The Alper Family Foundation Inc
The Alper Family Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Bethesda, Maryland. It made 18 grants totaling $345,000 in filing year 2024, supporting charitable organizations including educational institutions, arts organizations, and nonprofits working on collaborative problem-solving.
The Alper Family Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Alper Family Foundation Inc gave $345K across 18 grants in 2024 (avg $19K), mostly in District of Columbia. 12% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $345,000
- +6.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 18
- -21.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $19,167
- +35.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $5,760,569
- +6.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (2 of 17, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (58% 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 The Alper Family Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Co Pkfod 2 Bethesda Metro Ctr 54, Bethesda, MD 20814-6319
Phone: (301) 608-3900
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Alper Family Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was American University ($75K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $306K.
Grant Size Distribution
107 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 103 grants of 107 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, recipients in Washington, DC received 58% of grant dollars, followed by Colorado with 14%, Virginia with 10%, New York with 9%, and Ohio with 6%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Alper Family Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 17 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 82% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+15%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 89% 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 $284K (2020) to $350K (2022). In 2024 it made 18 grants totaling $345K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Phillips Collection Washington, DC | General Operating Support | $46,000 |
| American University Washington, DC | Alper Initiative for Washington Art Endowed Fund | $40,000 |
| Colorado State University Foundation Fort Collins, CO | CCC Programs and Activities | $40,000 |
| Convergence Center for Policy Resolution Washington, DC | General Operating Support | $40,000 |
| American University Washington, DC | Museum Exhibitions Fund | $35,000 |
| Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship New York, NY | General Operating Support | $30,000 |
| Kenyon College Gambier, OH | General Operating Support | $20,000 |
| Ashoka Innovators for the Public Arlington, VA | General Operating Support | $15,000 |
| Eastern Mennonite University Harrisonburg, VA | Alper Family Endowed Scholarship | $15,000 |
| The Washington Center Washington, DC | Teach to Work Project-Based Mentoring Program | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Alper Family Foundation Inc?
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 | $5,760,569 | $790,529 | $441,391 | $345,000 | 18 | $359,321 | $714,297 | $405,907 |
| 2023 | $5,411,431 | $712,032 | $419,614 | $325,000 | 23 | $343,368 | $641,564 | $365,055 |
| 2022 | $5,119,013 | $220,334 | $436,346 | $350,000 | 27 | $387,096 | $186,908 | $366,951 |
| 2021 | $5,335,025 | $983,500 | $392,548 | $300,000 | 20 | $339,253 | $944,462 | $384,344 |
| 2020 | $4,744,073 | $488,300 | $354,914 | $284,000 | 19 | — | $455,409 | $334,255 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Alper Family Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $406K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included general operating support, arts and museum support, university programs and scholarships, and project-based mentoring.
Among its 2024 grantees, the Convergence Center for Policy Resolution describes its work as bringing people across ideological, political, and identity lines together to solve critical issues and strengthen democracy. American University describes its mission as advancing knowledge, fostering intellectual curiosity, building community, and empowering lives of purpose, service, and leadership. The Colorado State University Foundation says it supports Colorado State University facilities and educational programs, as well as faculty, students, and alumni.
The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship describes itself as providing entrepreneurship education to students from under-resourced communities and offering programs for college students and adult learners. Eastern Mennonite University describes itself as a faith-based university emphasizing peace-building, creation care, experiential learning, and intercultural engagement.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation awarded 18 grants totaling $345,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,500 to $46,000, with a median of $15,000.
The largest 2024 grants included $46,000 to the Phillips Collection for general operating support; $40,000 to American University for the Alper Initiative for Washington Art Endowed Fund; $40,000 to Colorado State University Foundation for CCC programs and activities; and $40,000 to Convergence Center for Policy Resolution for general operating support. Other grants included $35,000 to American University for its Museum Exhibitions Fund, $30,000 to the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship for general operating support, and $20,000 to Kenyon College for general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Patricia Alper-Cohn as director, president, and secretary, and Richard S Alper as director, vice president, and treasurer.
The Alper Family Foundation Inc is led by Patricia Alper-Cohn, Director, President & Secretary since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Patricia Alper-Cohn
Director, President & Secretary
President & Secretary → Director, President & Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard S. Alper
Director, Vice President & Treasurer
Vice President & Treasurer → Director, Vice President & Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Alper Family Foundation Inc
How much does The Alper Family Foundation Inc give each year?
The Alper Family Foundation Inc gave $345K across 18 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $325K across 23 grants.
What is The Alper Family Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Alper Family Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $19,167, across 18 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Alper Family Foundation Inc that year got $8K on average.
Where does The Alper Family Foundation Inc give grants?
The Alper Family Foundation Inc gives mostly in District of Columbia: 58% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Colorado (14%) and Virginia (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (8 grants) and Arlington, VA (2 grants).
Does The Alper Family Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 61% of The Alper Family Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (11 of 18) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Alper Family Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Alper Family Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include American University ($75,000 across 2 grants), Phillips Collection ($46,000) and Colorado State University Foundation ($40,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 47% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Alper Family Foundation Inc?
The Alper Family Foundation Inc reported $5.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $359K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $406K (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 The Alper Family Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included general operating support, arts and museum support, university programs and scholarships, and project-based mentoring. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Alper Family Foundation Inc?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and 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 The Alper Family Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Alper Family Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1898610. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Alper Family Foundation Inc 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 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). The Alper Family Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-alper-family-foundation-inc-morg_5626c1feb15e4ef68c77a8067b95b0c3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_521898610_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Alper Family Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-alper-family-foundation-inc-morg_5626c1feb15e4ef68c77a8067b95b0c3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 The Alper Family Foundation Inc'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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