Bruce E Toll Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $2,391,084 (2023)
• Average Grant Size: $25,437
• Total Assets: $40.3 million
• Number of Grants: 94 awards (2023)
• Geographic Focus: National (with concentration in Florida, Pennsylvania, and New York)
• Application Process: No public application process; grants to preselected organizations

Contact Details

Mailing Address:
754 S County Rd
Palm Beach, FL 33480-4826

Phone: 215-938-8222

Website: No public website available

Note: This is a private family foundation that does not have a public application process.

Overview

The Bruce E and Robbi S Toll Foundation was established in 1991 by Bruce E. Toll, co-founder of Toll Brothers (the nation's leading builder of luxury homes), and his wife Robbi S. Toll. With assets exceeding $40 million and annual giving of approximately $2.4 million, the foundation represents the philanthropic vision of a highly successful entrepreneur who served as President of Toll Brothers from 1967 to 1998 and currently serves as principal of BET Investments, a real estate investment and development company. The foundation makes approximately 94 grants annually, with an average grant size of $25,437, focusing primarily on Jewish organizations and causes, arts and culture institutions, higher education, and healthcare facilities. In 2024, the foundation made headlines with a "transformational" gift to Jefferson Health to establish the Bruce and Robbi Toll Heart and Vascular Institute, described as a record-setting donation (amount confidential).

Funding Priorities

Primary Focus Areas

Jewish Organizations and Causes
The foundation prioritizes grants to Jewish organizations, including museums of Jewish history, synagogues, and Jewish community organizations. The Tolls have demonstrated particular interest in preserving Jewish heritage and supporting Jewish cultural institutions.

Arts and Culture
Significant support for arts institutions, particularly museums and performing arts organizations. Bruce Toll serves on the Executive Board of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, indicating deep engagement with the arts sector.

Higher Education
Grants to colleges and universities, with connections to institutions including the University of Miami (the Tolls have a separate charitable fund affiliated with the university).

Healthcare and Hospitals
Major focus area with transformational gifts to healthcare institutions. Bruce Toll has served as a trustee at Jefferson Abington Hospital for more than four decades. Previous gifts established the Toll Pavilion at Abington Hospital and the Asplundh Cancer Pavilion in Willow Grove.

Geographic Priorities

The foundation funds organizations across multiple states, with particular concentration in:

• Florida (especially Palm Beach area, current residence)
• Pennsylvania (Philadelphia region, where Toll Brothers was founded and where the Tolls maintain strong ties)
• New York (including New York City institutions)
• Miami/South Florida (where the family maintains connections)

What They Don't Fund

As a private family foundation making grants to preselected organizations, the foundation does not provide information about exclusions. However, based on their focused giving pattern, organizations outside their core areas of Jewish causes, arts and culture, education, and healthcare in their geographic regions are unlikely to receive funding.

Governance and Leadership

Bruce E. Toll - President

Bruce E. Toll (born April 29, 1943) co-founded Toll Brothers with his brother Robert in 1967. The company went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 1986 and became the nation's leading builder of luxury homes. Mr. Toll served as President from 1967 until 1998, when he became Vice Chairman. He is now principal of BET Investments, which owns, develops, and manages over six million square feet of commercial properties and more than 3,000 apartments across the United States.

Board Service and Community Engagement:

• Member and Treasurer of the Board of Trustees, Abington Memorial Hospital (now Jefferson Abington Hospital) - over 40 years of service
• Member of the Executive Board, Philadelphia Museum of Art
• Former board member, Beth Sholom Synagogue
• Former board member, University of Miami
• Former board member, Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County

Robbi S. Toll

Robbi S. Toll partners with her husband in the foundation's philanthropic activities. Together they have made transformational gifts to healthcare institutions and cultural organizations.

Compensation: Bruce E. Toll serves as President and contributes his time without compensation.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Bruce E and Robbi S Toll Foundation does not have a public application process. This is a private family foundation that makes grants to preselected charitable organizations chosen by the trustees. The foundation does not maintain a public website, published grant guidelines, or application forms.

Grants are awarded at the discretion of the foundation's leadership based on their philanthropic priorities and existing relationships with organizations.

Getting on Their Radar

Given Bruce Toll's extensive board service and deep roots in the Philadelphia region and Palm Beach area, the foundation discovers grantees through:

Board and Trustee Networks: Bruce Toll's decades-long service on the boards of Jefferson Abington Hospital, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Beth Sholom Synagogue, University of Miami, and Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County provides natural pathways for organizational relationships. Organizations where Toll family members serve in leadership roles have received major gifts.

Geographic and Sectoral Connections: The foundation's giving reflects the Tolls' personal connections to:

• Philadelphia-area institutions (where Toll Brothers was founded and grew)
• Palm Beach and South Florida organizations (current residence)
• Jewish community organizations (where they maintain active involvement)
• Arts and healthcare institutions where they serve in governance roles

Relationship-Driven Philanthropy: As a family foundation, grant decisions appear to be driven by personal relationships, direct knowledge of organizations, and alignment with the founders' values and interests developed through board service and community engagement.

Organizations seeking to connect with the foundation would need to build authentic relationships through shared board members, mutual contacts in the Philadelphia or Palm Beach philanthropic communities, or through Jewish community organizations where the Tolls are involved.

Application Success Factors

Since the Bruce E and Robbi S Toll Foundation operates by invitation only and makes grants to preselected organizations, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, analysis of the foundation's giving patterns reveals:

Established Relationships Trump Cold Approaches: The foundation's largest gifts have gone to organizations where Bruce Toll has served in leadership positions for decades, such as Jefferson Health (where he has been a trustee for over 40 years) and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (where he serves on the executive board).

Healthcare Receives Major Gifts: The foundation's recent "transformational" gift to establish the Bruce and Robbi Toll Heart and Vascular Institute at Jefferson Health (2024) and previous gifts establishing the Toll Pavilion and Asplundh Cancer Pavilion demonstrate that healthcare institutions - particularly those where the Tolls have deep personal connections - can receive seven-figure gifts.

Jewish Causes Central to Mission: The foundation's description emphasizes "giving primarily for Jewish organizations, including a museum of Jewish history," indicating that Jewish heritage, culture, and community organizations represent core priorities.

Quality Over Quantity: With 94 grants totaling $2.4 million in 2023, the average grant size of $25,437 suggests the foundation makes moderate-sized grants to many organizations while reserving capacity for occasional transformational gifts to institutions where they have deep engagement.

Philadelphia and Palm Beach Connections Matter: Geographic analysis shows concentration in areas where the Tolls have lived and worked - the Philadelphia region (Toll Brothers headquarters, multiple board positions) and Palm Beach (current residence).

Long-Term Commitment Over One-Time Support: Bruce Toll's 40+ years of board service at Jefferson Health and sustained support through multiple capital projects demonstrates preference for deep, sustained engagement with select organizations rather than broad, shallow relationships.

Arts and Culture Expertise Valued: Service on the Philadelphia Museum of Art Executive Board indicates sophisticated understanding of arts institutions and likely receptiveness to major arts organizations with strong leadership and clear vision.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• This foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals - they make grants exclusively to preselected organizations. Do not submit cold applications.
• Board connections are essential - virtually all funding appears to flow through relationships developed via board service, trustee networks, or deep community engagement.
• Geographic focus matters - organizations in the Philadelphia region, Palm Beach/South Florida, and New York have the strongest connections to the foundation's giving history.
• Jewish organizations are core priority - if your organization serves the Jewish community or preserves Jewish heritage, you have stronger alignment with the foundation's stated mission.
• Healthcare institutions can receive transformational gifts - but these require decades-long relationships and trustee-level engagement, as evidenced by the Jefferson Health gift.
• Average grant size is $25,437 - but this average masks significant range, with many smaller grants and occasional seven-figure transformational gifts to organizations with deep Toll family connections.
• Focus networking efforts on Philadelphia and Palm Beach Jewish, arts, education, and healthcare communities - these are the ecosystems where the Tolls are most active and where relationship-building could potentially lead to future consideration.

References

1. Cause IQ - The Bruce E and Robbi S Toll Foundation Profile. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/bruce-e-toll-foundation,232667935/

2. Candid Foundation Directory - The Bruce E and Robbi S Toll Foundation. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile/?key=TOLL004

3. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Bruce E Toll Foundation (EIN 23-2667935). Accessed January 16, 2026. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/232667935

4. Instrumentl - Bruce E Toll Foundation 990 Report. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/bruce-e-toll-foundation

5. Wikipedia - Bruce E. Toll. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_E._Toll

6. Jefferson Health - "Gift from Bruce and Robbi Toll Establishes New Institute" (June 2024). Accessed January 16, 2026. https://www.jeffersonhealth.org/about-us/news/2024/06/gift-from-bruce-and-robbi-toll-establishes-new-institute

7. Lifestyles Magazine - "Large new donation from Bruce and Robbi Toll to 'change the face of cardiovascular care.'" Accessed January 16, 2026. https://lifestylesmagazine.com/latest-news/large-new-donation-from-bruce-and-robbi-toll-to-change-the-face-of-cardiovascular-care/

8. Montco Today - "Jefferson Health Receives 'Transformational' Gift from Bruce and Robbi Toll Foundation" (June 2024). Accessed January 16, 2026.

9. BET Investments - About Bruce E. Toll. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://www.betinvestments.com/about-us/bruce-e-toll/

10. Grantable.co - The Bruce E and Robbi S Toll Foundation Profile & Grants. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://www.grantable.co/search/funders/profile/the-bruce-e-and-robbi-s-toll-foundation-us-foundation-232667935