John P Peterson Foundation
The John P Peterson Foundation is a private foundation based in Park Ridge, New Jersey. Its 2025 filing reports scholarship grants to individual recipients and states that it gives only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
John P Peterson Foundation at a glance
In short: John P Peterson Foundation gave $69K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), top state New Jersey. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $69,000
- +5.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- -15.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,273
- +24.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $8,000
- Total assets
- $997,997
- +0.1% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- New Jersey (46% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to John P Peterson Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Its filing describes an application for preselected applicants that must include transcripts, a federal student aid report, a typed essay about the applicant’s goals, a summary of extracurricular activities, three letters of recommendation, a copy or estimate of the school’s total semester bill, the length of the school’s academic year, and anticipated financial aid. The filing states that the due date is stipulated on the application forms.
- Review Cycle
- The due date is stipulated on the application forms.
- Deadline
- The due date is stipulated on the application forms.
- Contact
Application contact: James Burns
Mailing address: PO Box 164, Park Ridge, NJ 07656
Phone: (201) 203-6225
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who John P Peterson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
79 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 79 grants of 79 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The filing lists an award restriction of New Jersey and the greater New Jersey/New York metropolitan area. In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in New Jersey (46%), Rhode Island (29%), Connecticut (12%), Pennsylvania (7%), and the District of Columbia (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How John P Peterson Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−18%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 86% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $61K (2023) to $107K (2020). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $69K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 11 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $69,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $997,997 | $100,539 | $99,059 | $69,000 | 11 | $73,538 | $74,829 | $85,257 |
| 2024 | $996,767 | $77,363 | $87,852 | $65,650 | 13 | $69,382 | $58,692 | $82,139 |
| 2023 | $1,007,563 | $38,918 | $81,370 | $61,388 | 13 | $64,916 | $26,979 | $76,948 |
| 2022 | $1,050,405 | $59,882 | $106,552 | $83,751 | 21 | $87,311 | $43,505 | $76,501 |
| 2021 | $1,091,642 | $116,602 | $121,538 | $101,233 | 21 | $104,408 | $100,140 | $84,476 |
| 2020 | $1,097,816 | $97,868 | $126,321 | $107,000 | 21 | — | $83,912 | $73,468 |
| 2019 | $1,128,525 | $130,842 | $122,304 | $98,000 | 24 | — | $115,044 | $76,242 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John P Peterson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $85K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $69,000 through 11 grants. Grants ranged from $4,000 to $8,000, with a median of $8,000. All listed grants were scholarships to individual recipients. The largest awards were six grants of $8,000, to recipients in New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joanna Dennis, James Burns III (administrative trustee), Ligerie Burns, Eddy Ladd, James Burns IV, Alexia Ladd, Diana Ladd, Christopher Burns, Caitlin Burns, and Saul Dennis as trustees.
John P Peterson Foundation's 2025 filing lists 10 officers; none of the 10 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Alexia Ladd
Trustee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christopher Burns
Trustee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Diana Ladd
Trustee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James Burns III
Administrative Trustee
Administrative Trustee → Administrative Trustee & Trustee, 2022
Administrative Trustee & Trustee → Administrative Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James Burns IV
Trustee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ligerie Burns
Trustee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Caitlin Burns
Trustee
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eddy Ladd
Trustee
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joanna Dennis
Trustee
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Saul Dennis
Trustee
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Joanna Kalliches (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Trish Ladd (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Edward Ladd (2019–2021) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about John P Peterson Foundation
How much does John P Peterson Foundation give each year?
John P Peterson Foundation gave $69K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $66K across 13 grants.
What is John P Peterson Foundation's typical grant size?
John P Peterson Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $8,000, and its average grant was $6,273, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does John P Peterson Foundation give grants?
John P Peterson Foundation's top state is New Jersey, with 46% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Rhode Island (29%) and Connecticut (12%).
Does John P Peterson Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on John P Peterson Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (11 grants).
How large is John P Peterson Foundation?
John P Peterson Foundation reported $998K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $74K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $85K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
How do I apply for a grant from John P Peterson Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is John P Peterson Foundation's EIN?
John P Peterson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-2147375. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does John P Peterson Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 3, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 2, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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