The Sumner Family Foundation concentrates on poverty alleviation and economic justice through both direct cash-transfer programs and traditional safety-net services, while also funding criminal justice reform and anti-trafficking work. Their grants favor a small number of sizable awards to organizations working on immediate relief (food security, direct cash) and systemic change (bail reform, poverty research/experiments), with some attention to local New Jersey needs alongside international poverty interventions.
Concentrated, large-dollar grants with repeated multi-year or multi-grant support to a small set of national and local organizations; mix of domestic (NJ) operational support and international poverty-focused funding.
The Sumner Family Foundation Inc has made direct cash transfers one of its largest recent commitments, giving GiveDirectly $1,000,000 in 2024 after a $650,000 grant in 2023. That pairing points to a funder that backs both immediate relief and longer-running support, alongside a separate stream of funding for anti-poverty research, food access, and criminal justice reform. The foundation’s recent grants also show a preference for general support rather than tightly restricted project funding. Within poverty-related work, the foundation has supported organizations using different strategies: Community Food Bank of NJ received $550,000 in 2024 and $300,000 in 2023, while the Bail Projects Inc was awarded $300,000 in both 2023 and 2024. Innovations for Poverty received $250,000 in each of those two years, indicating continued support for evidence-driven work. The portfolio also includes a sizable grant to Freeworld in 2024, showing interest in survivor services and technology-enabled support. The grant list suggests a mix of national organizations and New Jersey-based recipients, with several repeat grantees across multiple years.
Poverty alleviation appears in both direct aid and systems-oriented work. GiveDirectly received $1,000,000 in 2024 for general support, and Innovations for Poverty received $250,000 in both 2023 and 2024, showing support for cash transfer delivery and poverty research. Food security is another clear theme. Community Food Bank of NJ received $550,000 in 2024 and $300,000 in 2023 for general support, tying the foundation to emergency food distribution in New Jersey. Criminal justice reform shows up through The Bail Projects Inc, which received $300,000 in 2023 and another $300,000 in 2024. The foundation also funded Freedom House with $75,000 in 2024 and $25,000 in 2023, reinforcing its attention to reentry and related supports. Anti-trafficking and survivor services are represented by Freeworld, which received $500,000 in 2024 for general support.
Typical recent grants cluster around a median of $10,000, with the 25th percentile also at $10,000 and the 75th percentile at $125,000. The spread suggests a pattern of many modest awards with a smaller number of much larger commitments. Repeat grants are common in the recent list: GiveDirectly, Community Food Bank of NJ, The Bail Projects Inc, Innovations for Poverty, Ahs Hospital, Oxfam, Authors League Fund, and Oldwick Fire Company all appear in more than one year. The foundation is organized as a family foundation, and the recent grants are overwhelmingly listed as general support, unrestricted support, or core support.
$4M
$143.3M
$8.2M
$4.3M
Most grants fall between $10K and $125K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$125K
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Notable grantees: GiveDirectly, Community Food Bank of New Jersey, Bail Projects Inc, Innovations for Poverty Action, Freeworld
Grant recipients are entirely U.S.-based in the recent list. New Jersey is the top giving state by count, and 53% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Recent New Jersey recipients include Hillside, Morristown, Livingston, Princeton, Far Hills, Oldwick, and Tewksbury. Outside New Jersey, grants also land in New York, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania-linked regional work through Princeton.
Recent grants center on poverty alleviation, food security, criminal justice reform, anti-trafficking work, and evidence-driven poverty research. Examples include GiveDirectly for direct cash transfers, Community Food Bank of NJ for food support, The Bail Projects Inc for bail reform, Innovations for Poverty for research, and Freeworld for survivor services.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including GiveDirectly in 2023 and 2024, Community Food Bank of NJ in 2023 and 2024, The Bail Projects Inc in 2023 and 2024, Innovations for Poverty in 2023 and 2024, and Oxfam in 2023 and 2024.
The recent grant distribution is centered at $10,000: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $10,000, and the 75th percentile is $125,000. That pattern indicates many smaller awards alongside a smaller set of larger commitments.
New Jersey is the top state by grant count, with 53% of grants going to recipients in NJ. Recent New Jersey recipients include Hillside, Morristown, Livingston, Princeton, Far Hills, Oldwick, and Tewksbury.
Most of the recent awards are listed as general support, with the foundation also using unrestricted support and core or operational support. That pattern appears across larger grants such as those to GiveDirectly, Freeworld, and Community Food Bank of NJ.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GIVE DIRECTLY | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| INNOVATIONS FOR POVERTY | NEW HAVEN, CT | $750,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COMMUNITY FOOD BANK OF NJ | HILLSIDE, NJ | $550,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FREEDOM HOUSE | MORRISTOWN, NJ | $325,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BAIL PROJECTS INC | VENICE, CA | $300,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FREEWORLD | SAN JOSE, CA | $300,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TEWKSBURY FIRST AID SQUAD | CALIFON, NJ | $215,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AHS HOSPITAL | MORRISTOWN, NJ | $150,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEWARK ACADEMY | LIVINGSTON, NJ | $51,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GREAT SWAMP WATERSHED ASSOCIATION | MORRISTOWN, NJ | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YOUNG AUDIENCES OF NJ AND EASTERN PA | PRINCETON, NJ | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DATAKIND INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AUTHORS LEAGUE FUND | BROOKLYN, NY | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MEDIA ART XPLORATION INC | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $17,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE SOMO PROJECT | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FROM HOUSES TO HOMES - GUATEMALA INC | MOUNT TABOR, NJ | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSITAL | MEMPHIS, TN | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PRESCHOOL ADVANTAGE INC | MORRISTOWN, NJ | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEW JERSEY CONSERVATION FOUNDATION | FAR HILLS, NJ | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TEWKSBURY LAND TRUST | OLDWICK, NJ | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| RARITAN HEADWATERS ASSOCIATION | GLADSTONE, NJ | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CROSSROADS4HOPE | BEDMINSTER, NJ | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OLDWICK FIRE COMPANY | OLDWICK, NJ | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LIFECAMP INC | MORRISTOWN, NJ | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JOYFUL HEART FOUNDATION | BROOKLYN, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PEO FOUNDATION | DES MOINES, IA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MANE STREAM INC | OLDWICK, NJ | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FIRST RESPONDERS CHILDRENS FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| KENT PLACE SCHOOL | SUMMIT, NJ | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GIVE DIRECTLY | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COMMUNITY FOOD BANK OF NJ | HILLSIDE, NJ | $550,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FREEWORLD | SAN JOSE, CA | $500,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BAIL PROJECTS INC | VENICE, CA | $300,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| INNOVATIONS FOR POVERTY | NEW HAVEN, CT | $250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AHS HOSPITAL | MORRISTOWN, NJ | $150,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OXFAM | BOSTON, MA | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FREEDOM HOUSE | MORRISTOWN, NJ | $75,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEWARK ACADEMY | LIVINGSTON, NJ | $51,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AUTHORS LEAGUE FUND | BROOKLYN, NY | $30,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MANE STREAM INC | OLDWICK, NJ | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OLDWICK FIRE COMPANY | OLDWICK, NJ | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TEWKSBURY FIRST AID SQUAD | CALIFON, NJ | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEW JERSEY CONSERVATION FOUNDATION | FAR HILLS, NJ | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MEDIA ART XPLORATION INC | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE SOMO PROJECT | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BRADY LIFE CAMP | TEWKSBURY, NJ | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DATAKIND INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSITAL | MEMPHIS, TN | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TEWKSBURY LAND TRUST | OLDWICK, NJ | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| RARITAN WATERSHED ASSOCIATION | BEDMINSTER, NJ | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
INNOVATIONS FOR POVERTY
$750,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FREEDOM HOUSE
$325,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GENERAL SUPPORT
TEWKSBURY FIRST AID SQUAD
$215,000GENERAL SUPPORT
AHS HOSPITAL
$150,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NEWARK ACADEMY
$51,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GREAT SWAMP WATERSHED ASSOCIATION
$40,000GENERAL SUPPORT
AUTHORS LEAGUE FUND
$30,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MEDIA ART XPLORATION INC
$17,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE SOMO PROJECT
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FROM HOUSES TO HOMES - GUATEMALA INC
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSITAL
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TEWKSBURY LAND TRUST
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
RARITAN HEADWATERS ASSOCIATION
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
OLDWICK FIRE COMPANY
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PEO FOUNDATION
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MANE STREAM INC
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
KENT PLACE SCHOOL
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BAIL PROJECTS INC
$300,000GENERAL SUPPORT
INNOVATIONS FOR POVERTY
$250,000GENERAL SUPPORT
AHS HOSPITAL
$150,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FREEDOM HOUSE
$75,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NEWARK ACADEMY
$51,000GENERAL SUPPORT
AUTHORS LEAGUE FUND
$30,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MANE STREAM INC
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
OLDWICK FIRE COMPANY
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TEWKSBURY FIRST AID SQUAD
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MEDIA ART XPLORATION INC
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE SOMO PROJECT
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BRADY LIFE CAMP
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSITAL
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TEWKSBURY LAND TRUST
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
RARITAN WATERSHED ASSOCIATION
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT