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Steve Tisch Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$20.3M
Grant Range
Up to $10.0M00
00

Steve Tisch Family Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $20.3 million (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available (invitation/relationship-based)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: Varies significantly (from institutional support to multi-million dollar gifts)
  • Geographic Focus: National, with concentration on New York and Los Angeles
  • Assets: $225.5 million (2023)

Contact Details

Address: 655 Madison Ave, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10065

Note: The foundation does not have a publicly listed phone number, email, or website. Contact should be made in writing to the address above.

Overview

The Steve Tisch Family Foundation was established in 1998 by Steven Elliot Tisch, the Academy Award-winning film producer and Chairman/Executive Vice President of the New York Giants. Tisch is the only person to hold both an Oscar (for producing Forrest Gump in 1994) and two Super Bowl rings (Giants Super Bowls XLII and XLVI). With assets of approximately $225.5 million and annual giving of $20.3 million in 2023 across 27 grants, the foundation supports a focused portfolio of organizations aligned with Tisch's personal interests and professional networks. The foundation operates as a traditional private family foundation, making grants primarily through trustee discretion rather than open application processes. Recent giving has emphasized major institutional gifts, particularly in higher education, health research (especially concussion and brain injury research), arts and culture, and social services.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with defined parameters. Instead, it makes strategic grants through trustee discretion, typically to established institutions and organizations with which Steve Tisch has personal or professional connections.

Major Gift Examples (illustrative of funding levels):

  • $10 million+: Transformational gifts to major universities (Tufts, UCLA, Tel Aviv University)
  • Institutional Support: Ongoing annual support to cultural institutions, health organizations, and social service agencies
  • Fellowship/Scholarship Programs: Multi-million dollar endowments for education

Priority Areas

Education:

  • Higher education institutions, particularly Tufts University (Tisch's alma mater), UCLA, NYU, and Stanford
  • K-12 educational access programs
  • Film and media education (given Tisch's background as a producer)
  • Recent grantees: Fund for Public Schools, L.A's Best, Riverdale Country School, Young Eisner Scholars, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, UCLA Foundation, Stanford University, Tufts University

Health & Medical Research:

  • Brain injury and concussion research (major focus area)
  • HIV/AIDS research and prevention
  • Cancer research, particularly breast cancer
  • Recent grantees: AMFAR (Foundation for AIDS Research), Elton John AIDS Foundation, Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles, National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine (BrainSPORT Program)

Arts & Culture:

  • Major museums and cultural institutions, particularly in New York and Los Angeles
  • Film and media organizations
  • Theater and performing arts
  • Recent grantees: LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art), The Met, Whitney Museum, Lincoln Center, American Film Institute, Paley Center for Media, Filmmakers Collaborative

Human Services:

  • Youth services and programs
  • Emergency aid and basic necessities
  • Recent grantees: Baby2Baby (provides necessities to low-income children)

Jewish Causes:

  • American Friends of Tel Aviv University
  • Other Jewish educational and cultural organizations

What They Don't Fund

While the foundation does not publish explicit exclusions, giving patterns suggest they do not typically fund:

  • Individual requests or scholarships (except through established institutional programs)
  • Organizations outside the United States and Israel
  • First-time organizations without established track records
  • Capital campaigns unrelated to Tisch's priority areas

Governance and Leadership

Steven Elliot Tisch serves as trustee of the foundation. Born February 14, 1949, he is the son of Preston Robert Tisch (former United States Postmaster General and film/television executive) and Joan Hyman. He graduated from Tufts University in 1971, where he began his filmmaking career.

Professional Background: Tisch is currently a partner in Escape Artists, an independently financed film production company based at Sony Pictures Entertainment. His notable film credits include Forrest Gump (Best Picture Oscar, 1994), Risky Business, American History X, and Snatch. He has been involved with the New York Giants since 1991 when his father purchased 50% of the franchise, and became Chairman and Executive Vice President in 2005.

Board Service: Tisch's board memberships provide insight into his philanthropic priorities:

  • Board of Trustees, Los Angeles County Museum of Art
  • Founding Trustee, The Geffen Theatre (Los Angeles)
  • Board of Advisors, Tisch School of the Arts at NYU
  • Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University

Tisch's approach to philanthropy appears deeply personal, reflecting his dual careers in entertainment and sports ownership. According to Inside Philanthropy, "Steve Tisch does his grantmaking through a family foundation" with giving concentrated on "the West and East Coasts, particularly New York and Los Angeles."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Steve Tisch Family Foundation does not have a public application process. As a private family foundation, grants are made through trustee discretion, typically to organizations with which Steve Tisch has existing relationships through his board service, professional networks, or personal connections.

Organizations wishing to be considered for funding may send a letter of inquiry to:

Steve Tisch Family Foundation
655 Madison Ave, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10065

However, unsolicited proposals are unlikely to receive funding without a prior relationship or connection to the foundation's trustees.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available. As grants are made through trustee discretion on an ongoing basis, there are no fixed board meeting dates or decision timelines.

Success Rates

Not publicly available. With 27 grants made in 2023 from total giving of $20.3 million, the average grant size was approximately $750,000, suggesting the foundation focuses on fewer, larger grants to established institutions rather than broad distribution to many organizations.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as there is no formal application process. Organizations that have received funding may continue to receive support through ongoing relationships.

Application Success Factors

Since the foundation operates without a public application process, "success" depends on relationship building and alignment with Steve Tisch's demonstrated interests:

Key Alignment Factors:

  1. Personal Connection to Tisch's Life Story: Organizations connected to Tufts University, the film/television industry, professional football, or New York/Los Angeles communities have clear advantages.

  2. Major Institutional Credibility: Recent gifts favor well-established institutions (major universities, renowned museums, leading medical centers) rather than grassroots or emerging organizations.

  3. Focus on Youth Impact: Multiple grants support programs affecting young people—from K-12 education to pediatric concussion research to providing necessities for low-income children.

  4. Specificity and Innovation: Tisch's largest gifts support highly specific initiatives:

    • The UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program created "the nation's first pediatric neurology fellowship to train specialists to diagnose and treat sports concussions in young patients"—described as "the single largest gift from an individual to a medical center for a concussion-related initiative"
    • The Steve Tisch School of Film and Television at Tel Aviv University elevated a department to school status
    • The Steve Tisch Family Endowed Scholarship at Tufts serves a specific population (Arts, Sciences and Engineering undergraduates)

  5. Leverage and Catalytic Impact: Tisch's $3 million challenge grant toward the Tufts sports facility inspired additional alumni giving, demonstrating interest in gifts that mobilize broader support.

Recent Funding Examples:

  • UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine: $10 million for BrainSPORT Program (concussion research and pediatric neurology fellowship)
  • Tufts University: $10 million for Steve Tisch Family Endowed Scholarship; $13 million for Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center
  • Tel Aviv University: $10 million to establish Steve Tisch School of Film and Television
  • Baby2Baby, AMFAR, National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund, Elton John AIDS Foundation: Health and human services support
  • LACMA, The Met, Whitney Museum, Lincoln Center: Arts and culture institutional support

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists—the foundation operates through trustee discretion and pre-existing relationships; unsolicited proposals are unlikely to succeed without connections
  • Focus on building authentic relationships with Steve Tisch or organizations in his network (Giants, Escape Artists, boards he serves on) rather than cold outreach
  • Major institutional gifts dominate the portfolio—the foundation favors established institutions over emerging organizations
  • Personal biography drives giving: Alignment with Tisch's alma mater (Tufts), professional fields (film/TV, sports), and geography (NY/LA) significantly increases relevance
  • Youth-focused initiatives across education, health, and human services represent a cross-cutting theme
  • Naming opportunities and legacy gifts appear attractive—multiple facilities and programs bear the Tisch name
  • Catalytic, innovative programs receive largest gifts—particularly "firsts" (first pediatric concussion fellowship) or transformational opportunities (department to school elevation)

References

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