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The Taft Foundation

Annual Giving
$11.7M
Grant Range
$25K - $0.6M

The Taft Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $11,700,000 (2024)
  • Total Assets: $220,938,159 (2023)
  • Average Grant: $110,276
  • Grant Range: $25,000 - $600,000 (estimated based on recent awards)
  • Geographic Focus: New York City Metro Area and Southeast Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties)
  • Application Process: Invitation only - no unsolicited applications accepted
  • Grants Made: 54 grant recipients (2024), 102 awards (2023)

Contact Details

Address: 530 Fifth Avenue, 9th Floor, Suite 805, New York, NY 10036
Phone: (347) 871-4131
Website: https://thetaftfoundation.org
Grantee Portal: https://thetaftfoundation.org/grantee-portal

Overview

The Taft Foundation was established in 2004 by Don Taft, a successful entertainment industry manager and philanthropist, and was generously funded upon his passing in February 2011. Since Don's death, the foundation has directed more than $100 million (some sources indicate over $127 million) to causes he cared about deeply. The foundation's primary mission is to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to lead fulfilling lives, and to enhance the well-being of children facing serious illness. Operating with assets exceeding $220 million, the foundation made 54 grants totaling $11.7 million in 2024. The foundation emphasizes partnership, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making, relying on stakeholder expertise and community leaders to identify critical needs and best practices.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Taft Foundation funds two main program areas:

1. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD)

  • Employment preparation and transition-aged youth services
  • Residential and day programs
  • Advocacy and legal services for disability rights
  • Community integration and arts-based programming
  • Care coordination and wraparound support services

2. Medical Enrichment

  • Art therapy, music therapy, and healthcare clowning
  • Emotional and therapeutic support integrated into medical care
  • Programs reducing stress and anxiety for hospitalized children
  • Wellness initiatives for children with complex medical conditions facing extended hospitalizations

Recent grant examples include:

  • Children's Aid: $600,000 (wraparound support to youth in high-needs neighborhoods)
  • The Center for Discovery: $600,000
  • The Arc Westchester: $467,930
  • Arc Broward: $450,000 (employment, transition, and residential services)
  • Brooklyn Law School Disability Clinic: $416,661 (legal services and law student training)
  • Els for Autism: $385,000 (adult employment and day services)
  • Ann Storck Center: $220,543 (developmental, residential, arts and recreational services)
  • Best Buddies: $175,000-$200,000 (one-to-one friendships, employment, leadership, inclusive living)
  • AHRC NYC: $175,000 (care coordination pilot in NYC shelter system)

Priority Areas

The foundation actively funds organizations that:

  • Provide direct services addressing critical needs with demonstrated effectiveness
  • Are mission-aligned and demonstrate positive impact on the community
  • Focus on reaching disadvantaged and under-resourced communities
  • Harness the potential of those with intellectual and developmental disabilities for employment and purposeful futures
  • Integrate wellness supports into clinical experiences for hospitalized children
  • Foster meaningful community engagement, particularly through the arts
  • Support transition-aged youth and increase employment opportunities
  • Create lasting career commitments to advancing disability rights

What They Don't Fund

The foundation explicitly does not provide grants for:

  • Capital projects
  • Endowments
  • Academic research

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors

  • Howard J. Rothman - President & Chair
  • Phoebe C. Boyer - Vice President & Secretary
  • William R. Rupp - Vice President & Treasurer
  • Joan A. Rothman - Director

Staff

  • Nina M. Bershadker - Executive Director (MSW from Columbia University, BA from Princeton University)
  • Deena L. Schaffer - Senior Program Officer
  • Erin C. Gonzalez - Program Officer
  • Zina A. Thompkins - Program Officer
  • Julia M. Davis - Grants Management & Administration

Leadership Perspectives

Howard Rothman (President & Chairman) on what the foundation values: "ACI harnesses the potential of those with intellectual and developmental disabilities and prepares them for a future filled with purpose and the possibility for employment."

Nina Bershadker (Executive Director) on long-term impact: "Many of the students have gone on to pursue public interest careers, and some have even committed themselves to advancing disability rights beyond their student experience." This statement reveals the foundation's appreciation for programs that create lasting commitments to the field beyond the initial grant period.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Taft Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation's grantmaking is by invitation only, and they do not accept unsolicited requests. Organizations cannot independently apply for funding; they must be invited by the foundation to seek a grant.

Invited organizations access funding through a dedicated Grantee Portal on the foundation's website.

Getting on Their Radar

The Taft Foundation identifies potential grantees through:

  • Stakeholder networks: The foundation "relies on the experience and knowledge of stakeholders, as well as the dedicated leaders and experts on the ground, to identify critical needs and best practices"
  • Board and staff expertise: With deep connections in the New York City metro area and Southeast Florida disability services sectors
  • Community leaders: Partnerships with sector leaders who can identify organizations doing exemplary work
  • Demonstrated track record: Organizations with proven effectiveness in direct service delivery

Specific strategies that may increase visibility:

  • Building strong relationships with current Taft Foundation grantees who can speak to your organization's work
  • Participating in disability rights and medical enrichment networks in NYC or Southeast Florida
  • Demonstrating measurable outcomes and data-driven program management
  • Establishing a track record of serving disadvantaged and under-resourced communities in their geographic focus areas
  • Engaging with board members Howard Rothman, Phoebe Boyer, William Rupp, and Joan Rothman through sector events and networks

Application Success Factors

While there is no public application process, organizations that receive invitations should emphasize:

1. Employment and Independence Outcomes
The foundation's president specifically highlighted programs that prepare individuals with I/DD for "a future filled with purpose and the possibility for employment." Demonstrate how your programs create pathways to meaningful work and independent living.

2. Direct Service with Demonstrated Effectiveness
The foundation explicitly seeks "direct services addressing critical needs with demonstrated effectiveness." Focus on tangible outcomes and proven service models rather than pilot programs or research initiatives.

3. Serving Disadvantaged Communities
Mission alignment includes "a focus on reaching disadvantaged and under-resourced communities." Show how your programs serve populations facing multiple barriers to access.

4. Data-Driven Approach
The foundation states: "We are always learning and using data to inform our grantmaking; we encourage the same of our grantees." Be prepared to share outcome metrics, evaluation frameworks, and how data informs program improvements.

5. Dual-Impact Models
Based on Nina Bershadker's comments about the Brooklyn Law School Disability Clinic, the foundation values programs that both serve vulnerable populations directly while cultivating the next generation of advocates and professionals in the field.

6. Integration and Collaboration
For medical enrichment programs, emphasize how therapeutic supports are "well integrated into medical care" rather than isolated interventions. For I/DD programs, demonstrate meaningful community integration.

7. Long-Term Commitment
The foundation appears to provide multi-year support to effective partners. Several grantees have received elevated or renewed funding (e.g., Brooklyn Law School's grant was elevated from initial funding to $1.7M).

8. Partnership Orientation
The foundation emphasizes that "solving complex issues requires partnership and collaboration." Show how you work with other organizations, leverage public resources, and contribute to the broader service ecosystem.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • You cannot apply directly - The Taft Foundation operates exclusively by invitation. Focus instead on building visibility and relationships within the NYC and Southeast Florida disability services and pediatric medical communities.
  • Geographic restrictions are firm - Only organizations serving the New York City Metro Area or Southeast Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach) are funded.
  • Employment outcomes matter significantly - For I/DD programs, demonstrate clear pathways to meaningful employment and purposeful futures.
  • Direct service is the priority - Capital projects, endowments, and academic research are explicitly excluded. Focus on operational support for effective service delivery.
  • Data and outcomes drive decisions - Be prepared to demonstrate measurable impact through rigorous evaluation and data collection.
  • Multi-year partnerships are possible - Strong performers receive sustained support, with some grantees receiving elevated grants over time.
  • The foundation values dual-impact models - Programs that simultaneously serve vulnerable populations while building the next generation of professionals in the field receive attention.
  • Network strategically - Current grantees, board members' networks, and community leaders in the foundation's focus areas are the pathways to invitation.

References

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