The Peterffy Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The Peterffy Foundation funds environmental and educational causes, working through the Living Forest Project, One Small Planet and Reweaving the Web, and its recorded purposes include support for Indigenous organisations in the Brazilian Amazon and national forest protection, so only work that fits these themes is worth pursuing.
- Most grants to organisations fall between $10,000 and $250,000, with a median of $50,000, and half of its grants were $50,000 or less, so a modest request in that range is realistic.
- The foundation states it does not accept unsolicited requests and operates by invitation only, so a cold application should not be sent; approach is only likely to work through an existing connection.
- With 86% of its grant dollars going to organisations it had also funded before, it looks relationship-led and favours continuing support over new applicants, so it is a hard target for a first approach.
- No geographic focus is stated, so location on its own should not be assumed to rule an organisation in or out.
Overview
The Peterffy Foundation is a US private foundation based in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and web pages about the foundation (insidephilanthropy.com), with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Peterffy Foundation is described as working through the Living Forest Project, One Small Planet and Reweaving the Web. Public reporting on its portfolios points to land-related projects with Indigenous communities, particularly women, and projects focused on human relationships with the natural world. In the filings, the largest stated grant-purpose group is general support for environmental and/or educational causes. Other recorded purposes include support for Indigenous organisations in the Brazilian Amazon and national forest protection. Its grant recipients include environmental and conservation organisations, as well as groups supporting Indigenous communities and land-based initiatives. The grant record spans many states and includes grants outside the United States.
Themes
From its grants, not stated by the foundation:
- Environmental and educational causes
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in New York, California, Colorado, District of Columbia and New Mexico.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 86% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 214 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The reported portfolio focus includes land-related projects with Indigenous communities, particularly women. (as reported in other published sources)
- A portfolio prioritises projects related to humans’ relationship with the natural world. (as reported in other published sources)
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 11%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 10%
- The largest single recipient received 14% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 86% of grant dollars went to organisations The Peterffy Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- 3% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Ecuador, Brazil, Lithuania, Peru).
- 17% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 58 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $50,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Quipa · General support in furtherance of environmental and/or educational causes$1,627,0002024 tax year
- One Earth Philanthropy · General support in furtherance of environmental and/or educational causes$450,0002024 tax year
- Mothers of the Amazon · General support in furtherance of environmental and/or educational causes$250,0002024 tax year
- Bioneers Collective Heritage Institute · General support in furtherance of environmental and/or educational causes$250,0002024 tax year
- Kindle Project · General support in furtherance of environmental and/or educational causes$250,0002024 tax year
- Recycle Hawaii · Support for the lamalama ka ulu project$206,1402024 tax year
- Sky's the Limit Fund · To support the operations and scholarship funding for stlf.$200,0002024 tax year
- Wilderness Workshop · General support in furtherance of environmental and/or educational causes$200,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Christopher Uzpen — Director, Secretary
- William Peterffy — Director, Chair Of Investment Committe
- Catherine Peterffy — Director, CEO
- Alexandra Peterffy — Director, Chair
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $9,186,745 | $7,607,655 | $105,533,039 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $8,385,943 | $7,430,850 | $110,978,113 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $7,737,190 | $6,475,562 | $172,157,828 | Filing for 2024 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
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At a glance
Applying to The Peterffy Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
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Contact
- Fort Lauderdale, FL
Applying to The Peterffy Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Fort Lauderdale, FL