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Jules And Gwen Knapp Charitable Foundation

Annual Giving
$2.5M

Jules And Gwen Knapp Charitable Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $2,520,000 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: Not publicly available
  • Geographic Focus: Florida and Illinois (primarily Palm Beach, FL)
  • Total Assets: $92.3 million (2024)

Contact Details

Address: 251 Royal Palm Way, Suite 300, Palm Beach, FL 33480-4310

Note: The foundation does not publish contact phone numbers, email addresses, or website information publicly.

Overview

Founded in 1987, the Jules and Gwen Knapp Charitable Foundation is a private family foundation based in Palm Beach, Florida, with total assets of $92.3 million. The foundation distributed $2,520,000 in charitable grants in 2024. The foundation's mission is to "enhance and empower medical advancement, neurodivergent populations, underserved communities, Jewish organizations and women and children, while honoring the legacy of the founders, Jules and Gwen Knapp."

Jules Knapp was a self-made entrepreneur who built the largest private-label paint company in the United States from a basement startup in Chicago. The Knapps' philanthropic focus intensified after their daughter, Joy Faith Knapp, was diagnosed with lupus and later died in 2000 at age 37 from lupus nephritis complications. The University of Chicago coined the term "The Knapp Effect" to describe how the Knapps galvanized others with their generosity and created broader community impact. The foundation is now led by their daughters, Elyse Knapp Sollender (President) and Susan Knapp Schulman (Vice President).

Funding Priorities

Priority Areas

The foundation focuses on multiple interconnected areas:

  • Medical Advancement: Medical research, particularly autoimmune diseases, lupus research, and translational biomedical research
  • Healthcare: Children's health, cancer research, and immunology
  • Neurodivergent Populations: Support for individuals with neurological differences
  • Jewish Community: Jewish education, campus Hillel organizations, antisemitism prevention, mental health and wellness for Jewish students
  • Women and Children: Programs supporting women and girls, particularly in education and health
  • Underserved Communities: Community and economic development initiatives
  • Education: Scholarships for first-generation college students, educational access
  • Human Rights: International human rights initiatives
  • Human Services: General social services

What They Don't Fund

The foundation has not published explicit exclusions. As a private family foundation, they appear to focus on causes connected to the founders' personal experiences and values.

Governance and Leadership

Leadership Team:

  • Elyse Knapp Sollender, President and Treasurer (Full-time, compensated at $120,000)
  • Susan Knapp Schulman, Vice President (Full-time, compensated at $120,000)
  • John W. Randolph Jr., Director

Both Elyse and Susan are daughters of founders Jules and Gwen Knapp and continue their parents' philanthropic legacy. Elyse has separately founded The Jeffrey D. Sollender Scholarship in partnership with the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego, supporting first-generation students.

Family Perspective: According to granddaughter Shane Sollender, speaking about Jules and Gwen's response to their daughter's lupus diagnosis: "But instead of retreating from life they rose up and committed themselves to helping others."

From Gwen Knapp: "We were so frustrated by the lack of knowledge about lupus. We wanted to find a way to fill those gaps." This quote reflects the foundation's commitment to addressing gaps in medical knowledge and support systems.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. As a private family foundation, the Jules and Gwen Knapp Charitable Foundation typically makes grants based on trustee discretion and does not accept unsolicited applications through a formal public process.

Grants appear to be awarded to organizations with which the foundation has established relationships or that align closely with the founders' legacy interests, particularly in medical research, Jewish community support, and education.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available due to the foundation's private nature and invitation-only grant-making approach.

Success Rates

Not publicly available. The foundation does not publish data on applications received or success rates.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the absence of a public application process.

Application Success Factors

Given the foundation's focus areas and history, organizations most likely to receive support share these characteristics:

Mission Alignment with Founders' Legacy:

  • Medical research institutions focusing on autoimmune diseases, particularly lupus, immunology, and children's health
  • Jewish organizations supporting education, campus life, mental health, and combating antisemitism
  • Programs supporting first-generation college students and educational access
  • Initiatives serving women, children, and underserved communities
  • Organizations addressing neurodivergent populations

Geographic Connection:

  • Organizations based in or serving Florida (particularly Palm Beach area) or Illinois (particularly Chicago area)
  • The Knapps had deep roots in Chicago before relocating to Palm Beach

Evidence of Impact and Innovation:

  • The University of Chicago coined "The Knapp Effect" to describe how the Knapps supported organizations that could galvanize others and create broader community impact
  • Organizations demonstrating transformational potential and ability to fill critical gaps in knowledge or services

Personal or Family Connection:

  • Given the foundation's intensified focus on lupus research after Joy Faith Knapp's diagnosis, personal connections to causes appear to be important
  • The foundation continues to honor the founders' specific interests, including the Joy Faith Knapp Memorial Lecture on autoimmune disease

Major Past Recipients Include:

  • University of Chicago Medicine ($25 million for biomedical research facility, $10 million for Gwen Knapp Center for Lupus and Immunology Research)
  • Hillel International (legacy gift for scholarships, mental health support, and antisemitism prevention)
  • Jewish Education Loan Fund

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: This foundation operates through trustee discretion and established relationships rather than open calls for proposals
  • Personal mission alignment is critical: The foundation's priorities directly reflect the founders' life experiences, particularly Joy's battle with lupus and the family's commitment to Jewish community and education
  • Geographic focus matters: Strong preference for Florida (Palm Beach) and Illinois (Chicago) organizations
  • Transformational impact: The foundation values "The Knapp Effect" - projects that can galvanize broader community support and create multiplier effects
  • Multi-year relationships: Major grants (such as to University of Chicago) show sustained commitment over decades rather than one-time funding
  • Family continuity: With daughters leading the foundation, expect continued focus on parents' legacy priorities while potentially expanding to new areas like neurodivergent populations
  • Medical research emphasis: Significant resources dedicated to biomedical research, particularly autoimmune diseases, children's health, and cancer

References

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