The Topper Foundation
The Topper Foundation is a private foundation based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. In 2024, it reported 40 grants totaling $2,423,526, with listed awards to organizations including a United Way, religious organizations, a university, schools, a hospital, and a community health provider.
The Topper Foundation at a glance
In short: The Topper Foundation gave $2.4M across 40 grants in 2024 (avg $61K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 38% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,423,526
- +35.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 40
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $60,588
- +35.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,005
- Total assets
- $19,528,939
- +15.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (15 of 40, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (57% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Topper Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Contact Joseph V Topper Jr. No special forms are required. Applications are accepted at any time, and the filing states there are no restrictions or limitations on awards.
- Review Cycle
- Applications are accepted at any time.
- Deadline
- Applications are accepted at any time.
- Contact
Application contact: Joseph V Topper Jr
Mailing address: 645 Hamilton St Ste 500, Allentown, PA 18101
Phone: (610) 791-3800
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Topper Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was United Way of the Greater LV ($960K). Together the top 10 received $2.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
190 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 163 grants of 190 (86%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2024 grant dollars went primarily to organizations in Pennsylvania (57%), Wisconsin (23%), and Illinois (13%). Smaller shares went to New Jersey (3%) and California (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 40 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Topper Foundation open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 15 of 40 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $64K; repeat grants $58K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 55% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 48% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 312% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $1.4M (2022) to $2.4M (2024). In 2024 it made 40 grants totaling $2.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| United Way of the Greater LV Allentown, PA | General Charitable | $960,000 |
| The School Sisters of St Francis Milwaukee, WI | General Charitable | $560,000 |
| Province of Our Mother Chicago, IL | General Charitable | $325,000 |
| Villanova University Villanova, PA | General Charitable | $142,500 |
| St Michael the Archangels Levittown, PA | General Charitable | $74,000 |
| Trinity Hall Tinton Falls, NJ | General Charitable | $50,000 |
| School of Angels Las Angeles, CA | General Charitable | $45,000 |
| Lehigh Valley Hospital Allentown, PA | General Charitable | $41,702 |
| Regina Angelorum Academy Ardmore, PA | General Charitable | $29,000 |
| Assumption Church Bethlehem, PA | General Charitable | $27,500 |
Ready to take the next step with The Topper 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 | $19,528,939 | $3,808,824 | $2,485,961 | $2,423,526 | 40 | $2,423,526 | $306,660 | $776,995 |
| 2023 | $16,922,039 | $1,852,633 | $1,839,959 | $1,794,550 | 40 | $1,794,550 | $221,075 | $733,293 |
| 2022 | $15,100,630 | $3,436,213 | $1,459,421 | $1,414,761 | 31 | $1,414,761 | $66,547 | $732,892 |
| 2021 | $12,539,743 | $1,474,141 | $1,683,560 | $1,641,752 | 34 | $1,641,752 | $53,095 | $601,726 |
| 2020 | $7,823,088 | $-180,403 | $2,430,060 | $2,392,013 | 45 | — | $110,732 | $465,795 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Topper Foundation reported a distributable amount of $777K 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grantees describe work in areas including education, health care, community health, shelter, and family support. For example, Villanova University describes itself as a Catholic Augustinian community of higher education, while Lehigh Valley Hospital says its mission is to provide advanced and compassionate health care. Cay Galgon Life House describes providing temporary shelter and support to pregnant women, and Room at the Inn describes helping families experiencing homelessness work toward stability.
These are grantees’ own descriptions of their work, not stated focus areas of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 40 grants totaling $2,423,526. Awards ranged from $250 to $960,000, with a median grant of $5,005. The largest listed awards were $960,000 to United Way of the Greater LV in Allentown, Pennsylvania; $560,000 to the School Sisters of St Francis in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and $325,000 to Province of Our Mother in Chicago, Illinois. Each was listed for general charitable purposes.
Other listed 2024 grants included $142,500 to Villanova University, $50,000 to Trinity Hall, $41,702 to Lehigh Valley Hospital, $29,000 to Regina Angelorum Academy, $15,000 to Star Community Health, and $12,000 to Friends School.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Joseph V Topper Jr as president and Maureen Topper as secretary.
The Topper Foundation is led by Joseph V. Topper Jr., President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Joseph V. Topper Jr.
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Maureen Topper
Secretary
On filings since 2020
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 Topper Foundation
How much does The Topper Foundation give each year?
The Topper Foundation gave $2.4M across 40 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.8M across 40 grants.
What is The Topper Foundation's typical grant size?
The Topper Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,005, and its average grant was $60,588, across 40 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Topper Foundation that year got $64K on average.
Where does The Topper Foundation give grants?
The Topper Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 57% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Wisconsin (23%) and Illinois (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Allentown, PA (8 grants), Bethlehem, PA (6 grants), Villanova, PA (2 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does The Topper Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Topper Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (40 of 40) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Topper Foundation's largest grantees?
The Topper Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include United Way of the Greater LV ($960,000), The School Sisters of St Francis ($560,000) and Province of Our Mother ($325,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 76% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Topper Foundation?
The Topper Foundation reported $19.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $777K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Topper Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grantees describe work in areas including education, health care, community health, shelter, and family support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Topper Foundation?
Contact Joseph V Topper Jr. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Topper Foundation's EIN?
The Topper Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-0523820. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 13, 2023)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Topper Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Topper Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-topper-foundation-morg_9b9205105e0540e581e0ba2c602acd81
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_200523820_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Topper Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-topper-foundation-morg_9b9205105e0540e581e0ba2c602acd81},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Topper 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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