The Sumner Family Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests, so a cold application is unlikely to be considered; your best route is a relationship that leads to an invitation.
- Its grants go to public charities across a broad mix of work, from food banks and schools to conservation and arts bodies, and the filing states no funding field, so check that your work is plainly charitable before approaching it.
- Most grants are modest: half of its 72 grants to organisations were $15,000 or less, and about 8 in 10 fall between $10,000 and $325,000, so a request near $15,000 is a realistic starting point, though its largest grant was $1,000,000.
- In the latest filing, 97% of grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded earlier, so it appears to favour continuing relationships over new grantees.
- No geographic focus is stated; its grants have mainly gone to New Jersey, New York, California and Connecticut, but that is a pattern in the filing, not a rule, and the filing names no geographic boundary.
Overview
The Sumner Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in Califon, NJ.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The filings describe the awards as general support and show grants to public charities across a broad mix of work. Recipients include food banks, a hospital, schools, a first-aid squad and a fire company, conservation and watershed organisations, education and arts bodies, and organisations concerned with poverty relief, justice and community services. The record shows support for organisations rather than a single named beneficiary, but it does not state a particular funding field or selection priorities. Contributions are limited to preselected charitable organisations; the filing provides no public application instructions. It names neither applicant eligibility criteria nor a stated geographic boundary.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in New Jersey, New York, California and Connecticut.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 97% 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 72 grants to organisations were $15,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
2 other states: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 29% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 97% of grant dollars went to organisations The Sumner Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 29 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $15,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- GiveDirectly · General support$1,000,0002024 tax year
- Innovations For Poverty · General support$750,0002024 tax year
- Community Food Bank Of NJ · General support$550,0002024 tax year
- Freedom House · General support$325,0002024 tax year
- FreeWorld · General support$300,0002024 tax year
- Bail Projects Inc · General support$300,0002024 tax year
- Tewksbury First Aid Squad · General support$215,0002024 tax year
- AHS Hospital · General support$150,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Peter Olsen — Trustee
- Aria D Pardilla — Trustee
- Gary Prince — Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $2,155,417 | $1,983,500 | $131,210,172 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $3,430,518 | $3,111,000 | $108,421,875 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $4,325,310 | $4,013,000 | $98,412,523 | 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 Sumner Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Califon, NJ
Applying to The Sumner Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Califon, NJ