Grantmaking In New Jersey
The Tepper family’s home state of New Jersey has always been a core focus of the foundation’s work. We have deep roots in the New Jersey philanthropic landscape and take great pride in partnering with local organizations that work on the ground to strengthen communities and help New Jerseyans thrive.
Funding Key Moments
The foundation’s early work spanned from advocating for better K-12 education for children to addressing hunger within local communities. At key moments in recent decades — from the 2008 financial crisis to Hurricane Sandy to the COVID-19 pandemic — we’ve nimbly responded to complex and mounting challenges. Through our strong relationships with state leaders and key players in the nonprofit sector, we are uniquely positioned to deliver support across the state quickly and effectively.
Ready to Act During Hurricane Sandy
In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis — when the nonprofit sector felt the strain of reduced funds and limited capacity — we stepped up our efforts to meet people’s basic needs. By investing in more resilient organizations and deeper community ties, we were able to expand our work during a challenging time for many New Jerseyans. Because of this investment, our grantee partners were ready and able to deliver critical services to the state’s communities when Hurricane Sandy made landfall in 2012. We doubled down on our support of the emergency food network and provided direct cash relief to families in need. To this day, we continue to grow our role responding to crises and improving climate resilience based on the lessons learned preparing communities in our home state ahead of Hurricane Sandy.
Improving the Quality of K-12 Education
Every child should have a great teacher and a high-quality public education — regardless of background, zip code, race or income bracket. We founded the charitable arm of New Jersey-based Better Education for Kids (B4K) in their work to provide students with a quality K-12 education. This included a push to reform outdated policies that acted as barriers to success for both children and teachers. There are now more resources available to teachers as they grow in their careers, improved professional guidelines and clearer metrics tied to achieving tenure — further leveling the playing field in NJ education.
Meeting Urgent Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic presented a new series of challenges to the New Jersey communities we serve. The Tepper Foundation was one of the founding organizations of the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund, a statewide initiative to support New Jerseyans throughout the pandemic. Our staff and leadership team contributed time and expertise to increase the effectiveness of the fund as it served vulnerable communities across the state. Our team worked quickly to identify and support organizations that were best equipped to provide services to impacted individuals. The collaborative nature of the fund continues to serve as a model of how we think about our giving.
Today
Today, The Tepper Foundation works with dozens of grantees in New Jersey across many of our portfolios, including Food, Housing & Health and Community Impact, and we continue to strengthen our ties within the state in order to deliver the greatest possible impact on our community.
News
Grantmaking in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons learned distributing $65 million for New Jersey families
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Tepper Foundation — alongside its peer organizations in New Jersey as well as the state’s First Lady, Tammy Murphy — co-founded the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund (NJPRF). NJPRF was a comprehensive statewide initiative to meet the needs of New Jerseyans whose lives were disrupted and harmed by the pandemic.