Mayer and Morris Kaplan Family Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Mayer and Morris Kaplan Foundation focuses its grantmaking on mitigating the effects of climate change, promoting climate change education and clean energy policies. It also invests in education and college readiness, but this is limited to organizations located in Chicago and Los Angeles.
IP TAKE: Kaplan is an accessible funder that prioritizes short-term threats and opportunities, using data to make informed decisions and innovative approaches to solutions in its climate change grantmaking. The foundation is approachable and invites applicants to contact its program staff before submitting a letter of inquiry. This is a good partner to have in the climate change and education spaces.
PROFILE: Established in 1958 by mattress salesman Mayer Kaplan and his son Morris, the Mayer and Morris Kaplan Family Foundation is a “multi-generational family foundation inspired by the tradition of Tzedakah, a lifelong learning and commitment to social justice.” Morris Kaplan, along with an executive team, developed the Sealy Posturepedic Mattress. Based in Highland Park, Illinois, the foundation gained a large portion of its assets from the sale of the family business and a gift from longtime family friend, Jerome Joss. The Kaplan Family Foundation focuses its giving on mitigating the effects of climate change through its Environment program and increasing access to college through its Education program.
Grants for Climate Change and Clean Energy
The foundation’s Environment program centers on “halting climate change in order to safeguard the health of people, places and the planet.” Kaplan’s climate change efforts are aimed at “decreasing domestic fossil fuel demand and production, and at promoting high-quality and scientifically accurate climate change education for young adults.” According to the foundation, it prioritizes being “responsive to short- and long-term threats and opportunities, using research and data to inform decisions, and being innovative in our approach to finding solutions.” Specific areas of interest include clean energy policy and climate change education. Kaplan’s clean energy policy grantmaking seeks organizations that use policy-focused and legislative action to affect climate change. It also seeks organizations that work to reduce fossil fuel use and mitigating the impacts of fossil fuel extraction; promote clean energy; and work with local and state governments, as well as other key actors, to address climate change through clean energy solutions. Kaplan’s climate change education focus area seeks organizations developing climate change curriculum and those working with educators and community-based organizations to promote climate change curriculums and advocacy. Past grantees include Renew Oregon, which received support for its cap and trade legislation; and the Conservation Law Foundation, which received a grant for its campaign against natural gas infrastructure.
Grants for College Readiness
Kaplan’s Education initiative aims to increase “post secondary opportunities and life success for underrepresented minority, first-generation students from low-income communities.” Its main program components are college readiness, career readiness, college completion, career pathways, and career success. It supports programs and organizations involved in academics, college application assistance, college visits and interviews, summer learning and access to college courses during high school. It promotes supportive mentoring relationships, peer group support, family engagement, financial counseling, results-tracking, and broad student support. Past grantees include Skills for Chicagoland’s Future, College Possible and the Campaign for College Opportunity of Los Angeles.
Important Grant Details:
Climate change grant amounts typically range between $10,000 and $35,000. To learn more about the types of organizations Kaplan supports and at what level, explore its recent grants lists. Kaplan prioritizes fund organizations and initiatives in states where more Trustees live (e.g., California, Colorado, Illinois), but it funds across the United States. Its education grants are only available to organizations based in Chicago and Los Angeles.
The Mayer and Morris Kaplan Foundation accepts unsolicited letters of inquiry and requests for funding; however, grantseekers must first contact program staff prior to LOI submission.
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