Tiger Foundation

OVERVIEW: This funder supports education, employment, youth causes and criminal justice causes in the five boroughs of New York City, aiming to end the cycle of poverty. 

IP TAKE: This is an accessible source of general operating support for organizations working to fight poverty throughout New York City.

PROFILE: The Tiger Foundation aims to break the cycle of poverty in New York City, where more than one in five residents lives below the federal poverty line. The foundation was established by the chairman of the hedge fund Tiger Management, LLC, Julian H. Robertson, Jr., in 1989. The hedge fund was liquidated in 2000, but several former employees of the company have maintained involvement with the Tiger Foundation. Working in all five boroughs of the city, this funder areas of giving are education, employment, youth and families, and criminal justice, placing emphasis on cost-effective interventions, measurable and replicable outcomes, financial responsibility and skilled leadership in its grantees.

The Tiger Foundation’s education program supports whole-school interventions and college readiness programs for public school students. Employment funding focuses on vocational training and programs that re-engage young adults with education and employment services. The youth and families initiative aims to help families with young children support early learning and socio-emotional development and support older children as they move toward “independent adulthood.” And Tiger’s criminal justice grants support direct services in NYC neighborhoods for alternatives to incarceration, post-incarceration transitioning, research and policy work.

Most Tiger grants run between $50,000 and $400,000, with an average grant size of about $150,000. In recent years, the foundation has awarded about $15 million in grants a year. This foundation does not maintain an endowment, relying instead on “funds from its board members and a close circle of friends and other partners” for its grantmaking. It does not make multi-year commitments to its grantees. For additional information about past grants, see the foundation’s grantees page.

The Tiger Foundation accepts letters of inquiry via its website and generally responds to these in four to six weeks with formal invitations to apply. General inquiries may be directed to the staff at 212-984-2565 or via email.

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