S. Mark Taper Foundation Grant

The S. Mark Taper Foundation is a private grantmaking organization with a long-standing history of supporting nonprofit organizations throughout Southern California. With an annual grant cycle, the Foundation emphasizes a responsive approach to philanthropy, focusing on organizations that serve communities in key counties including Los Angeles, Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura. However, it places particular priority on organizations based in and serving Los Angeles County. To be eligible, applicants must be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and in good standing with California state regulatory entities. Past recipients must wait three full calendar years before reapplying. The Foundation accepts Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) as the first step of the application process. For the 2026 grant cycle, the LOI submission window opens at 2:00 p.m. PST on December 2, 2025, and closes at 2:00 p.m. PST on February 4, 2026. All LOIs must be submitted through the Foundation's online grants portal. Applicants must upload a current California Entity Status Letter showing both required boxes checked; without this, the LOI will be automatically declined. The Foundation does not provide guidance on resolving state compliance issues. Funding is available in three main forms: general operating support, program-specific funding, and capital grants. General operating support offers unrestricted funds to support an organization's overall mission. Program grants are designated for specific projects or initiatives. Capital grants are limited to Los Angeles County-based nonprofits and must be used for physical projects such as property purchase, construction, renovations, or equipment. The minimum request for capital funding is $100,000. Organizations are encouraged to align their request amounts with their historical grant sizes and organizational budgets. The Foundation funds a range of focus areas including arts, civic affairs, education, environment, health, and social services. However, it does not support endowments, vehicle purchases, educational institutions, political causes, research, or organizations with specific leadership or governance issues such as recent executive transitions or board-staff loans. Following LOI review in February through April, select organizations will be invited to submit full grant applications between May and September. Notifications regarding funding decisions are sent by the end of October, with grant payments issued in mid-December. Due to high submission volumes, individual status updates will not be provided during the LOI review phase. For inquiries, the Foundation may be contacted at grants@smtfoundation.org or (310) 476-5543.

Ensure California Entity Status Letter has both boxes 1 and 3 checked. Avoid applying if there has been a leadership transition or board loan.