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Taube Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$2.8M
Grant Range
$1K - $20.0M

Taube Family Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $2,756,666 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $35.4 million (2024)
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $500,000 (with exceptional multi-million dollar gifts to long-term partners)
  • Geographic Focus: San Francisco Bay Area (with additional focus on Poland and Israel)
  • Foundation Type: Private grantmaking foundation
  • EIN: 94-2702180

Contact Details

Address: 1050 Ralston Avenue, Belmont, CA 94002-2210

Phone: (650) 592-3960

Email: taube@taubephilanthropies.org

Website: https://taubephilanthropies.org

Note: Following founder Tad Taube's passing in September 2025, the foundation has scaled back its web presence and future grantmaking structure may be evolving.

Overview

The Taube Family Foundation was established in 1980 by Thaddeus "Tad" Taube, a Holocaust refugee who became a successful real estate entrepreneur and philanthropic leader. The foundation operates as one of two entities under Taube Philanthropies (alongside the Taube Foundation for Jewish Life and Culture). With assets totaling $35.4 million and annual giving of approximately $2.8 million, the foundation supports philanthropic projects primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area, with additional focus on Poland and Israel.

The foundation's mission centers on supporting education, strengthening civic and cultural institutions, and enriching Jewish life. Following Tad Taube's death in September 2025, leadership has transitioned to his wife Dianne Taube as President, with the foundation's website stating it will continue to support its longstanding mission "to advance liberty, opportunity, and human dignity for generations to come." The foundation is known for both small grants in the thousands and transformative multi-million dollar gifts to organizations with which it maintains ongoing relationships, including Stanford University (over $100 million in total giving) and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with fixed deadlines. Instead, it operates as a traditional private foundation reviewing requests on a rolling basis. Grant sizes vary dramatically based on the organization and project:

  • Small to Medium Grants: $1,000 - $500,000 for various projects
  • Major Gifts: Multi-million dollar commitments to long-term institutional partners
  • Challenge Grants: The foundation has issued challenge grants requiring matching funds (e.g., $6 million challenge to Notre Dame de Namur University, $1.3 million challenge to UC Theatre Berkeley)

In 2024, the foundation distributed over 100 grants totaling approximately $3.1 million.

Priority Areas

Higher Education: Major support for universities with emphasis on Jewish studies, civic education, and policy research. Recipients include:

  • Stanford University (Taube Center for Jewish Studies, Taube Hillel House, Taube Family Tennis Stadium, Hoover Institution)
  • Harvard Graduate School of Education
  • Hillsdale College
  • Notre Dame de Namur University
  • Pepperdine University

Healthcare and Children's Services:

  • Lucile Packard Children's Hospital ($20 million for main building construction in 2018)
  • Ronald McDonald House at Stanford ($40 million capital campaign led in 2015)
  • Neurodegenerative disease research
  • Youth addiction, concussions, pediatric cancer, maternal and mental health initiatives

Jewish Causes and Heritage:

  • Jewish studies programs
  • Holocaust education (National World War II Museum's Taube Family Holocaust Education Program)
  • Stanford Chabad ($1.3 million pledge)
  • Hillel foundations
  • Polish-Jewish heritage preservation (POLIN Museum)

Arts and Culture:

  • UC Theatre Berkeley restoration ($1.3 million challenge grant, venue renamed UC Theatre Taube Family Music Hall)
  • San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge lights restoration ($2 million)
  • Berkeley Music Group

Conservative and Libertarian Policy Organizations:

  • Hoover Institution (endowed the Tad and Dianne Taube Director position, currently held by Condoleezza Rice)
  • Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Institute (George P. Shultz Fellowship program)
  • American Enterprise Institute
  • Cato Institute
  • David Horowitz Freedom Center
  • Tea Party Patriots

Civic and Under-Served Youth Programs: Support for initiatives addressing youth services and civic engagement in the Bay Area.

What They Don't Fund

  • Grants to individuals
  • Organizations outside their geographic focus areas (San Francisco Bay Area, Poland, Israel)
  • According to historical guidelines, organizations must have purposes and programs aligned with the foundation's mission areas

Governance and Leadership

Current Leadership (as of 2024-2025):

  • Dianne Taube, President and Vice Chairman - Community leader serving on multiple boards focused on Northern California's cultural, artistic and athletic opportunities, as well as task forces on Bay Area youth and teen mental health. Following Tad's passing, Dianne has assumed leadership of Taube Philanthropies.

  • Shana Penn, Executive Director - Scholar-in-residence at the Graduate Theological Union's Center for Jewish Studies in Berkeley and author of the award-winning book "Solidarity's Secret: The Women Who Defeated Communism in Poland." She received Poland's Commander Cross of the Order of Merit in 2013 and Poland's Medal of Gratitude for her contributions to Polish-Jewish dialogue. The UC Theatre's Shana Penn Lobby was named in her honor in recognition of her leadership.

Board Members:

  • Ken Marciano
  • Greg Galli
  • Sean Taube (family member)
  • Alan Zafran
  • Juddson Taube (family member)
  • Mark Taube (family member)

All board members serve without compensation.

Founder (deceased September 13, 2025):

Tad Taube was born in Poland in 1931 and fled with his parents in 1939, months before the German invasion. Most of his relatives who remained in Poland perished in the Holocaust—a loss that profoundly shaped his philanthropic priorities. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Stanford and became a successful real estate investor. He served as President of the Koret Foundation Board for over three decades and was a member of the Hoover Institution's Board of Overseers. Tad described philanthropy as "never a choice – it was a calling."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

IMPORTANT NOTE: The foundation's application process is currently in transition following founder Tad Taube's passing in September 2025. The foundation has scaled back its web presence, and it is unclear what form its grantmaking will take in the coming years or whether it will accept unsolicited applications.

Historical Application Process (status uncertain):

According to past IRS filings and foundation databases, the foundation historically required:

  • A letter stating the purpose and program and the amount being requested
  • No formal application forms or online portals
  • No fixed deadlines (rolling review)

Current Status: The foundation does not currently provide public guidelines or information about how to apply for funding on its website. Organizations interested in funding should contact the foundation directly to inquire about current application procedures.

Contact for Inquiries:

Decision Timeline

No specific decision timeline information is publicly available. Given the foundation's structure as a private foundation with a small staff, decision timelines likely vary considerably based on the grant size and relationship with the organization.

Success Rates

Specific success rate data is not publicly available. However, the foundation distributed over 100 grants in 2024 from total charitable disbursements of approximately $3.1 million, suggesting the foundation maintains an active but selective grantmaking program.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is publicly available. The foundation has demonstrated multi-year relationships with many organizations, suggesting that previously funded organizations may have opportunities for ongoing support.

Application Success Factors

Based on the foundation's grantmaking patterns and leadership statements, the following factors appear important:

1. Geographic Alignment: Strong preference for San Francisco Bay Area organizations. According to IRS filings, "The Foundation prefers that grants are made geographically in the San Francisco Bay Area."

2. Relationship Development: The foundation has made its largest gifts to organizations with which Tad and Dianne Taube maintained ongoing relationships. Multi-million dollar gifts to Stanford, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, and other institutions developed over years or decades.

3. Institutional Strength and Impact: The foundation has supported major institutions and projects with broad community impact, from university buildings to hospital facilities to cultural venues.

4. Jewish Connection: Many grants support Jewish causes, heritage, or studies. Organizations with Jewish missions or components to their work appear particularly aligned.

5. Educational Mission: Strong emphasis on educational institutions, from K-12 to higher education, with particular interest in programs that promote civic education, policy research, and Jewish studies.

6. Conservative/Libertarian Values: The foundation has supported conservative and libertarian policy organizations, think tanks, and institutions. Organizations aligned with free-market economics, limited government, and traditional values may find alignment.

7. Challenge/Matching Opportunities: The foundation has issued challenge grants requiring organizations to raise matching funds, demonstrating commitment and community support.

8. Founder's Personal Connection: Tad Taube's biography as a Holocaust refugee and Stanford alumnus shaped many funding decisions. His loss of family in the Holocaust drove support for Jewish heritage and Holocaust education. His Stanford connection resulted in over $100 million in gifts to the university.

Tad Taube's Philosophy (from biographical materials):

  • "Helping others was never a choice – it was a calling"
  • Focused on "multiplied impact through partnerships"
  • Believed in "advancing liberty, opportunity, and human dignity"
  • Emphasized collaborative giving and matching challenges to maximize community engagement

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Uncertain Application Status: Following Tad Taube's death in September 2025, the foundation is in transition. Contact the foundation directly before investing significant effort in a proposal to confirm they are accepting applications.

  • Geographic Focus is Critical: The foundation has a strong preference for San Francisco Bay Area organizations. Organizations outside this region (except in Poland and Israel) face significant barriers.

  • Relationship-Based Grantmaking: The foundation's largest gifts went to organizations with long-term relationships with Tad and Dianne Taube. New applicants should focus on smaller initial requests and relationship building.

  • Wide Range of Grant Sizes: Don't assume the foundation only makes large grants. While they've given multi-million dollar gifts, they also make grants as small as $1,000-$7,500. Request amounts appropriate to your organization's size and the project scope.

  • Mission Alignment Matters: Organizations should clearly articulate how their work advances liberty, opportunity, human dignity, Jewish life, education, civic institutions, or cultural enrichment.

  • Consider the Family's Values: The foundation has supported conservative and libertarian causes alongside mainstream educational and healthcare institutions. Understanding this ideological orientation helps assess fit.

  • Be Prepared for a Simple Process: Historically, the foundation required only a letter—no lengthy applications or forms. If/when they resume accepting applications, keep requests concise and clear.

References

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