for 400+ local nonprofits.
• NEPA Moves Community impact initiative addressing the region's transportation challenges to improve economic mobility and access to services.
• NEPA Thrives Community impact initiative identifying opportunities and solutions to strengthen workforce, housing, transportation, and social-service systems across Northeastern Pennsylvania.
• Center for Nonprofit Excellence Capacity-building program enhancing the impact of nonprofit organizations through training, resources, and support.
• NEPA Animal Welfare Collaborative Collaborative initiative bringing together animal advocates to ensure the region's animals are protected and cared for through grants and community programs.
• NEPA Learning Conference Annual convening of regional nonprofits to increase capacity and connections across the sector.
• Robert H. Spitz Foundation Grants Grant program administered by the foundation focused on breaking the cycle of poverty, affordable housing, transportation, education, and support for veterans, animal welfare, and Jewish culture.
• Scholarships Various scholarship programs supporting students in Lackawanna and surrounding counties with educational expenses at colleges, universities, and technical schools.
• Community Impact Programs Grantmaking and community initiatives responding to needs in health, education, arts, environment, human services, and civic affairs across Northeastern Pennsylvania.
• Estate and Charitable Planning Tools and resources for legacy planning, including trusts, wills, and charitable giving strategies to help donors achieve their philanthropic goals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $6 million raised for nonprofits since 2020 through NEPA Gives
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• JobsFirst NYC / JobsFirstcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026Partnership through JobsFirstNEPA and NEPA Workforce Funder Collaborative to align leadership, data, and investment for workforce development. JobsFirst NYC is scaling its workforce development model nationally with regional expansion in Pennsylvania and Nevada.
• NEPA Workforce Funder CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 March 2026Regional collaborative launched to address workforce challenges across several counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania, coordinating resources and supporting workforce development and healthcare employment projects.
• WVIAsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 February 2026WVIA received a $10,000 grant from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation, administered by Scranton Area Community Foundation, to expand environmental journalism coverage on data centers and environmental issues.
• Workforce ConnectionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional workforce development partner supporting national expansion of JobsFirst workforce development model in Pennsylvania and Nevada.
• NEPA Healthcare FoundationcoreOthersAffiliated foundation managed by Scranton Area Community Foundation focused on healthcare initiatives in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
• Robert H. Spitz FoundationcoreOthersFoundation administered by Scranton Area Community Foundation, established through the estate of Scranton native Robert H. Spitz, focused on breaking the cycle of poverty and supporting veterans and animal welfare.
• Sheldon Family FoundationsupportingOthersAffiliated foundation managed by Scranton Area Community Foundation, supporting animal welfare initiatives including grants to NEPA Animal Welfare Collaborative.
• Catholic FoundationsupportingOthersAffiliated foundation managed by Scranton Area Community Foundation serving Catholic charitable interests in the region.
• Electric City FoundationsupportingOthersAffiliated foundation managed by Scranton Area Community Foundation supporting Electric City/technology initiatives.
• Community Foundation of Monroe CountysupportingOthersAffiliated foundation managed by Scranton Area Community Foundation serving Monroe County residents.
• NEPA Gives Partner FoundationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with The Luzerne Foundation, Wayne County Community Foundation, Greater Pike Community Foundation, Carbon Community Foundation, Community Foundation of Monroe County, Community Foundation for the Twin Tiers, Schuylkill Area Community Foundation for annual NEPA Gives regional giving day.
• Greater Scranton YMCAsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerNonprofit partner benefiting from Harry P. McGrath Memorial Golf Tournament proceeds supporting Summer Scholars program.
• NEPA Rescue Veterinary ClinicsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner with NEPA Animal Welfare Collaborative for community animal wellness clinics led by Dr. Leslie Interlandi and Dr. Melissa Resnik.
• Griffin Pond Animal SheltersupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for canine spay/neuter vouchers program for qualifying dog owners in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Susquehanna, and Wyoming Counties.
• Friends of the Poor & Catherine McAuley CentersupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerGCHS Turkey Trot Fund supports their Family-to-Family Program providing essential resources like food, housing, and clothing to families in need.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Luzerne Foundation: Direct peer community foundation serving neighboring Luzerne County, PA, and a core NEPA Gives partner. Operates a similar fund management and regional grantmaking model within the same Northeastern Pennsylvania geography.
• Central PA Community Foundation: Pennsylvania community foundation offering donor-advised funds, scholarships, and regional grantmaking, with a comparable mid-sized community foundation operating model and donor base.
• Lehigh Valley Community Foundation: Pennsylvania regional community foundation managing charitable funds, scholarships, and grant programs with similar scale and East Coast post-industrial community foundation characteristics.
• Wayne County Community Foundation: Direct NEPA Gives partner foundation serving a Pennsylvania rural county with a comparable small-staff community foundation model and donor-advised fund offerings.
• Community Foundation of Monroe County: Affiliated/partner community foundation in the NEPA network, providing comparable fund administration, grantmaking, and scholarship services within the same multi-county regional ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• The Pittsburgh Foundation: Larger Pennsylvania community foundation with a broader geographic footprint but analogous fund management, scholarship, and regional grantmaking programs serving the state.
• Cleveland Foundation: One of the oldest and largest U.S. community foundations, sharing the community foundation model of donor-advised funds, competitive grantmaking, and convening role in a post-industrial region.

Others

• Council on Foundations: National membership association of which Scranton Area Community Foundation is a member; provides industry standards, advocacy, and benchmarking relevant to the foundation's governance model.
• Candid (formerly GuideStar): Nonprofit transparency and data platform whose National Standards Seal the foundation holds; functionally comparable to peer foundations also pursuing Seal accreditation.

Emerging players

• Fidelity Charitable: Largest commercial donor-advised fund sponsor and a structural competitor for philanthropic dollars; comparable product (DAF) but delivered at national scale with a digital-first donor experience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/scrantonareafdn
• Facebookfacebook.com/ScrantonAreaCommunityFoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Scranton Area Community Foundation