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Thomas L Kempner Jr Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$11.9M
Grant Range
$5K - $5.5M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $11.87 million (2024)
  • Total Assets: $326 million
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $5,478,666
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily New York, Connecticut, and California (with focus on Southampton, NY; New York City; New Haven, CT; Boston, MA; San Francisco Bay Area)
  • Application Method: Invitation only - does not accept unsolicited applications

Contact Details

Address: Southampton, NY
EIN: 13-3407819
Foundation Type: Private family foundation

Note: The foundation does not have a public website or published contact information for grant inquiries, as they only fund pre-selected organizations.

Overview

The Thomas L. Kempner Jr. Foundation was established in 1987 by Thomas L. Kempner Jr., co-founder of Davidson Kempner Capital Management, to support organizations working in education, the environment, and the performing arts. With assets of $326 million as of 2024, the foundation distributed $11.87 million in charitable grants that year. The foundation operates as a private family foundation, making strategic grants to pre-selected organizations rather than accepting public applications. In recent years, the foundation has made between 16-25 grants annually, focusing primarily on higher education institutions, healthcare facilities, environmental conservation organizations, and youth development programs. The foundation's geographic focus aligns with Thomas Kempner's personal and professional connections, particularly in Southampton, New York City, and at his alma maters Yale and Harvard.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with published guidelines. Instead, grants are awarded at the discretion of the board to organizations within the foundation's priority areas. Recent giving patterns show:

  • Higher Education: Major support for Yale University, Harvard University, and other educational institutions
  • Healthcare: Grants to Mount Sinai Health System and Stony Brook Southampton Hospital
  • Youth Education: Support for Harlem Village Academies ($120,000 in 2022 for Accelerated Mathematics Program) and St. Bernard's School
  • Environmental Conservation: Support for Central Park Conservancy, Open Space Institute, and Wildlife Conservation Society
  • Performing Arts: Grants to Roundabout Theatre and other cultural organizations

Grant amounts range widely from $5,000 to over $5 million, with most grants falling in the $25,000-$500,000 range based on available data.

Priority Areas

Education: Higher education, K-12 independent schools, educational access for underserved communities, computer science and STEM education

Environment: Urban parks and green spaces, land conservation, outdoor recreational access, environmental protection

Performing Arts: Theater, music education (Katheryn Patterson Kempner serves as Vice Chair of Juilliard School)

Healthcare: Hospital support, particularly in Southampton and New York City areas

What They Don't Fund

As a private foundation with an invitation-only model, the foundation generally does not fund:

  • Organizations outside their established priority areas
  • Organizations without existing connections to the foundation or its trustees
  • General operating support for organizations they don't already support
  • International programs outside their established geographic focus areas

Governance and Leadership

Thomas L. Kempner Jr. - President and Treasurer
Thomas Kempner co-founded Davidson Kempner Capital Management in 1984 and retired in 2019 after building it into a $30 billion asset management firm. He graduated from Yale College in 1975 with a major in computer science. In 2020, he founded Keewaydin Investments LLC. He serves as Chairman of the Board of the Central Park Conservancy, President of the Board of St. Bernard's School, and as a Trustee of the Ford Foundation, Harlem Village Academies, Mount Sinai Health System, Harvard Management Company, and USA Cycling Development Foundation. In 2025, he was named Conservationist of the Year by the Open Space Institute for his commitment to improving outdoor recreational access.

Katheryn Patterson Kempner - Board Member
Katheryn serves as Vice Chair of the Juilliard School and shares her husband's commitment to education and the arts. She graduated from Harvard and is involved in numerous philanthropic activities alongside Thomas.

Other Board Members: Trevor Kempner, Thomas N. Kempner, and Jessica S. Kempner (family members)

Holly R. Raub - Chief Administrative Officer (Compensation: $110,000)

The foundation reflects Thomas Kempner's statement about having "a long history of dedicated philanthropic support for issues closely aligned with the foundation's priorities," as noted during his appointment to the Ford Foundation board.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Thomas L. Kempner Jr. Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation explicitly states that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

Grants are awarded through trustee discretion, with funding decisions made by the Kempner family based on their existing relationships, board involvement, and strategic philanthropic interests. The foundation proactively identifies organizations to support rather than responding to incoming applications.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation's grant-making patterns reveal specific ways organizations come to the foundation's attention:

Board Connections: Thomas Kempner's extensive board service provides a direct pathway for organizational support. Organizations where he serves as a trustee or board member have received substantial foundation support, including Central Park Conservancy (where he serves as Chairman), Harlem Village Academies, Mount Sinai Health System, and St. Bernard's School.

Alumni Networks: Both Thomas (Yale '75) and Katheryn (Harvard) support their alma maters. Yale received support for endowing a computer science chair (funded jointly with Thomas's father). Educational institutions with strong connections to Yale and Harvard networks may benefit from these relationships.

Geographic Connections: Southampton, NY serves as the foundation's base, and the Kempner family has longstanding ties to the area. Local institutions like Stony Brook Southampton Hospital fall within their sphere of interest. The foundation also supports organizations in areas where the family has resided or maintained connections: New York City, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and California.

Sector-Specific Events: Thomas Kempner's 2018 involvement with Open Space Institute began through the organization's work on the New Jersey Greenway project. His recognition as OSI's 2025 Conservationist of the Year demonstrates how engagement with specific conservation projects can lead to philanthropic relationships.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications. Grant decisions are made at the discretion of the trustees throughout the year.

Success Rates

Not applicable - unsolicited applications are not accepted.

Reapplication Policy

Organizations that have previously received funding may continue to receive support at the trustees' discretion. However, there is no formal reapplication process for organizations without existing relationships with the foundation.

Application Success Factors

While the foundation does not accept applications, understanding their funding patterns reveals what drives their philanthropic decision-making:

Board Alignment: The strongest indicator of potential funding is Thomas Kempner's direct board involvement with an organization. Organizations where he serves as Chairman (Central Park Conservancy, St. Bernard's School) or as a Trustee (Ford Foundation, Harlem Village Academies, Mount Sinai Health System) receive consistent support.

Educational Excellence: The foundation's support for education reflects Thomas Kempner's own academic background in computer science at Yale. The family endowed a chair in computer sciences at Yale's School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, demonstrating their commitment to STEM education. Organizations that combine educational access for underserved populations with academic rigor (like Harlem Village Academies) align with the foundation's values.

Environmental Impact with Public Access: The foundation's environmental giving emphasizes projects that increase public access to nature, particularly in densely populated communities. Thomas Kempner's work with the New Jersey Greenway project and Central Park Conservancy demonstrates a focus on urban green spaces and recreational access rather than wilderness conservation alone.

Long-term Institutional Relationships: The foundation maintains ongoing relationships with select institutions rather than making one-time grants to numerous organizations. Annual giving to the same 16-25 organizations suggests that once a relationship is established, it tends to continue.

Family Legacy Building: The family's philanthropic approach emphasizes multi-generational impact, as seen in the computer science chair endowment made jointly by Thomas Kempner Jr. and his late father, Thomas Kempner Sr. Projects that create lasting institutional change or naming opportunities may appeal to this legacy-building approach.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation-only model: This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant applications; funding relationships develop through board connections and personal relationships with the Kempner family
  • Board service drives giving: Organizations where Thomas Kempner serves on the board receive the most substantial and consistent support
  • Focus on established institutions: Rather than funding emerging nonprofits, the foundation supports well-established organizations with proven track records (major universities, hospitals, conservancies)
  • Geographic proximity matters: Southampton, NY and New York City organizations feature prominently in the foundation's giving
  • Alumni connections: Yale and Harvard connections may provide networking pathways, though they do not guarantee funding
  • Multi-year relationships: The foundation makes 16-25 grants annually to a relatively stable group of organizations, suggesting they prefer ongoing partnerships over one-time grants
  • Family foundation structure: With family members serving on the board alongside Thomas Kempner as President, giving decisions reflect the family's collective priorities and personal connections

References

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