About the TJM Family Foundation
HONORING T.J. MORAN'S LIFE & LEGACY
A Lifelong Entrepreneur
As a lifelong entrepreneur, his most notable business accomplishments were becoming the first franchisee of Ruth's Chris Steak House in Baton Rouge in 1975, and eventually becoming the largest franchisee with franchises in 11 cities across the country. T.J. sold the other locations and left the Baton Rouge steakhouse to Chris Bachman, an accomplished restaurateur and dear friend.
TJ opened several other restaurant in Baton Rouge, including T.J. Ribs, Ninfa's and Ruffino's. His only son, Burke, owns these restaurants in addition to several of his own restaurants in Wyoming and Montana.
T.J. often used his restaurants to support hundreds of fundraisers benefiting many charitable organizations. T.J.'s business philosophy can be simply stated as – "Try to find a way to make it better every day."
A Dedicated Philanthropist
During his life T.J. helped improve his community through a variety of charitable contributions, often from behind the scenes. A longtime fan of LSU basketball and friend of Coach Dale Brown, T.J. was founding director of the Dale Brown Foundation, providing educational opportunities for students from underprivileged backgrounds.
T.J. served on the boards of the Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation, Girls and Boys Town and the Baton Rouge River Center. He also supported the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, St. Jude Research Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital and the Emerge Center, which now has a classroom named after him. T.J. also made generous donations to his two favorite universities: The University of Wisconsin and Louisiana State University (LSU).
As a cancer survivor, T.J. became a supporter of Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center. In the 1990’s he was a founding member of the Cancer Center's annual Charity Golf Classic and lead the highly successful "Brick by Brick" capital campaign for the construction of the six-story addition to the Cancer Center.
In 2010 T.J. gifted $1 million to the endowment of the Cancer Center's Foundation and brought to life the Heart of Hero grateful giving program. In 2014 the Cancer Center unveiled the Thomas J. Moran Imaging Center in his honor. The Center offers the latest in diagnostic technologies, which is important for treatment planning and follow-up care.
A Lasting Legacy of Giving
Through his various charitable efforts and endeavors, T.J. significantly improved the quality of life for many residents in Baton Rouge and throughout Louisiana. Prior to his death in 2015, T.J. established his own private family foundation, the Thomas Joseph Moran (TJM) Family Foundation.
Today, the board of trustees is led by T.J.’s five children and nine grandchildren who are responsible for continuing in his spirit of giving back. The board remains sensitive to the charities and causes dear to T.J., and also looks for new opportunities to address current needs in Baton Rouge and other communities of importance to the family. The foundation's aim is to honor and build on T.J.’s legacy by investing in selected organizations that will create a lasting impact for many years to come.
The TJM Family Foundation makes several grants each year to a variety of 501(c)(3) organizations in the stated areas of interest. Click the button below to learn more about our grant guidelines or to submit a grant request.