OVERVIEW: The Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Family Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to education, youth, the arts, and healthcare. It also earmarks funds for human services and Jewish causes.
IP TAKE: This is a low-profile, relationship-driven family foundation that is difficult to approach without an existing connection. The foundation does not maintain a public website, and its latest tax filing indicates that it supports preselected organizations rather than accepting unsolicited applications. Recent grantmaking has been especially concentrated: The foundation made one grant in 2025 and two in 2024. Grantseekers should focus on warm introductions through Tisch-connected institutions, board networks and existing grantees rather than cold outreach.
PROFILE: Established in 2012, the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Family Foundation is a New York-based private foundation associated with businessman Jonathan Tisch and his wife Lizzie, a retail entrepreneur. Jonathan Tisch is a longtime hospitality executive and a co-owner of the New York Giants, where he serves as treasurer and a board director. He retired as executive chairman of Loews Hotels & Co. at the end of 2025. Tisch is also vice chair emeritus of the Tufts University Board of Trustees, where his trustee service ran from 1988 through 2019. The foundation does not maintain a website lacking transparency, and thus, limiting further information on its priority areas and grantmaking strategies.
The Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Family Foundation (EIN 46-2435208) should not be confused with other similarly branded organizations.
- The Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Foundation Inc. (EIN 31-1641042) is an older joint Tisch foundation that dates to the late 1990s, reported no remaining assets in its final 990s, and is no longer listed as an active tax-exempt organization.
- The Jonathan M. Tisch Family Foundation (EIN 13-4037382) is a separate, active, and substantially larger foundation associated with Jonathan Tisch.
Grants for K-12 and Higher Education
Education has been a recurring interest. The foundation gave the Town School in New York a combined $2 million across 2021 and 2022. Other education grantees include Yale University and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Grants for Public Health and Human Services
Healthcare is another significant area. The foundation gave Target ALS Foundation $1 million in 2022 and has supported Hospital for Special Surgery. NewYork-Presbyterian has also received substantial support, including a $700,000 grant in 2024. 990s show that the hospital received $1.4 million from the foundation across 2021 and 2024.
Human services feature prominently in the most recent filing. The foundation’s sole 2025 grant was $360,908 to Citymeals-on-Wheels, a New York nonprofit serving older adults.
Grants for Jewish Causes
The foundation has also supported Jewish philanthropy through the Jewish Communal Fund, a New York donor-advised fund sponsor. 990s indicate that the foundation made grants to Jewish Communal Fund in both 2023 and 2024. The Shed received a $150,000 grant in 2021. Jonathan Tisch has longstanding ties to the organization.
Important Grant Details:
Grants range from $750 to around $2.4 million. In a recent fiscal year, the foundation gave away around $4.2 million. The Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Family Foundation keeps a low profile and does not accept unsolicited proposals.
PEOPLE:
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CONTACT:
Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Family Foundation
712 Fifth Avenue, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 521-2930
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