The Josephine Peiser Charitable Foundation gives modest, targeted grants focused on health and immediate human needs in the Philadelphia–Trenton region. Their support is largely unrestricted/general operating funding and includes both national health charities and local direct-service providers, with a noticeable investment in hunger relief and community welfare. The foundation shows a preference for a small number of meaningful awards rather than broad, dispersed micro‑grants, and repeats support to local organizations.
Relatively concentrated giving: five grants totaling about $102K with one large national beneficiary and several mid‑sized local awards. Mix of national (large general support) and local grantees, repeat funding to at least one local organization, and emphasis on unrestricted/general operating support rather than restricted project grants.
The Josephine Peiser Charitable Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by a large cancer-related grant: $41,750 to the American Cancer Society in 2023 for general support. That award sits alongside a steady stream of smaller unrestricted gifts to local food security groups, community service organizations, and other health-oriented charities. The pattern points to a funder that favors practical support over restricted projects, with general support appearing often in the grant descriptions. Philadelphia-region organizations appear repeatedly in the grant list. Philabundance received $24,000 in 2024 and $8,550 in 2025, both for general support. Trenton Area Soup Kitchen also appears more than once, with grants of $12,500 in 2023, $10,000 in 2024, and $8,000 in 2025. Those recurring awards suggest the foundation maintains relationships with a small set of grantees while also making grants to national health charities and other institutions. The grant list also includes institutions such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Johns Hopkins University, YWCA, Wildlife Conservation Society, and Humane Farm Animal Care. Across these awards, the foundation’s giving reads as targeted and flexible, with a mix of direct-service, health, and community-welfare support.
In health-related giving, the foundation supported cancer charities and children’s health organizations, including $8,000 to American Cancer Society in 2025 and $8,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in 2025, both listed as general support. That sits within a broader pattern of health-oriented funding that also includes Johns Hopkins University. Food security is another clear area. Philabundance received $24,000 in 2024 and $8,550 in 2025 for general support, while Trenton Area Soup Kitchen received $12,500 in 2023, $10,000 in 2024, and $8,000 in 2025. Mercer Street Friends also appears with general grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation also funds broader community welfare and service organizations. Homefront, United Way of Greater Mercer County, and YWCA each received multiple general-support grants, showing attention to direct-service and organizational sustainability rather than narrowly defined projects.
$95K
$1.4M
$202K
$138K
Most grants fall between $2K and $6K, with a median of $3K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$3K
75th Percentile
$6K
About 4% of grants go to recipients in NJ.
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Notable grantees: American Cancer Society, Mercer Street Friends, Philabundance, Trenton Area Soup Kitchen
Typical grants are modest: the 25th percentile is $2,375, the median is $3,200, and the 75th percentile is $6,000. The recent record shows both one-time gifts and repeated awards to the same organizations across multiple years, including Philabundance, Mercer Street Friends, Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, Homefront, United Way of Greater Mercer County, The College of New Jersey, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The foundation is a private charitable foundation, not a vehicle for individual giving or program-related investments. Grant descriptions are frequently labeled general support, general, or general support, indicating flexible funding rather than tightly restricted project grants.
Giving is national, but the awards cluster heavily in the Philadelphia–Trenton corridor. Philadelphia, PA appears through Philabundance; Trenton, NJ through Mercer Street Friends and Trenton Area Soup Kitchen; and Lawrenceville, NJ through United Way of Greater Mercer County and Homefront. Other recipients in the recent list include Ewing, NJ, Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD, Atlanta, GA, Memphis, TN, Oklahoma City, OK, New York, NY, and Herndon, VA. Pennsylvania accounts for 4% of grants, while Massachusetts is the top state by grant count.
Recent grants go to cancer charities, food security providers, and community welfare organizations. Examples include American Cancer Society for general support, Philabundance and Trenton Area Soup Kitchen for general support, and direct-service groups such as Mercer Street Friends, Homefront, and United Way of Greater Mercer County.
The foundation gives nationally, with recipients in multiple states including PA, NJ, DC, MD, GA, TN, OK, NY, and VA. Even so, many awards are concentrated in the Philadelphia–Trenton area, especially Philadelphia, Trenton, and Lawrenceville.
The grant-size distribution is modest: the 25th percentile is $2,375, the median is $3,200, and the 75th percentile is $6,000. Recent grants do include larger awards, such as $41,750 to American Cancer Society and $24,000 to Philabundance.
Yes. Several organizations appear across multiple years, including Philabundance, Mercer Street Friends, Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, Homefront, United Way of Greater Mercer County, The College of New Jersey, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The repeated awards suggest ongoing relationships rather than one-off gifts.
The grant descriptions are often labeled general support or general. That pattern appears across health, hunger relief, and community-service grants, which points to flexible operating-style funding rather than tightly restricted project grants.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philabundance | Philadelphia, PA | $16,050 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TRENTON AREA SOUP KITCHEN | TRENTON, NJ | $15,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MERCER STREET FRIENDS | TRENTON, NJ | $8,500 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY | Atlanta, GA | $8,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST JUDES CHILDRENS HOSPITAL | MEMPHIS, TN | $8,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| UNITED WAY OF GREATER MERCER COUNTY | LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ | $7,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY | EWING, NJ | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HUMANE FARM ANIMAL CARE | HERNDON, VA | $4,300 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HOMEFRONT | LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ | $3,200 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PCRM FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY | NEW YORK, NY | $2,700 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WORLD SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANIMALS | BOSTON, MA | $2,250 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BORN FREE USA UNITED WITH ANIMAL PROTECTION | SACRAMENTO, CA | $2,200 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FARM SANCTUARY | WATKINS GLEN, NY | $2,150 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Animal Welfare Institute | Washington, DC | $2,150 | 2026 | general support |
| INTERNATIONAL PRIMATE PROTECTION LEAGUE | SUMMERVILLE, SC | $2,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY | KANAB, UT | $1,850 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SAVE | PRINCETON, NJ | $1,200 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Philabundance | Philadelphia, PA | $8,550 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MERCER STREET FRIENDS | TRENTON, NJ | $8,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ST JUDES CHILDRENS HOSPITAL | MEMPHIS, TN | $8,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| TRENTON AREA SOUP KITCHEN | TRENTON, NJ | $8,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY | Atlanta, GA | $8,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNITED WAY OF GREATER MERCER COUNTY | LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ | $7,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY | EWING, NJ | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HOMEFRONT | LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ | $3,200 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HUMANE FARM ANIMAL CARE | HERNDON, VA | $3,020 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY | NEW YORK, NY | $2,450 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PCRM FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,400 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Animal Welfare Institute | Washington, DC | $1,800 | 2025 | general support |
| INTERNATIONAL PRIMATE PROTECTION LEAGUE | SUMMERVILLE, SC | $1,800 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BORN FREE USA UNITED WITH ANIMAL PROTECTION | SACRAMENTO, CA | $1,700 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WORLD SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANIMALS | BOSTON, MA | $1,700 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FARM SANCTUARY | WATKINS GLEN, NY | $1,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY | KANAB, UT | $1,200 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SAVE | PRINCETON, NJ | $1,200 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Philabundance | Philadelphia, PA | $24,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MERCER STREET FRIENDS | TRENTON, NJ | $10,800 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| TRENTON AREA SOUP KITCHEN | TRENTON, NJ | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST JUDES CHILDRENS HOSPITAL | MEMPHIS, TN | $5,200 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY | EWING, NJ | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNITED WAY OF GREATER MERCER COUNTY | LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ | $4,800 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YWCA | WASHINGTON, DC | $4,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HOMEFRONT | LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ | $4,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY | NEW YORK, NY | $3,300 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HUMANE FARM ANIMAL CARE | HERNDON, VA | $3,200 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PCRM FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $3,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BORN FREE USA UNITED WITH ANIMAL PROTECTION | SACRAMENTO, CA | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY | KANAB, UT | $2,400 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WORLD SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANIMALS | BOSTON, MA | $2,300 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
TRENTON AREA SOUP KITCHEN
$15,500GENERAL SUPPORT
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
$8,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GENERAL SUPPORT
HUMANE FARM ANIMAL CARE
$4,300GENERAL SUPPORT
WORLD SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANIMALS
$2,250GENERAL SUPPORT
BORN FREE USA UNITED WITH ANIMAL PROTECTION
$2,200GENERAL SUPPORT
INTERNATIONAL PRIMATE PROTECTION LEAGUE
$2,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SAVE
$1,200GENERAL SUPPORT
MERCER STREET FRIENDS
$8,500GENERAL
TRENTON AREA SOUP KITCHEN
$8,000GENERAL SUPPORT
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
$8,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HUMANE FARM ANIMAL CARE
$3,020GENERAL SUPPORT
INTERNATIONAL PRIMATE PROTECTION LEAGUE
$1,800GENERAL SUPPORT
BORN FREE USA UNITED WITH ANIMAL PROTECTION
$1,700GENERAL SUPPORT
WORLD SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANIMALS
$1,700GENERAL SUPPORT
SAVE
$1,200GENERAL SUPPORT
YWCA
$4,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HUMANE FARM ANIMAL CARE
$3,200GENERAL SUPPORT
BORN FREE USA UNITED WITH ANIMAL PROTECTION
$2,500GENERAL SUPPORT
WORLD SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANIMALS
$2,300GENERAL SUPPORT