We pursue our mission through grantmaking and programs in four areas:
Bioscience
Building Arizona as a global center for research and commercialization in the biosciences.
Flinn Scholars
Providing world-class undergraduate education in partnership with Arizona’s public universities.
A privately-endowed philanthropic foundation benefiting Arizona.
The Flinn Foundation was established in 1965 by Dr. Robert S. and Irene P. Flinn. Its mission is to improve the quality of life in Arizona to benefit future generations.
To achieve this mission, the Foundation aims to: advance Arizona’s bioscience sector; enhance undergraduate education for high-achieving students at the state’s public universities; elevate the fiscal and creative capacity of the state’s arts and culture organizations; and strengthen civic life and state-level civic leadership in Arizona.
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Providing no-cost meeting space to Arizona nonprofits.
The Flinn Foundation Educational Conference Center features two meeting rooms available to nonprofit member organizations closely aligned with the Foundation’s specific areas of interest in the biosciences, health care, education, civic leadership, and the arts. More about the Conference Center
NEWS AND UPDATES
Bioscience
Flinn Foundation opens entrepreneurship program application
Each year, the Flinn Foundation Bioscience Entrepreneurship Program offers funding, professional support, connections, and networking opportunities to Arizona early-stage bioscience companies. This year, the program is piloting a new format as we await an update of Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap that will extend beyond 2025. Ten finalist companies will be selected for interviews, of which two […]
Flinn Scholars
NEH Chair and Flinn Scholar Shelly Lowe recounts her journey
By Brian PowellFlinn Foundation Shelly Lowe laughed when she was asked to define the humanities. As chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Lowe said that’s one of the difficulties of her job. “Humanities are our creation stories,” Lowe said. “And there are so many creation stories out there from different groups and different […]
Civic Leadership
Arizonans appear to have stronger connection to civic language than peers nationally
A new study finds that Arizonans react strongly to different civic language terms—more so than the rest of the country—and that the perceptions can enhance or hinder collaborative community conversations. The Arizona Civic Life Partnership, a strategic statewide initiative led by Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) and the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership […]
Arts and Culture
Flinn and SAACA partner on bioscience-themed art exhibition
Have you ever wondered what the retinal images of your eyes would look like printed on cotton? Perhaps a watercolor version of a breast cancer cell? Or DNA on fused glass? These are three of the 29 works of art on display through January 2025 at the Flinn Foundation in Phoenix through a partnership with […]