Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation
Accepts applications
Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation is a private foundation in Houston, Texas. In tax year 2024 it gave $6.8 million in 174 grants; the typical grant was $30,000 and the largest $455,000. It accepts applications; its filing gives the instructions below.
From its IRS Form 990-PF for tax year 2024.
- Grants paid, 2024$6.8 million
- Number of grants174
- Typical grant$30,000
- Largest grant$455,000
- Assets$123 million
- New grantees41%
Giving in 2024 was up from $6.4 million the year before.
41% of its 2024 grantees had not received a grant from it the year before, a sign it is open to new organizations.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants paid | Number of grants | Assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $6.4 million | 164 | $120 million |
| 2024 | $6.8 million | 174 | $123 million |
How to apply
| Contact | Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation PO Box 66009, Houston, TX 77266 |
|---|---|
| Phone or email | (713) 529-7612, support@jthershey.org |
| What to submit | Anyone interested in applying for a grant must first submit a letter of inquiry via our online system at https://jthershey.org/apply/. |
| Deadlines | Varies, see website |
| Restrictions | Evaluated on case by case basis by the Board |
Foundation website IRS filings on ProPublica
What Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation funds
Where it gives
Its grants went to recipients in 14 states, the most to Texas.
| State | Grants | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 132 | $4.5 million |
| New York | 12 | $777,000 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | $455,000 |
| District of Columbia | 10 | $388,000 |
| California | 7 | $320,000 |
| Arizona | 2 | $90,000 |
| Maryland | 1 | $90,000 |
| North Carolina | 1 | $50,000 |
| Oregon | 1 | $50,000 |
| Montana | 2 | $35,000 |
Grants paid in 2024
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Charitable | Contribution to Donor Advised Fund | $455,000 |
| Parks and Wildlife Foundation of Texas Inc | Toward developing Palo Pinto Mountains State Park | $250,000 |
| Rockefeller Family Fund Inc | Toward efforts to stop the buildout of oil export terminals along the Texas coast | $250,000 |
| Public Citizen Foundation Inc | Toward accountability for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality | $175,000 |
| Center for Reproductive Rights | Toward operating support for the organization's work in Texas | $150,000 |
| Air Alliance Houston | Toward general operations | $120,000 |
| Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Inc | Toward the purposes of Organizing Resilience | $100,000 |
| Healthy Gulf | Toward the purposes of CEER | $100,000 |
| Nuclear Information & Resource Service | Toward resisting new nuclear energy facilities and waste storage sites in Texas | $90,000 |
| Bayou City Waterkeeper | Toward general operations | $80,000 |
| LINK Houston | Toward general operations | $77,000 |
| Commission Shift | Toward general operations | $76,000 |
| Calhoun County Resource Watch | Toward general operations | $75,000 |
| Inside Climate News | Toward reporting on the issue of produced water in Texas | $75,000 |
| Lone Star Legal Aid | Toward environmental justice legal services along the upper Texas coast | $75,000 |
| Sierra Club Foundation | Toward the purposes of the Lone Star chapter of the Sierra Club | $75,000 |
| Spark | Toward general operations | $75,000 |
| Texas Land Trust Council | Toward general operations | $75,000 |
| The Film Collaborative Inc | Toward the Zurawski v. Texas film | $75,000 |
| Jolt Initiative | Toward general operations | $70,000 |
| ACLU Foundation of Texas | Toward efforts to restore reproductive rights in Texas | $65,500 |
| Avow Foundation for Abortion Access Inc | Toward general operations | $65,000 |
| Environmental Integrity Project | Toward operating support for the organization's work in Texas | $65,000 |
| Public Citizen Foundation Inc | Toward the purposes of the Healthy Port Communities Coalition | $65,000 |
| The Afiya Center | Toward general operations | $65,000 |
| Texas Freedom Network Education Fund | Toward general operations | $61,000 |
| Land Trust Alliance Inc | Toward building capacity among Texas land trusts | $60,000 |
| National Wildlife Federation | Toward advancing a sustainable water future for the people and wildlife of Texas | $60,000 |
| National Wildlife Federation | Toward ensuring responsible storm surge protection along the upper Texas coast | $60,000 |
| Texas Campaign for the Environment Fund | Toward general operations | $60,000 |
| Texas Impact Education Fund | Toward general operations | $60,000 |
| Texas Tribune Inc | Toward reporting on the environment and reproductive rights | $60,000 |
| Tides Center | Toward the purposes of RRRH | $60,000 |
| Young Invincibles | Toward general operations | $51,000 |
| Achieving Community Tasks Successfully | Toward improvements at Pleasantville Park | $50,000 |
| Austin Parks Foundation | Toward advancing local parks | $50,000 |
| Bayou Land Conservancy | Toward general operations | $50,000 |
| Coastal Prairie Conservancy | Toward general operations | $50,000 |
| Environmental Defense Fund Inc | Toward advancing sustainable groundwater management in Texas | $50,000 |
| Friends of Brazoria Wildlife Refuges | Toward advancing land conservation along Texas' mid-coast | $50,000 |
Officers and trustees
- Jeffrey Hershey
- Andrew H Sansom
- Amie Rodnick
- Kim Baker
- Olive Hershey
- Bakeyah Nelson
- Angelica Razo
- Elizabeth GLove
Questions people ask
Does Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation accept grant applications?
Yes. Its latest IRS filing says it accepts applications, with this on deadlines: Varies, see website.
How much does Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation give?
$6.8 million in tax year 2024, across 174 grants, with a typical grant of $30,000.
Who runs Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation?
Its 2024 filing lists Jeffrey Hershey (President/Director), Andrew H Sansom (Treasurer/Director), Amie Rodnick (Secretary/Director) and Kim Baker (Director) among 8 officers and trustees.
What does Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation fund?
Based on its grants, mainly environment and conservation, education and health.