The Tepper Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $65.3 million (2023)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed (invitation-only grantmaking)
• Decision Time: Rolling basis (no fixed deadlines)
• Grant Range: $1,000 - $33,555,766
• Geographic Focus: New Jersey (primary), New York, North Carolina, and national reach

Contact Details

Website: https://tepperfoundation.org/
Email: office@tepperfoundations.org
Address: Short Hills, NJ

Overview

Founded in 1996 by hedge fund manager David Tepper, The Tepper Foundation has distributed more than $425 million in grants since inception. The foundation operates on the vision that "everyone should have equal opportunity to thrive." With total assets exceeding $700 million as of 2023, the foundation emphasises a "nimble approach to giving," enabling rapid deployment of resources during crises and natural disasters. The foundation maintains deep roots in New Jersey, where the Tepper family was raised, while also supporting organisations with national reach. CEO Randi Tepper, David Tepper's daughter, now leads the foundation's expanded philanthropic work.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

The foundation organises its work across six portfolio themes:

Food, Housing & Health

• Food Security Access Fund (New Jersey) - 2-year grants for grant navigator support and capacity building
• Support for food banks and food security organisations
• Housing security initiatives

Pro-Democracy & Anti-Hate Initiatives

• Security Fund - launched November 2023, approved $23.1 million in grants for security in Jewish spaces
• Recent grants include $9 million+ to Jewish Federations
• Support for fundamental rights protection

Crisis Response & Climate Resilience

• Emergency response during natural disasters
• Hurricane preparedness for New Jersey food banks
• Support for organisations like ReFed, Nature Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation

Community Impact

• Place-based strategy in New Jersey
• Support for local projects and priorities

Strengthening the Nonprofit Sector

• Organisational capacity building
• Leadership development

Board Initiatives

• Additional priorities determined by board members

Grant Types

• General operating support
• Programmatic funding

Priority Areas

• Food and housing security
• Education and tenure reform
• Disaster relief and crisis response
• Jewish community support and antisemitism prevention
• Fundamental rights protection
• Climate resilience
• Mental health (emerging focus)

Geographic Priorities

Based on recent 990-PF records:

• New Jersey: Primary focus with place-based strategy (approximately 40% of US giving)
• New York: Significant presence
• North Carolina: Through separate David & Nicole Tepper Foundation
• National: Organisations with national reach across multiple states

What They Don't Fund

Not explicitly stated, but the foundation only makes grants by invitation aligned with their six portfolio areas.

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors

• David Tepper - Chair and Founder
• Randi Tepper - Board member and CEO
• Casey Tepper - Board member
• Brian Tepper - Board member
• Marc Kramer - Board member

Senior Staff

• Randi Tepper - Chief Executive Officer
• Shelley Skinner - Managing Director of Portfolios
• Anthony Salesi - Chief Financial Officer
• Larry Rogers - Treasurer
• Rose Rodriguez - Portfolio Manager, New Jersey
• Marian Stern - Consultant & Portfolio Manager
• Marni Schreiber - Policy Manager
• Katlin Stansfield - Grants Manager

About the Founder

David Tepper founded the foundation in 1996 after establishing his hedge fund, Appaloosa Management, in 1993. Forbes describes him as "arguably the greatest hedge fund manager of his generation." His Jewish heritage instilled the principle of tzedakah—the moral obligation to give back. As he stated about his philanthropic vision: "everyone should have equal opportunity to thrive." His approach centres on empowering individuals with tools to reach their potential and break cycles of poverty. The Tepper family's emphasis on education shaped the foundation's initial focus. Tepper has passed his philanthropic commitment to his three children, with daughter Randi now leading the foundation.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. All grantmaking is by invitation only. The foundation actively identifies and partners with organisations whose work aligns with their six portfolio areas, particularly those operating in New Jersey or with national reach.

Organisations cannot submit unsolicited applications. The foundation proactively seeks out partners through their portfolio managers and board members who identify needs in communities.

Decision Timeline

Funding proposals are approved on a rolling basis (no fixed deadlines) to help the foundation nimbly respond to grantee and community needs. Specific decision timeframes are not publicly disclosed.

Success Rates

The foundation demonstrates openness to new partnerships despite the invitation-only model, regularly adding new grantees to its portfolio. However, specific application-to-award ratios are not applicable given the invitation-only approach.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed. Since grants are by invitation only, continued funding depends on the foundation's assessment of ongoing alignment and partnership potential.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, traditional application success factors don't apply. However, research reveals patterns in their grantmaking approach:

Alignment with Portfolio Priorities: The foundation seeks organisations working in their six portfolio areas, with particular emphasis on:

• Organisations addressing food and housing insecurity at the frontline
• Groups protecting fundamental rights and democratic institutions
• Entities building nonprofit sector capacity
• Organisations responsive to crisis and climate events

Geographic Considerations: Strong preference for New Jersey-based organisations or those with significant New Jersey impact, given their place-based strategy in the state where the Tepper family was raised.

Nimble and Responsive Partners: The foundation values organisations that can quickly deploy resources during crises. As evidenced by their response to COVID-19, Hurricane Sandy, and October 7 Hamas attacks, they seek partners ready to deliver critical services during emergencies.

Building Long-term Capacity: Through initiatives like the Food Security Access Fund, the foundation invests in helping organisations access additional public funding and build sustainable operations, not just providing one-time grants.

Collaborative Approach: The foundation emphasises "working hand-in-hand with grantee partners" to identify community needs, suggesting they value organisations open to partnership and dialogue rather than transactional grant relationships.

Recent Grant Examples:

• Jewish Federations: $9 million+ for security and interfaith bridge-building
• Food Banks in Carolinas: $10 million+ commitment (largest single commitment in foundation history)
• 16 New Jersey nonprofits: Food Security Access Fund inaugural round including Toni's Kitchen, Cathedral Kitchen, Loving Our Cities

Emerging Areas: The foundation is "in a rapid period of growth" and "continuing to expand to new focuses, such as climate resilience and mental health," suggesting openness to innovative approaches in these emerging areas.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Invitation-only model: This foundation cannot be approached with unsolicited proposals; focus instead on ensuring your organisation is visible in the field and aligned with their priorities
• New Jersey connection critical: Significant portion of giving goes to New Jersey; organisations with strong Garden State ties or impact have the strongest chance of being noticed
• Demonstrate crisis responsiveness: The foundation values "nimble" partners who can deploy resources quickly during emergencies and build resilience for future crises
• Think beyond programmatic funding: The foundation offers both general operating support and programmatic funding, showing willingness to invest in organisational sustainability
• Align with emerging priorities: With expansion into climate resilience and mental health, organisations working at the intersection of these areas with food/housing security may be particularly attractive
• Rapid growth creates opportunity: The foundation is actively expanding its portfolio of partners
• Build sector visibility: Since grants are by invitation, establishing strong reputation and visibility in your field—particularly in New Jersey—is essential to getting on their radar

References

• The Tepper Foundation official website: https://tepperfoundation.org/ (Accessed December 2024)
• The Tepper Foundation FAQ page: https://www.tepperfoundation.org/about/faq/ (Accessed December 2024)
• The Tepper Foundation About page: https://tepperfoundation.org/about/ (Accessed December 2024)
• The Tepper Foundation Team page: https://tepperfoundation.org/about/team/ (Accessed December 2024)
• The Tepper Foundation Our Founder page: https://tepperfoundation.org/about/our-founder/ (Accessed December 2024)
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - The Tepper Foundation: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/223500313 (Accessed December 2024)
• Candid Foundation Directory - The Tepper Foundation: https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile?key=TEPP005 (Accessed December 2024)
• Instrumentl 990 Report - The David Tepper Charitable Foundation: https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/david-tepper-charitable-foundation-inc (Accessed December 2024)
• Cause IQ - The Tepper Foundation: https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/david-tepper-charitable-foundation,223500313/ (Accessed December 2024)
• "New Food Security Access Fund Announces First-Ever Grant Recipients" - The Tepper Foundation, April 10, 2024: https://tepperfoundation.org/posts/2024-04-10-new-food-security-access-fund-announces-first-ever-grant-recipients/
• "The Tepper Foundation's Security Fund Grants $2.5M to Protect Young Children in Jewish Meeting Places Amid Rising Antisemitism" - The Tepper Foundation, January 22, 2024: https://tepperfoundation.org/posts/2024-01-22-the-tepper-foundation-s-security-fund-grants-2-5m-to-protect-young-children-in-jewish-meeting-places-amid-rising-antisemitism/
• "Tepper Foundation grants $9M to Jewish Federations to protect Jewish spaces" - Jewish Federations of North America, 2024: https://www.jewishfederations.org/blog/all/tepper-foundation-grants-9m-to-jewish-federations-to-protect-spaces-promote-interfaith-unity-471301
• "Five food banks, one plan: Preparing New Jersey for the next major hurricane" - The Tepper Foundation, September 15, 2023: https://tepperfoundation.org/posts/2023-09-15-five-food-banks-one-plan-preparing-new-jersey-for-the-next-major-hurricane/