The Richard Tam 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 and a small charity should look for a route to an invitation instead.
- Its recorded awards centre on medical research, including cancer and lung-cancer research and bipolar research, made to children's hospitals, clinics and universities, so work outside medical research is unlikely to fit.
- Most of its grants fall between $500,000 and $2,550,000, with a median of $1,350,000, so any invited request should be sized to that typical band, which is not a ceiling because its largest grant was about $4,300,000.
- In its latest filing, all of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded in earlier filings, which suggests existing relationships matter a great deal.
- No geographic focus is stated, so your location alone should not rule you out.
Overview
The Richard Tam Foundation is a US private foundation based in Las Vegas, NV.
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 Foundation’s recorded awards support cancer and lung-cancer research and education, other medical research and bipolar research and education. Its recipients include children’s hospitals, clinics and universities, and the stated purposes describe research or research education. The giving record therefore centres on medical research across several disease areas, with grants going to different kinds of institutions undertaking research. The filings record awards to recipients in Michigan, Massachusetts and Minnesota. They do not state a general eligibility profile or explain how organisations are selected.
Themes
From its grants, not stated by the foundation:
- Cancer research
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Michigan, Massachusetts and Minnesota.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 100% 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 10 grants to organisations were $1,350,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 41% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 100% of grant dollars went to organisations The Richard Tam Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
Grants
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Boston Children's Hospital · Cancer research/education$4,315,0002024 tax year
- Henry Ford Clinic · Medical research/education$2,500,0002024 tax year
- University of Michigan · Lung cancer research/education$1,500,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Judith L Sargent — Executive Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $4,692,218 | $4,546,000 | $17,226,561 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $4,528,215 | $4,350,000 | $17,164,256 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $8,451,145 | $8,315,000 | $11,116,207 | 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 Richard Tam Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
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Contact
- Las Vegas, NV
Applying to The Richard Tam Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Las Vegas, NV