Five Things to Know About the J. Philip and Jennifer DiNapoli Foundation

Editor's note: This article was revised and updated on 10/5/21.

Among the many locally-focused donors in the Bay Area of California are J. Philip and Jennifer DiNapoli, who established their own family foundation in 1984. Although this is certainly not the most accessible or approachable foundation in the region, it is still worth getting to know because of its future potential. The founders are still very much involved in their business interests for now but continue to give steadily to groups that have a personal connection to the family.

Here are a few things to know about J. Philip and Jennifer DiNapoli’s Bay Area giving.

The DiNapolis Have Strong Bay Area Roots

J. Philip DiNapoli was born and raised in San Jose, California. He attended Stanford University and Santa Clara University in this same region for his education. The couple’s grants regularly support local organizations and do not often stray from the Bay Area. Recent grantees are based in San Jose, Berkeley, Santa Clara, Saratoga, and San Francisco.

The Couple’s Wealth Comes from Banking and Real Estate

Wealthy donors in the Bay Area tend to come from the tech industry or the banking industry, and the DiNapolis come from the latter. J. Philip DiNapoli was a founding chairman of Plaza Bank of Commerce, which merged with Comerica Bank of Detroit in 2001. He is also the director of JP Napoli Companies, which is a real estate investment, development and property management company that focuses on office, R&D, warehouse and distribution properties.

Four Major Areas of Interest

Much of the DiNapolis’ giving focuses on education, which extends in large part to DiNapoli’s alma mater, Stanford University. Other local educational institutions of interest are the Presentation High School, Bellarmine College Preparatory and Sacred Heart Nativity School. The couple often supports Catholic schools.

Aside from education, the DiNapolis fund arts and culture groups that the couple is interested in and involved with. These include the Montalvo Arts Center, the San Francisco Opera, and the San Jose Museum of Art. Human services grantmaking has extended to the United Way and Catholic Charities, while the couple has awarded religion-focused grants to local churches.

The Foundation Maintains a Low Profile

The DiNapoli Foundation does not have a website and does not make itself particularly accessible to grantseekers. Many of the foundation’s grants range from $1,000 to $50,000, however, the couple does not provide details about how Bay Area nonprofits can secure funding or inquire about grant opportunities.

Unsolicited Funding Requests are Unwelcome

According to recent tax records, J. Philip and Jennifer DiNapoli do not accept unsolicited requests for funding for their foundation. Instead, the couple tends to stick to familiar causes and provide steady support to organizations that have a local and personal connection to the family.

You can learn about how the DiNapoli couples gives locally in IP’s full profile, which is part of our Bay Area and NorCal funding guide.