Krupp Family Foundation

The Krupp Family Foundation operates as a trust-based private funder that has deliberately moved away from competitive grant-making toward deep, sustained partnerships. Led by President Liana Krupp and VP of Programs Gabriella Mora, the foundation functions as an invitation-only funder — there is no open application process, no RFP, and no portal for unsolicited proposals. The single most important fact for any grant seeker: the path to a Krupp grant runs through relationships formed in aligned movement and funder networks, not through any formal application system.

The foundation's theory of change divides the social change landscape into three organizational types it actively supports: base-building organizations (frontline grassroots groups led by people most impacted by injustice, including Jewish community organizations working in progressive solidarity movements); movement infrastructure organizations (groups providing training, connectivity, and resource distribution to support those base builders); and inside-game organizations (advocacy and policy groups working within institutions to protect existing rights and advance structural change). Understanding which category your organization fits — and framing your work using this language — is essential preparation for any Krupp conversation.

Geographic focus is explicit and non-negotiable: Massachusetts (centered on Greater Boston) and Los Angeles. Massachusetts dominates the historical grant record with 99 of 183 documented grants (54%), followed by New York at 36 grants (20%) and California at 19 (10%). The Los Angeles focus is described as an intentional, growing strategic priority — LA-based organizations may find less competition for Krupp's attention compared to the well-developed Boston portfolio.

The typical relationship progression involves an organization surfacing through mutual funder networks — Hyams Foundation, Proteus Fund, and Trust-Based Philanthropy Project member organizations are the most credible connectors given board overlaps. After informal engagement with Liana Krupp or Gabriella Mora in movement spaces or funder convenings, an organization is invited to apply through the JustFund platform. Grants are almost always multi-year (3-year cycles) supporting general operating costs — not programmatic budgets or capital projects.

Core portfolio partners — Fresh Truck Inc. ($1.2M across 3 grants), Keshet ($861K across 3 grants), Jewish Arts Collaborative ($675K across 3 grants) — demonstrate that the foundation invests deeply in organizations it trusts over time. First-time grantees typically enter at $25,000–$50,000 and build from there through successive multi-year cycles.

Total documented grantee data covers 183 grants totaling $8.45 million, with annual giving from 990 filings ranging from $2.09M in grants paid (FY2023) to $3.27M in total giving (FY2021). The 2025 commitment of $2.5M across 49 grantees implies an average of approximately $51,000 per grantee — slightly above the all-portfolio average of $46,190.

Grant size profile: Median grant: $25,000. Average: $46,190–$48,297. Documented range: $1,000 to $350,000 per the foundation's own grant-size data, though multi-year relationship totals reach $1.2M (Fresh Truck Inc.), $861K (Keshet), and $675K (Jewish Arts Collaborative). Single-grant maximums in the tracked record include $275,000 (Keshet Inc.), $250,000 (Jewish Arts Collaborative; About Fresh Inc.), $200,000 (Boston Ballet; Lenny Zakim Fund), and $125,000 (Museum of Fine Arts; Art Council Inc.). The median of $25,000 signals a broad exploratory tier of smaller grants coexisting with a concentrated core cohort of deeply funded partners.

Annual giving trends: FY2019: $3.14M total giving / $2.73M grants paid. FY2020: $2.78M / $2.36M. FY2021: $3.27M / $2.80M. FY2022: $2.56M / $2.00M. FY2023: $2.73M / $2.09M. This $2M–$3M band has been remarkably consistent over five years. However, a $26.7M contribution infusion in FY2023 brought total assets from $1.4M to $27.7M — a balance sheet transformation that could support materially higher annual grantmaking in future cycles.

Geographic breakdown: Massachusetts 99 grants (54%); New York 36 (20%); California 19 (10%); Wisconsin 8 (4%); Washington DC 7 (4%); Illinois 5 (3%); Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas account for the remaining 9 grants combined.

Sector allocation (inferred from top 50 grantees): Social and racial justice organizing (United South End Settlements, Building Audacity, Freedom Inc., Leadership Brainery, Alliance for Global Justice) represents approximately 35% of documented giving. Jewish identity, advocacy, and culture (Keshet, Jewish Arts Collaborative, Jewish Liberation Fund, IfNotNow, Boston Worker's Circle) accounts for roughly 20%. Arts and culture (Fulcrum Arts, Boston Ballet, Museum of Fine Arts, Metropolitan Opera) approximately 15%. Reproductive and civil rights (Planned Parenthood, ACLU, GLBTQ Legal Advocates) roughly 10%. Environmental justice (Earthjustice) and movement infrastructure and fiscal sponsors (Proteus Fund, Tides Foundation, Social Good Fund) round out the portfolio.

Portfolio concentration: The top 10 grantees by total amount account for approximately 43% of documented giving. Fresh Truck, Keshet, and Jewish Arts Collaborative alone represent 32% — a clear signal that the foundation reserves its largest and most sustained investments for a small core cohort while using smaller grants to cultivate emerging relationships.

The five asset-size peer foundations identified in the database all hold approximately $28.5M in assets and are categorized under Philanthropy and Grantmaking, but none share Krupp's explicit social justice orientation, Boston-Massachusetts geographic focus, or trust-based grantmaking philosophy.

Among these asset-size peers, Krupp stands out for the specificity and coherence of its public-facing grantmaking framework: a documented theory of change (base-building, movement infrastructure, inside-game), defined geographic priorities, and an articulated trust-based multi-year grant philosophy. The other peer foundations in this asset tier maintain minimal public profiles, making direct strategic comparison difficult.

More contextually meaningful comparisons emerge from Krupp's own board and funder network. Hyams Foundation (Boston, assets ~$250M, community development focus) — represented on Krupp's board by Senior Advisor David Moy — operates at a much larger scale but shares Greater Boston geographic commitment and community power-building values. Proteus Fund (national social justice fiscal sponsor and funder) has received $223K in Krupp grants and serves as a peer in the movement philanthropy ecosystem rather than a comparable by asset size. These network relationships matter more for grant seekers than the asset-size peer group above.

The most significant recent development at the Krupp Family Foundation is a dramatic asset expansion: total assets surged from approximately $1.4M (FY2022) to $27.7M (FY2023) after the foundation received $26.7M in contributions in a single fiscal year, reaching $28.5M by FY2024. This effectively transformed the foundation from a modest family foundation operating near spend-down levels into a mid-tier endowed institution. The FY2023 revenue figure of $27.5M was a clear anomaly driven by this infusion; net investment income of $858K in the same year suggests the assets are now generating meaningful returns that could support increased annual grantmaking above the historical $2M–$3M range.

In 2025, the foundation publicly joined the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project's Meet the Moment initiative, signaling a deliberate alignment with funders sustaining movement organizations through a challenging political environment. The 2025 cohort of 49 grantees receiving $2.5M represents the clearest recent public statement of priorities.

Leadership remains stable. President Liana Krupp — who holds a background spanning 15 years in fashion and digital media before transitioning to philanthropy — continues to direct the strategic work established around 2020. Gabriella Mora (VP of Programs and Strategy) brings public health and policy expertise. Board additions David Moy (Hyams Foundation) and Naomi Orensten (formerly Dorot Foundation) have strengthened the foundation's connections to Boston's Jewish philanthropic and community development ecosystems.

No leadership transitions, new program areas, or major public grant announcements beyond the 2025 cohort commitment have been reported in available sources for 2025–2026. Co-founders George and Lizbeth Krupp remain trustees in an emeritus capacity.

Since the Krupp Family Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, these tips focus first on the pathway to an invitation and then on what strengthens an organization's case once in conversation.

Enter the right funder networks before approaching Krupp. Liana Krupp and Gabriella Mora are active participants in trust-based philanthropy convenings, social justice funder collaboratives, and Boston-area funder networks. Presence at Trust-Based Philanthropy Project gatherings, RSF Social Finance events, or Boston-area social justice funder roundtables creates authentic touchpoints. This is not transactional networking — it is how the foundation actually discovers organizations it wants to fund.

Use board connections deliberately. David Moy (Senior Advisor, Hyams Foundation) and Naomi Orensten (formerly Senior Director, Dorot Foundation) provide the most direct referral pathways to Krupp leadership. Organizations already in relationship with Hyams or previously funded by Dorot should seek warm introductions through those channels.

Leverage the Jewish social justice angle. Of the top 10 grantees by cumulative funding, four carry explicit Jewish identity or Jewish social justice missions: Keshet ($861K total), Jewish Arts Collaborative ($675K), Jewish Liberation Fund ($30K), and Boston Worker's Circle ($60K). Even organizations without a Jewish identity benefit from understanding that progressive Jewish values and solidarity movements are central to the foundation's worldview — framing that acknowledges this landscape is well-received.

Use Krupp's exact language. Organizational materials, website copy, and any informal communications should speak to building cultural, political, and economic power for communities most directly impacted by systems of oppression. Avoid service-delivery framing or impact metrics that emphasize outputs over power-building.

Request general operating support only. Every documented grant in the portfolio funds general operating costs — not programs, projects, or capital needs. Any proposal framed around a specific initiative or restricted purpose is fundamentally misaligned with the foundation's philosophy.

Know the grant ceiling and entry point. The documented maximum single grant is $350,000, but most core partner grants run $75,000–$150,000 per year over a 3-year cycle. First-time grantees typically enter at $25,000–$50,000. Calibrate asks accordingly — a large first ask can signal misunderstanding of how the relationship is meant to develop.

Timing matters. The current 3-year grant cycle for much of the portfolio likely began in 2023–2024. The next major renewal window, when new organizations typically enter, may open around 2026–2027 — making now an optimal moment to begin relationship cultivation for a potential first grant in the coming cycle.