The Tepper Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The Tepper Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and makes grants by invitation only, so an unsolicited proposal should not be sent; the route in is a relationship that could lead to an invitation.
- If you are invited, check your work against its themes of food, housing and health, community impact, crisis response, climate resilience, pro-democracy and anti-hate initiatives, and strengthening the nonprofit sector, and show measurable impact, a credible route to growth and the critical needs gap you address.
- Its stated priority is New Jersey, though it also funds across the country, and in the filing half of its 129 grants to organisations were $125,000 or less, with about 8 in 10 falling between $30,000 and $650,000, so a request in that typical band is realistic, though the band is not a ceiling.
- Because it stresses grantee relationships and convenes partners, approach it through an existing connection and be ready to discuss your leadership, operational capacity and the community and staff voices you draw on.
Overview
The Tepper Foundation is a US private foundation based in Short Hills, NJ.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Tepper Foundation supports organisations on the frontlines of protecting and expanding opportunity, including work on food, housing and health, community impact, crisis response and climate resilience, pro-democracy and anti-hate initiatives, and strengthening the nonprofit sector. It has a place-based strategy in New Jersey and also partners with organisations that have national reach; its community impact work includes New Jersey community organisations and Jewish community organisations nationwide. It backs direct services alongside longer-term systemic change, invests in organisational capacity and resilience, and works closely with grantee partners to identify community needs. Its funding criteria include measurable impact and a credible route to growth, addressing critical needs gaps, strong leadership and operational capacity, financial health and sustainability, and attention to community and staff voices. Grantmaking is by invitation.
Themes
- Food, Housing & Health
- Community Impact
- Crisis Response
- Climate Resilience
- Pro-Democracy & Anti-Hate Initiatives
- Strengthening the Nonprofit Sector
Geographic Focus
Priority: New Jersey; across the country.
What They Don't Fund
- More than 10% of administrative costs for gifts to universities
How to apply
Grantmaking is by invitation only; invited funding proposals are approved on a rolling basis.
Application success factors
- Grant size: In its TY2022 filing, half of its 129 grants to organisations were $125,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Potential grantees are assessed for alignment with the foundation’s values, operating principles and goals, and whether risks can be satisfactorily addressed.
- The foundation looks for solutions aligned with its focus areas, measurable impact and a credible pathway to growing impact.
- The foundation favours work addressing critical needs gaps in communities through services or infrastructure.
- The foundation looks for strong leadership, operational capacity and an operating model to achieve community impact.
- The foundation looks for a clear funding model that effectively uses public and private funds.
- The foundation favours approaches that centre community and staff voices and integrate feedback into improvement processes.
- The foundation emphasizes grantee relationships and strategically convenes partners to increase their impact.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax year 2022.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 5%
- The largest single recipient received 51% of grant dollars to organisations.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 11% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 129 grants in tax year 2022 by size
Median $125k (tax year 2022)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Blue Meridian · General support$33,555,7662022 tax year
- Jewish Community FDN Of Greater MW NJ · General support$2,000,0002022 tax year
- Charlotte Mecklenberg Library · General support$1,875,0002022 tax year
- Anti-Defamation League · General support$1,500,0002022 tax year
- Jewish Federations of North America · General support$1,500,0002022 tax year
- American Committee for the Weizmann Institute · General support$1,200,0002022 tax year
- Upstream USA · General support$1,080,0002022 tax year
- American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee · General support$1,000,0002022 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Anthony Salesi — CFO
- Marc Kramer — Director
- Casey Tepper — Director
- Brian Tepper — Director
- Lawrence Rogers — Treasurer
- Randi Tepper — CEO / Director
- David A Tepper — Chairman
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
1 year of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $69,030,213 | $65,331,679 | $1,327,210,861 | Filing for 2022 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
Registers and filings
Other sources
🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.
Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.
Data privacy and security by default
Your organisation's past successful grants and experience
AI analysis of what reviewers want to see
A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours
Spotted something that needs correcting? Let us know
At a glance
Applying to The Tepper Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Applying to The Tepper Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required