Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation
The Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation is a private philanthropic grantmaking foundation headquartered in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1961 by Jacob W. and Terese T. Hershey, the Foundation operates with a staff of 5 people and is dedicated to supporting grassroots groups working on environmental and reproductive justice issues.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$107.0M
-0.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$6.8M
+7.0% YoY
Grant Count
174
+6.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$39K
+0.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation reported a distributable amount of $6.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation envisions a world where people and nature live in harmony and good health.
The Foundation is dedicated to:
- Environmental justice
- The health of the public, climate, air, water, and nature
- Reproductive justice
- The interdependent relationship between humans, public parks, open spaces, nature, and the environment
Core Values:
- People — Valuing the dignity, experience, and worth of every person, especially those whose well-being is at stake
- Nature — Respecting the vitality of nature, open spaces, and the many species they support, especially when under threat
- Harmony — Affirming the interdependent relationship between people and nature
- Equity & Justice — Partnering with those disproportionately burdened by environmental and health challenges
- Bold Action — Believing that taking risks can lead to meaningful change
Grantmaking
The Foundation offers quick-turnaround grants to grassroots groups to enhance capacity, functioning, and impact. The Foundation operates grant cycles, including a Spring cycle with Letter of Intent (LOI) submissions.
Review Cycle
, including a Spring cycle with Letter of Intent (LOI) submissions.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation primarily supports work in and around the Houston and Austin regions, as well as across Texas on issues of statewide significance.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $106,953,604 | $107,316,267 | $112,115,764 |
| Revenue | $8,623,508 | $3,489,389 | $10,048,476 |
| Expenses | $8,983,545 | $8,306,121 | $7,747,218 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $8,065,845 | $7,546,275 | $7,318,467 |
| Net Investment Income | $7,560,707 | $2,901,015 | $7,608,184 |
| Distributable Amount | $6,109,498 | $6,091,718 | $5,849,090 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Center for Reproductive Rights ($150,000), Air Alliance Houston ($120,000), Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Inc ($100,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Achieving Community Tasks Successfully Houston, TX | Toward improvements at Pleasantville Park | $50,000 |
| Achieving Community Tasks Successfully Houston, TX | Toward general operations | $5,000 |
| ACLU Foundation of Texas Houston, TX | Toward efforts to restore reproductive rights in Texas | $65,500 |
| Air Alliance Houston Houston, TX | Toward the purposes of Texas Streets Coalition | $35,000 |
| Air Alliance Houston Houston, TX | Toward general operations | $120,000 |
| AliefVotes Houston, TX | Toward staff training and legal support | $6,000 |
| Alliance For Youth Organizing Washington, DC | Toward the purposes of MOVE Texas Civic Fund | $1,000 |
| Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Inc Washington, DC | Toward the purposes of Organizing Resilience | $100,000 |
| American Forests Washington, DC | Toward a film documenting the case for restoring native Thornforest habitat | $25,000 |
| ARISE Adelante Alamo, TX | Toward equipping residents of South Texas colonias to address environmental concerns | $35,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey Hershey | President/Director | 5 | — |
| Andrew H Sansom | Treasurer/Director | 5 | — |
| Amie Rodnick | Secretary/Director | 5 | — |
| Kim Baker | Director | 5 | — |
| Olive Hershey | Director | 5 | — |
| Bakeyah Nelson | Director | 5 | — |
| Angelica Razo | Director | 5 | — |
| Elizabeth GLove | CEO | 40 | $285,375 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Foundation awarded a grant to Inside Climate News in 2024 as part of new grant funding announced in November.
Inside Climate News Receives $725000 in New GrantsFrequently Asked Questions
What does Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation fund?
The Foundation envisions a world where people and nature live in harmony and good health. The Foundation is dedicated to: • Environmental justice • The health of the public, climate, air, water, and nature • Reproductive justice • The interdependent relationship between humans, public parks, open spaces, nature, and the environment **Core Values:** • **People** — Valuing the dignity, experience, and worth of every person, especially those whose well-being is at stake • **Nature** — Respecting t…
How do I apply for a grant from Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation?
The Foundation offers quick-turnaround grants to grassroots groups to enhance capacity, functioning, and impact. The Foundation operates grant cycles, including a Spring cycle with Letter of Intent (LOI) submissions.
Where does Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation make grants?
The Foundation primarily supports work in and around the Houston and Austin regions, as well as across Texas on issues of statewide significance.
What size grants does Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation award?
In 2024, Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation awarded 174 grants totaling $6.8M — an average of about $39K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation reported a distributable amount of $6.1M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation's EIN?
Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-6039126. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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