Martha & Irv Kaplan Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker Pennington, NJ EIN: 95-3697275

The Martha & Irv Kaplan Foundation is a private foundation based in Pennington, New Jersey. Established in 1982, the foundation operates as a non-operating private foundation with a focus on supporting charitable organizations through strategic grantmaking.

Key facts about Martha & Irv Kaplan Foundation

EIN
95-3697275
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024)
$683,000
Grants made (2024)
21
Average grant
$32,524
Median grant
$16,000
New grantees (estimate)
24% first-time grantees (5 of 21, 2024)
Total assets
$24,586,413
Primary geography
California (68% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Martha & Irv Kaplan Foundation funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Martha & Irv Kaplan Foundation's 21 itemized 2024 grants were California (68%) and Pennsylvania (29%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (8 grants). 90% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.

Is Martha & Irv Kaplan Foundation open to new grantees?

24%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 5 of 21 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $19K; repeat grants $37K. How we count

Medians: $10K first-time, $21K repeat.

  • 48% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving fell 39% from 2021 to 2024. Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 109% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$24.6M

-2.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$683K

-32.9% YoY

Grant Count

21

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$33K

-32.9% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Martha & Irv Kaplan Foundation reported a distributable amount of $626K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary funding areas include:

  • Education
  • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
  • Human Services
  • Science and STEM Education

Grantmaking

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and operates on an invite-only basis, making contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.

Grant Range

$16,000

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily supports organizations in:

  • California
  • Pennsylvania
  • Oregon
  • New York

These three states account for approximately 87% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations across 9 states total.

Grant Distribution by State

16states

Share of all 21 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

Cities

Los AngelesNew YorkSanta MonicaSherman OaksAtlantaPhiladelphiaWoodland HillsEncinoEugenePacific PalisadesResedaSacramentoSanta BarbaraUniversity ParkWashingtonBeverly HillsCambridgePacific PallisadesSeattleArlington

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

  • Total Assets: $24,586,413 (2024)
  • Annual Income: $638,000
  • Total Giving: $683,000 (2024)
  • Giving Rate: 2.8% of assets

Asset Growth: Total assets have grown from $608,000 in 2011 to $25.1 million in 2023, demonstrating significant growth over the past decade.

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$388K$777K$1M$2M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$24,586,413$25,083,764$26,158,032
Revenue$637,910$624,706$910,247
Expenses$687,127$1,027,572$930,955
Qualifying Distributions$685,359$1,020,896$919,781
Net Investment Income$101,040$161,500$435,280
Distributable Amount$626,304$682,627$991,906

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$327K$654K$980K$1M22 grants202050 grants202127 grants202221 grants202321 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

The University of Pennsylvania: $100KThe University of Pennsylvania$100KPennsylvania State University: $100KPennsylvania State University$100KWindward School: $100KWindward School$100KJewish Graduate Student Initiative: $80KJewish Graduate StudentInitiative$80KPara Los Ninos: $50KPara Los Ninos$50KLos Angeles Police Museum: $50KLos Angeles Police Museum$50KUc Santa Barbara Foundation: $25KUc Santa Barbara Foundation$25KSugar Ray Leonard Foundation: $25KSugar Ray Leonard Foundation$25KUniversity of Southern California: $25KUniversity of SouthernCalifornia$25KSheriffs Youth Fdn of Los Angeles Cnty: $17KSheriffs Youth Fdn of LosAngeles Cnty$17K

Grant Size Distribution

141 grants across all recorded years

110<$50K11$50–100K17$100–250K3$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include The University of Pennsylvania ($100,000), Pennsylvania State University ($100,000), Windward School ($100,000).

RecipientPurposeAmount
THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Philadelphia, PASUPPORT BASSER CENTER FOR$100,000
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY University Park, PASUPPORT FOR LACROSSE$100,000
WINDWARD SCHOOL Los Angeles, CAUNRESTRICTED GENERAL$100,000
JEWISH GRADUATE STUDENT INITIATIVE Los Angeles, CAUNRESTRICTED GENERAL$80,000
PARA LOS NINOS Los Angeles, CAUNRESTRICTED GENERAL$50,000
LOS ANGELES POLICE MUSEUM Los Angeles, CAUNRESTRICTED GENERAL$50,000
UC SANTA BARBARA FOUNDATION Santa Barbara, CAUNRESTRICTED GENERAL$25,000
SUGAR RAY LEONARD FOUNDATION Woodland Hills, CAUNRESTRICTED GENERAL$25,000
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Los Angeles, CAUNRESTRICTED GENERAL$25,000
SHERIFFS YOUTH FDN OF LOS ANGELES CNTY Los Angeles, CAUNRESTRICTED GENERAL$17,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

  • Principal Officer: William W. Sparks, CPA

The foundation is governed by 2 officers and trustees.

Compensation Overview

No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.

From 2024 IRS filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
Jordan KaplanPresident——
David KaplanTreasurer——
Jordan KaplanSole Director——

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Martha & Irv Kaplan Foundation fund?

The foundation's primary funding areas include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Science and STEM Education

How do I apply for a grant from Martha & Irv Kaplan Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Annual giving: $683,000 (2024) • Total grants made: 21 grants (2024) • Median grant size: $16,000 • Grant range: $5,000–$100,000 • Historical grant range: $2,000–$400,000 • Average award: $41,000 **Application Policy:** The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and operates on an invite-only basis, making contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. **Historical Grantmaking:** Over its history, the foundation has made 76 grants totaling $3.1 mi…

Where does Martha & Irv Kaplan Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily supports organizations in: • California • Pennsylvania • Oregon • New York These three states account for approximately 87% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations across 9 states total.

What size grants does Martha & Irv Kaplan Foundation award?

In 2024, Martha & Irv Kaplan Foundation awarded 21 grants totaling $683K — an average of about $33K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Martha & Irv Kaplan Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Martha & Irv Kaplan Foundation reported a distributable amount of $626K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Martha & Irv Kaplan Foundation's EIN?

Martha & Irv Kaplan Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-3697275. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Does Martha & Irv Kaplan Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?

No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑

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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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