Debra and Kenneth Caplan Foundation

About Debra and Kenneth Caplan Foundation

The Debra and Kenneth Caplan Foundation gives in a pattern that is defined by large, unrestricted awards to universities, with Harvard, the University of Michigan, and Brown among the most visible recipients in the recent grants list. That emphasis on major research campuses sits at the center of the foundation’s philanthropy, and the grants often arrive as general operating or general unrestricted support rather than tightly restricted project funding. Across the recent record, the foundation also appears in higher-education philanthropy through named campus funds and institutional support for elite U.S. universities. Its largest recent grants include $324,691 to Trustees for Harvard University for General & Unrestricted support, $300,658 to the University of Michigan for General & Unrestricted support, and $200,000 to the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania for the Basser Jean Bash 2022 fund. The same pattern continues with repeated support for the University of Michigan, Brown University, and Newark Academy, showing a preference for substantial awards to a relatively small set of institutions. Beyond universities, the foundation’s recent giving also includes grants to Jewish federations, education nonprofits, and event-linked charitable efforts, indicating a broader but still selective approach to philanthropy.

What Debra and Kenneth Caplan Foundation Funds

Higher education is the clearest theme in the foundation’s recent grants. They gave $324,691 to Trustees for Harvard University for General & Unrestricted support, and $300,658 to the University of Michigan for General & Unrestricted support. A second University of Michigan grant of $100,000 followed in 2024, again for General & Unrestricted support, along with $100,000 to Brown University for General & Unrestricted support. They also fund campus and school-based institutions outside the Ivy League. Newark Academy received $87,074 in 2025, after earlier awards of $75,000 in both 2024 and 2023, all for General & Unrestricted support. On the education-access side, the foundation gave $100,000 to Pencils of Promise Incorporated for General & Unrestricted support and $25,000 to New Jersey Tutoring Corps Inc for General & Unrestricted support. These grants show attention to both elite university infrastructure and education-related organizations beyond the university sector.

How Debra and Kenneth Caplan Foundation Gives