The Timothy and Susanne Sullivan Family Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation's work fits best where its filings show it has given: schools and the Sullivan Fellows programme, higher education, health and social services, theatre, and church or other charitable purposes.
- It does not accept unsolicited requests and works by invitation only, so a cold application is unlikely to be considered, and a warm introduction through an existing connection is the realistic route.
- About 8 in 10 of its 20 grants to organisations fall between $10,000 and $250,000, and half were $100,000 or less, so a request in that range is typical, not a ceiling, since its largest grant was $775,000.
- Its grants have gone mainly to Illinois and Maryland, but the filing states no geographic focus, so an organisation elsewhere should not assume it is excluded.
- Because 64% of grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded in the previous filing, relationships with the foundation appear to matter, so any approach should be planned with that in mind.
Overview
The Timothy and Susanne Sullivan Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in Wilmington, DE.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2025, TY2024, TY2023) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation’s grants have supported a varied group of charitable organisations. The largest stated purpose is the Sullivan Fellows programme and covered schools. Other grants include general and unrestricted support, athletics, university facilities and research, theatre, health services and church purposes. The recipients range across school and higher-education bodies, health and social-service organisations, a theatre, a church and other charities. The filings describe both unrestricted gifts and grants tied to named programmes, funds or projects; they do not state a broader funding policy or explain how organisations are selected.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Illinois and Maryland.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 64% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2024 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2024 and TY2025 filings, half of its 20 grants to organisations were $100,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 49% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2025, 64% of grant dollars went to organisations The Timothy and Susanne Sullivan Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 49% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 14 grants in tax year 2025 by size
Median $25,000 (tax year 2025)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Big Shoulders Fund · Sullivan Fellows Program and Covered Schools$775,0002025 tax year
- Northwestern University · Shapiro Hall fund$125,0002025 tax year
- Northlight Theatre · Interplay fund$100,0002025 tax year
- University of Chicago · Biological Sciences Division Research fund$100,0002025 tax year
- Northwestern Memorial Foundation · Ruchim Endowment fund$100,0002025 tax year
- United States Naval Academy Foundation · Athletics and General Support fund$50,0002025 tax year
- Come to Believe Foundation · General & Unrestricted$25,0002025 tax year
- Cristo Rey Jesuit High School · General & Unrestricted$25,0002025 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Timothy P Sullivan — President, Director, Secretary
- Susanne Sullivan — Director, Vice President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 tax year | $9,333 | $0 | $930,755 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $1,497,021 | $1,477,627 | $20,863,881 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
| 2025 tax year | $1,775,559 | $1,405,000 | $20,423,283 | Filing for 2025 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to The Timothy and Susanne Sullivan Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Wilmington, DE
Applying to The Timothy and Susanne Sullivan Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Wilmington, DE