S Mark Taper Foundation
The S. Mark Taper Foundation is a private family foundation based in an individual recipient, California, founded in 1989. It supports nonprofit organizations serving an individual recipient through general operating, program, and capital funding.
S Mark Taper Foundation at a glance
In short: S Mark Taper Foundation gave $6.6M across 71 grants in 2024 (avg $93K), mostly in California. 73% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $6,632,800
- -3.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 71
- +1.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $93,420
- -4.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $75,000
- Total assets
- $186,186,083
- +9.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 73% first-time grantees (52 of 71, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to S Mark Taper Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests through an annual online Letter of Inquiry (LOI) process. Applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations serving eligible an individual recipient counties and must have a current California Entity Status Letter showing good standing with the relevant state agencies. An organization that received a grant payment during the previous three calendar years is ineligible for the current cycle. For the 2026 cycle, the LOI form asks whether the CEO or executive director has served in the role for more than 12 months; applicants whose leader has served for less than 12 months are ineligible. Capital funding is restricted to organizations based in and serving an individual recipient County, and the minimum capital request is $100,000. LOIs must be submitted through the online grants portal.
- Review Cycle
- For the 2026 cycle, LOIs were accepted from 2:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on December 2, 2025, through 2:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on February 4, 2026.
- Deadline
- For the 2026 cycle, LOIs were accepted from 2:00 p.m.
- Contact
Application contact: Adrienne Wittenberg S Mark Taper Fo
Mailing address: 12011 San Vicente Blvd Suite 400, Los Angeles, CA 90049
Phone: (310) 476-5413
Email: questions@smtfoundation.org
Website: https://smtfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from S Mark Taper Foundation
Who S Mark Taper Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Ronald McDonald House Charities Southern California ($500K). Together the top 10 received $2.5M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($50,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
387 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 180 grants of 387 (47%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation considers requests from organizations providing services in an individual recipient, Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura counties. It prioritizes organizations based in and serving an individual recipient County. For general operating and program support, priority is given to organizations serving an individual recipient County residents; capital projects must be based in and serve an individual recipient County.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 71 itemized grants.
Cities
Is S Mark Taper Foundation open to new grantees?
73%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 52 of 71 grantees (73%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $92K; repeat grants $97K. How we count
Medians: $75K first-time, $75K repeat.
- 15% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+14%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 88% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $5.8M (2021) to $7.5M (2022). In 2024 it made 71 grants totaling $6.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald McDonald House Charities Southern California Los Angeles, CA | Capital Support to Acquire and Renovate Westside House. | $500,000 |
| Los Angeles Regional Food Bank City of Industry, CA | Capital Support for Headquarters and Warehouse. | $400,000 |
| Blind Children's Center Inc Los Angeles, CA | Capital Support for Renovation and Expansion of Campus. | $250,000 |
| Center Theatre Group Los Angeles, CA | Program support for 2024-2025 season at the mark taper forum | $250,000 |
| St John's Community Health Los Angeles, CA | Capital support to equip a renovated building in compton. | $250,000 |
| Healthright 360 San Francisco, CA | Capital Support for Repairs on Pomona Campus. | $200,000 |
| Holocaust Museum LA Los Angeles, CA | Capital Support for Museum Campus Expansion. | $200,000 |
| Skirball Cultural Center Los Angeles, CA | School Programs Support. | $175,000 |
| Kidspace a Participartory Museum Pasadena, CA | Capital support for s. Mark taper foundation early childhood learning center renovation. | $165,000 |
| Feeding America Riverside and San Bernardino Counties Riverside, CA | General Operating Support. | $150,000 |
Ready to take the next step with S Mark Taper Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $186,186,083 | $16,708,190 | $9,381,572 | $6,632,800 | 71 | $7,780,246 | $15,402,168 | $8,799,056 |
| 2023 | $170,681,940 | $8,374,826 | $9,309,803 | $6,867,800 | 70 | $7,949,197 | $7,128,331 | $7,772,639 |
| 2022 | $148,056,231 | $7,706,659 | $9,704,637 | $7,537,100 | 79 | $8,465,868 | $6,555,056 | $7,858,471 |
| 2021 | $110,679,604 | $17,411,120 | $8,115,894 | $5,834,100 | 79 | $6,663,953 | $16,141,007 | $8,399,784 |
| 2020 | $101,488,564 | $6,225,096 | $7,904,978 | $5,919,100 | 88 | — | $5,111,922 | $6,681,144 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, S Mark Taper Foundation reported a distributable amount of $8.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to enhance the quality of people’s lives by supporting nonprofit organizations and their work in their communities. It provides general operating support, program support, and capital support.
Its 2024 grantees illustrate the range of organizations it supports. The an individual recipient Regional Food Bank describes its mission as mobilizing resources to fight hunger; St. John’s Community Health focuses on improving community health and reducing health disparities; and Holocaust Museum LA teaches the lessons of the Holocaust and their continued relevance. Inner-City Arts says it uses arts education to support underserved children.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 71 grants totaling $6,632,800. Grant amounts ranged from $3,000 to $500,000, with a median grant of $75,000. Larger awards included $500,000 to Ronald McDonald an individual recipient for capital support to acquire and renovate Westside House; $400,000 to the an individual recipient Regional Food Bank for headquarters and warehouse capital support; and $250,000 each to Blind Children’s Center for campus renovation and expansion, Center Theatre Group for program support for the 2024–2025 season at the Mark Taper Forum, and St. John’s Community Health to equip a renovated building in Compton.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Janice Taper Lazarof as Trustee and President Emeritus, Amelia Taper Bolker as Trustee and President, and Roy Weitz as Trustee and Investment Officer.
S Mark Taper Foundation is led by Amelia Taper Bolker, Trustee & President since 2023 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 3 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Amelia Taper Bolker
Trustee & President
Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary & Trustee → Trustee & President, 2023
On filings since 2020
15 hrs/week
$30K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Roy Weitz
Trustee & Investment Officer
Trustee & CFO → Trustee & Investment Officer, 2023
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$374K (2020) → $13K (2024)
Janice Taper Lazarof
Trustee & President Emeritus
President & Trustee → Trustee & President Emeritus, 2023
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Adrienne Wittenberg (2020–2021) — Executive Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $13K, to Roy Weitz (Trustee and Investment Officer).
Frequently asked questions about S Mark Taper Foundation
How much does S Mark Taper Foundation give each year?
S Mark Taper Foundation gave $6.6M across 71 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $6.9M across 70 grants.
What is S Mark Taper Foundation's typical grant size?
S Mark Taper Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $75,000, and its average grant was $93,420, across 71 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from S Mark Taper Foundation that year got $92K on average.
Where does S Mark Taper Foundation give grants?
S Mark Taper Foundation gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (38 grants), Pasadena, CA (6 grants), San Pedro, CA (3 grants) and Oxnard, CA (2 grants).
Does S Mark Taper Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 46% of S Mark Taper Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (33 of 71) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Annual Membership" (3 grants).
Who are S Mark Taper Foundation's largest grantees?
S Mark Taper Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Ronald McDonald House Charities Southern California ($500,000), Los Angeles Regional Food Bank ($400,000) and Blind Children's Center Inc ($250,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($50,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 17% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is S Mark Taper Foundation?
S Mark Taper Foundation reported $186.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $7.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $8.8M (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.
What does S Mark Taper Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to enhance the quality of people’s lives by supporting nonprofit organizations and their work in their communities. It provides general operating support, program support, and capital support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from S Mark Taper Foundation?
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests through an annual online Letter of Inquiry (LOI) process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is S Mark Taper Foundation's EIN?
S Mark Taper Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 32-0516588. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does S Mark Taper Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). S Mark Taper Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/s-mark-taper-foundation-morg_3241afec103b431bbfe85ff8d47c8a69
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_320516588_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{S Mark Taper Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/s-mark-taper-foundation-morg_3241afec103b431bbfe85ff8d47c8a69},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from S Mark Taper Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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