Susquehanna Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $82,974,417 (2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: $2,000 - $63,428,266
• Geographic Focus: Primarily Pennsylvania, New York, and Virginia
• Total Assets: $599,215,094

Contact Details

Address: 401 E City Ave Suite 220, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004-1117

Phone: 610-617-2600

Email: Not publicly available

Website: No public website

Note: As a private foundation without a public application process, contact should be made with care and only if there is a relevant connection.

Overview

The Susquehanna Foundation was established in 1994 as the corporate foundation of Susquehanna International Group, an options-trading company headquartered in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. With assets exceeding $599 million and annual giving of approximately $83 million, the foundation represents one of the Philadelphia region's significant private philanthropic entities. The foundation's grantmaking primarily reflects libertarian principles and school choice advocacy, with particular emphasis on charter school expansion and education reform in the Philadelphia area. Much of the foundation's strategic direction is influenced by Janine Yass, wife of Susquehanna International director Jeffrey Yass, who is a prominent supporter of charter schools and approaches to increase parent and student choice in K-12 education. The foundation typically makes 28-31 grants annually, ranging from small awards of a few thousand dollars to multi-million dollar investments in education reform initiatives.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with defined application cycles. Grants are made at the discretion of the board of directors and range dramatically in size:

• Major Strategic Grants: $1,000,000 - $63,428,266 (typically for flagship education reform initiatives)
• Standard Grants: $100,000 - $1,000,000 (for established charter schools and libertarian organizations)
• Smaller Awards: $2,000 - $100,000 (for supporting organizations and targeted projects)

Grants are awarded on an invitation-only basis, with no rolling or fixed deadline application process.

Priority Areas

Education and School Choice (Primary Focus):

• Charter school networks, particularly in Philadelphia
• School choice advocacy and reform initiatives
• Education organizations supporting parent choice in K-12
• Catholic and independent schools serving low-income families

Libertarian Causes and Think Tanks:

• Civil liberties and constitutional rights litigation
• Free market policy organizations
• Individual liberty advocacy

Health and Human Services:

• Selective support for healthcare and social service organizations
• Cancer research initiatives

Geographic Priorities:

• Philadelphia metropolitan area (primary focus)
• Pennsylvania statewide
• New York and Virginia (secondary markets)

What They Don't Fund

The foundation's narrow focus excludes:

• Arts and culture organizations
• Environmental causes
• Traditional public school districts (unless partnering on choice initiatives)
• International programs (with limited exceptions)
• Organizations opposing school choice or charter schools
• General operating support for organizations outside their strategic priorities

Governance and Leadership

Key Officers and Directors:

• Arthur Dantchik - President. Co-founder of Susquehanna International Group and board member of the Institute for Justice, a libertarian public interest law firm. Dantchik's leadership reflects the foundation's strong alignment with libertarian principles and constitutional rights advocacy.

• Jeffrey Yass - Vice President. Managing director of Susquehanna International Group and one of America's most significant political donors. Yass and his wife Janine have personally donated over $5 million to the Philadelphia Schools Partnership beyond the foundation's institutional grants.

• Andrew Frost - Vice President

• Robert Sack - Treasurer

• Theodore Bryce - Secretary

• Mark Dooley - Director

All officers serve without compensation. The foundation is closely controlled by Susquehanna International Group leadership, ensuring alignment between the trading firm's principals and the foundation's philanthropic priorities.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Susquehanna Foundation does not have a public application process. Grants are awarded through trustee discretion and board initiative rather than response to unsolicited proposals. The foundation identifies and invites organizations to receive funding based on strategic priorities determined by the board of directors.

Grant recipients are typically:

• Organizations with which foundation leadership has direct relationships
• Flagship education reform initiatives in Philadelphia
• Established libertarian policy organizations
• Organizations recommended by board members or trusted advisors

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are awarded through board discretion rather than application review cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - organizations do not apply but rather are invited to receive funding.

Application Success Factors

Since the Susquehanna Foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, organizations that receive funding typically share these characteristics:

Ideological Alignment:

• Strong commitment to school choice and charter school expansion
• Libertarian principles including individual liberty and limited government
• Free market approaches to social problems
• Constitutional rights advocacy

Philadelphia Education Focus: The foundation's largest grants consistently support Philadelphia-area education reform. The Philadelphia Schools Partnership received $3.3 million in 2019, while Mastery Charter Schools Foundation received $1.2 million. These grants reflect the foundation's strategic priority of expanding educational options for low-income Philadelphia families.

Track Record: Organizations receiving major grants typically have:

• Established operations with proven results
• Leadership with demonstrated commitment to school choice
• Capacity to deploy large grants effectively
• Outcomes that can be measured and reported

Board Connections: Given the invitation-only model, successful recipients often have connections to:

• Susquehanna International Group leadership
• The libertarian policy network (Institute for Justice, similar organizations)
• Philadelphia education reform circles
• Other organizations in the foundation's portfolio

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process exists - traditional grant writing will not result in funding from this foundation
• Education reform is paramount - the foundation's largest grants consistently support charter schools and school choice in Philadelphia
• Libertarian alignment required - support for the Institute for Justice and similar organizations indicates strong preference for libertarian principles
• Relationships are essential - the invitation-only model means access requires connections to foundation leadership or their network
• Multi-million dollar capacity - the foundation makes very large grants to flagship initiatives while also supporting smaller organizations
• Geographic concentration - Philadelphia-area education initiatives receive the most significant support
• Strategic focus over responsiveness - the foundation pursues its own strategic priorities rather than responding to community needs or proposals

References

• Instrumentl - Susquehanna Foundation 990 Report. Accessed January 20, 2026. https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/susquehanna-foundation
• InfluenceWatch - Susquehanna Foundation Profile. Accessed January 20, 2026. https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/susquehanna-foundation/
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Susquehanna Foundation (EIN: 23-2732477). Accessed January 20, 2026. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/232732477
• Cause IQ - Susquehanna Foundation Profile. Accessed January 20, 2026. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/susquehanna-foundation,232732477/
• CNBC - "Republican megadonor Jeff Yass, inner circle give millions to shape schools, courts." April 9, 2024. Accessed January 20, 2026. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/09/jeff-yass-millions-to-influence-schools-courts-and-markets.html
• Inside Philanthropy - "Jeff Yass Is One of America's Biggest Political Donors. What Does His Philanthropy Look Like?" March 30, 2023. Accessed January 20, 2026. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2023-3-30-jeff-yass-is-one-of-americas-biggest-political-donors-what-does-his-philanthropy-look-like
• Billy Penn - "Who is Jeffrey Yass? The Philly-area billionaire whose cash supported election challengers." January 21, 2021. Accessed January 20, 2026. https://billypenn.com/2021/01/21/jeffrey-yass-philadelphia-billionaire-election-challengers-political-background/