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Karp Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$4.1M
Grant Range
$1K - $2.0M

Karp Family Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $4,144,929 (FY 2024)
  • Total Assets: $536,800 (FY 2024)
  • Grant Range: $800 - $1,990,000 (typical grants $5,000 - $50,000)
  • Average Grant: ~$10,000
  • Geographic Focus: Greater Boston, Massachusetts (with some national giving)
  • Application Method: Invitation only - does not accept unsolicited proposals
  • Number of Grants: 77 awards (2024)

Contact Details

  • Phone: (617) 965-8700
  • Address: c/o New England Development, 75 Park Plaza, Third Floor, Boston, MA 02116
  • Website: None
  • EIN: 04-3226725

Overview

The Karp Family Foundation was established in 1994 by Stephen R. Karp, founder and CEO of New England Development, and his wife Jill E. Karp. Stephen Karp is one of America's foremost real estate developers, with an estimated net worth of $1.25 billion, known for developing some of the country's most successful mixed-use projects and retail destinations. The foundation serves as the family's primary philanthropic vehicle for charitable giving in the Greater Boston area.

This is a modest family foundation that operates with no paid staff—Stephen and Jill Karp serve as the sole trustees. The foundation maintains a low public profile, operating without a website or published grantmaking guidelines. In FY 2024, the foundation distributed $4,144,929 across 77 grants, a significant increase from 29 awards in 2023 and 14 awards in 2022. The foundation's grantmaking is deeply connected to the Karps' personal involvement on nonprofit boards and their relationships within Boston's philanthropic community.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs but supports organizations across several key areas:

Health Organizations (Typically largest grants)

  • Boston Children's Hospital (Stephen Karp serves as Trustee and Immediate Past Chair of the Board)
  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
  • New England Baptist Hospital
  • Newton Wellesley Hospital
  • Boston Medical Center
  • Lahey Hospital & Medical Center
  • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Lymphoma Center
  • Nantucket Cottage Hospital

Education (Favors private institutions and alma maters)

  • Boston University (Stephen Karp is a Trustee and alumnus, CAS'63)
  • Beacon Academy
  • Belmont Hill School
  • Berkshire Hills Music Academy
  • Elizabeth Seton Academy
  • Lesley University
  • Union College

Youth & Human Services

  • Boston Youth Sanctuary: $998,830 (2024) - Stephen Karp is Board Chairman; his daughter Jana Karp founded the organization and serves as Executive Director
  • Bridge Over Troubled Waters

Jewish Causes

  • Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston: $600,000 (2024)
  • Facing History and Ourselves: $500,000 (2024)
  • Jewish Vocational Service
  • Hebrew Senior Life

Arts & Culture

  • Boston Symphony Orchestra (Stephen Karp is on Board of Overseers)
  • Huntington Theatre Company
  • Museum of African American History

Priority Areas

  • Large, established health institutions that can scale funding
  • Private schools and colleges rather than public schools
  • Organizations in Greater Boston, Nantucket, and Massachusetts communities
  • Jewish organizations locally and in Israel
  • Organizations where the Karps have board or personal connections

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations outside the Karps' established network
  • Unsolicited proposals from unknown organizations
  • Public schools (preference for private education)
  • Organizations without existing relationships with the trustees

Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

  • Stephen R. Karp - Co-Trustee, Founder and CEO of New England Development. Trustee and Immediate Past Chair of Boston Children's Hospital Board of Trustees. Trustee of Boston University, Belmont Hill School, and Nantucket Cottage Hospital. Board Chairman of Boston Youth Sanctuary. Board of Overseers, Boston Symphony Orchestra and Newton-Wellesley Hospital.
  • Jill E. Karp - Co-Trustee, member of Boston Children's Hospital Trust Board

The foundation operates with zero paid staff. All grantmaking decisions are made directly by the trustees based on their personal philanthropic interests and relationships.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Karp Family Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications and only funds pre-selected organizations. The foundation uses a proactive approach to grantmaking, choosing who to fund according to the trustees' personal interests and relationships.

Without a website or published grantmaking guidelines, the foundation maintains very limited transparency about its processes. Grant seekers cannot apply directly—funding is determined through the Karps' personal networks and board involvement.

Getting on Their Radar

Based on the foundation's documented patterns, relationship-building opportunities include:

  • Board Connections: Stephen Karp serves on multiple nonprofit boards including Boston Children's Hospital (Immediate Past Chair), Boston University (Trustee), Belmont Hill School, Nantucket Cottage Hospital, and Boston Symphony Orchestra (Overseers). Organizations that intersect with these institutions may have opportunities for connection.

  • Boston Youth Sanctuary Connection: Stephen Karp chairs the board of Boston Youth Sanctuary, founded by his daughter Jana Karp. Youth-serving organizations in Boston that collaborate with or complement Boston Youth Sanctuary's mission may find potential alignment.

  • Health Sector Leadership: Given Karp's prominent role in Boston's healthcare philanthropy, organizations working with major Boston hospitals where he has board connections may have pathways to visibility.

  • Jewish Community Networks: The foundation's significant giving to Combined Jewish Philanthropies and other Jewish organizations suggests engagement through Boston's Jewish philanthropic community.

Decision Timeline

No public information available on decision timelines. Given the invitation-only nature of grantmaking, decisions appear to be made at the trustees' discretion without fixed cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable—the foundation does not accept public applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable—no formal application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Funder-Specific Insights:

  1. Board Relationship is Key: The most significant grants go to organizations where Stephen or Jill Karp have direct board involvement. Boston Youth Sanctuary received $998,830 because Stephen Karp chairs the board and his daughter founded it. Boston Children's Hospital is a frequent grantee because Karp served as board chair.

  2. Scale and Institutional Stability: Inside Philanthropy notes that the foundation's health grantmaking prioritizes "large, established institutions that can scale funding." Smaller or emerging organizations are less likely to receive support.

  3. Private Over Public: For education grants, the foundation "favors local colleges and private schools rather than public schools."

  4. Geographic Focus: Nearly all grants stay within Massachusetts, concentrated in Boston, Nantucket, Newton, Cambridge, and Natick.

  5. Personal Connection Required: The foundation's proactive approach means they choose grantees rather than responding to applications. Without an existing relationship with the Karps, securing funding is extremely difficult.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. No Public Application Process: This foundation only funds organizations selected by the trustees—do not submit unsolicited proposals.

  2. Relationship-Driven Grantmaking: Funding follows the Karps' personal board memberships and philanthropic relationships. Organizations unknown to the trustees are unlikely to receive support.

  3. Significant Giving Capacity: Despite the low-profile approach, the foundation gave over $4 million in 2024, with individual grants reaching nearly $1 million.

  4. Focus on Established Institutions: The foundation prefers large, stable organizations that can scale funding, particularly in healthcare and education.

  5. Strong Jewish Philanthropic Connection: Jewish causes receive substantial support—Combined Jewish Philanthropies and Facing History and Ourselves each received $500,000+ in 2024.

  6. Family Enterprise Connection: Boston Youth Sanctuary, founded by the Karps' daughter, received the largest single grant—organizations aligned with family interests receive priority.

  7. Massachusetts-Centric: Virtually all funding stays within Massachusetts, with concentration in Greater Boston and Nantucket.

References

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