Welcome to The Stephenson Pope Babcock Foundation

It is the hope of the founders of Pope’s Foundation and of his family and friends that through a series of grants each year the memory of Pope will be sustained and that in meaningful ways the lives of other people will be improved and enriched. Our goal is to support organizations either that Pope helped in his life or that the directors of the Foundation and its advisors believe he would want to assist if he were here with us today.

The governing structure of Pope’s Foundation is a board of advisors, made up of thirteen of Pope’s close friends, and a board of directors, consisting of six members of his family. Grants are introduced to the Foundation by the advisors and directors. A key element of the non-profit programs we consider for grants is that they “sound like Pope”. Important areas of interest for the Foundation have been assistance for disadvantaged youth in schools and summer programs, human welfare programs in poor nations (especially Latin America), and coastal environmental efforts. Pope lived in eastern Long Island, New York City, and North Carolina, and these geographic areas have received special attention. The sizes of the Foundation’s grants range from $1,000-$12,000 and can be made for one or multiple years.

Grants are considered and approved at the Foundation’s annual meeting. Board members and advisors submit proposals by the end of August and grant decisions are made at a fall meeting of the combined groups. In addition to its annual grant program, in 2003 SPBF initiated an Advisors Grant program whereby each director and advisor can designate a worthy charity (501(C)(3)) of their choice for a $1,000 donation.