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
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.
Ready to take the next step with Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation?
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
No grants recorded for .
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 GrantsData last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
- Monitor for new funding opportunities