Mike & Patti Hennessy Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- If your work falls within hereditary disease healthcare, health, science or technology education, or Catholic or Christian education, it fits the foundation's stated priorities, and it says it values innovation and collaboration in its communities.
- Applicants must be qualified 501(c)(3) non-profit organisations or selected public-sector activities, so a group outside those categories should not apply.
- Most grants are modest: about 8 in 10 of its 27 grants to organisations fall between $1,000 and $545,000, and half were $16,000 or less, so a request near that scale suits it best, though its largest grant was $1,500,000, so that band is not a ceiling.
- In its latest filing, 98% of grant dollars went to organisations it had also funded in earlier filings, so relationships appear to matter; contact the team first, as the foundation directs prospective applicants to do, and note that it accepts applications on a rolling basis.
- No geographic focus is stated, although the filings show grants mainly in New Jersey, so that pattern should not be read as a rule on who may apply.
Overview
Mike & Patti Hennessy Foundation is a US private foundation based in Cranbury, NJ.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2025, TY2024, TY2023) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Foundation supports non-profit organisations qualified under Section 501(c)(3) and selected public-sector activities. Its stated priorities are advancing healthcare for hereditary diseases; creating high-quality, challenging educational experiences in health, science and technology; and helping Catholic or Christian education meet students’ needs and educate the whole child academically, emotionally, spiritually and socially. It values innovation and collaboration in its communities, and supports innovative solutions and programmes advancing healthcare for patients and families. Its approach therefore combines healthcare advances, education and local faith-based schooling, using the Foundation’s own stated aims and eligibility conditions.
Themes
- Hereditary disease healthcare
- Health, science, technology education
- Catholic and Christian education
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in New Jersey.
How to apply
The FAQ directs prospective applicants to contact the team; it describes no later submission stage.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 98% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 or TY2024 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2023, TY2024 and TY2025 filings, half of its 27 grants to organisations were $16,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Applicants must be qualified non-profit organisations or selected public-sector activities.
- The Foundation supports high-quality and challenging educational experiences in health, science or technology.
- It supports innovative solutions and programmes that advance healthcare for patients and their families.
- It supports Catholic or Christian education that addresses students’ needs and educates the whole child.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 80% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2025, 98% of grant dollars went to organisations Mike & Patti Hennessy Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 2% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 12 grants in tax year 2025 by size
Median $11,250 (tax year 2025)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation · support for Hennessy Institute for Cancer Prevention and Applied Molecular Medicine$1,500,0002025 tax year
- Diocese of Trenton · support for Diocese of Trenton$70,0002025 tax year
- University of Pennsylvania · Support for Early Detection Biomarker Research$62,5002025 tax year
- Ovarian Cancer Research Fund · support for Partners in Science$20,0002025 tax year
- Zeta Tau Alpha Foundation · Patti Hennessy Memorial Scholarship support$17,0002025 tax year
- Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country · Kerr County Flood Relief Fund support$15,0002025 tax year
- University of South Florida · Scholarship support$7,5002025 tax year
- LEP Foundation for Youth Education · Scholarship Support$5,0002025 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Ashley Talamo — Treasurer
- Shannon H Pulaski — Secretary
- Michael J Hennessy JR — President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 tax year | $1,162,176 | $925,000 | $27,376,155 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $1,423,417 | $1,132,000 | $30,818,208 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
| 2025 tax year | $2,056,522 | $1,719,000 | $33,725,114 | Filing for 2025 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
Registers and filings
Other sources
🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.
Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.
Data privacy and security by default
Your organisation's past successful grants and experience
AI analysis of what reviewers want to see
A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours
Spotted something that needs correcting? Let us know
At a glance
Applying to Mike & Patti Hennessy Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
Applying to Mike & Patti Hennessy Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required