About the TJM Family Foundation

A Legacy Built on Giving

Thomas Joseph “T.J.” Moran believed in finding a way to make things a little better every day. That philosophy shaped the way he approached business, family, community and philanthropy throughout his life.

T.J. built his career in the restaurant and hospitality industry, becoming a respected businessman and community leader. While his work took him to different places over the years, Baton Rouge became the community where he made his greatest impact and where much of his philanthropic legacy began.

The Life and Legacy of T.J. Moran

T.J. opened his first restaurant in Baton Rouge in 1975 and went on to build a successful group of restaurants and hospitality businesses. His entrepreneurial success gave him the opportunity to support the causes and organizations he believed could make a meaningful difference.

His philanthropy reflected the same practical, personal approach he brought to business. He supported organizations across healthcare, education, human services, conservation and other community needs, often developing lasting relationships with the people and organizations doing the work.

Among the many organizations and initiatives he supported were LSU, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and other charitable and community organizations throughout Baton Rouge and beyond.

For T.J., giving was not simply about writing a check. It was about helping people, strengthening communities and leaving things better than he found them.

Carrying His Legacy Forward

Before his death in 2015, T.J. established the TJM Family Foundation to ensure that spirit of generosity would continue for generations.

Today, his children and grandchildren carry that work forward. The Foundation remains deeply connected to Baton Rouge, where T.J. lived, worked and made his greatest philanthropic impact, while its reach has grown well beyond Louisiana.

The Foundation now accepts grant applications from qualified nonprofit organizations across the country whose work aligns with its areas of interest. The family also continues to support organizations in communities where they live, serve, volunteer and have meaningful personal connections.

A Lasting Legacy of Giving

The TJM Family Foundation supports organizations working in Animal Welfare, Conservation, Education, Healthcare, Human Services and Research.

While the Foundation’s giving has expanded nationally, its approach remains personal. Grantmaking is shaped not only by mission alignment and community need, but also by the family’s longstanding relationships with organizations and the communities that matter to them.

Through each grant, partnership and act of service, the Moran family continues the work T.J. began: supporting people and organizations that make their communities stronger and carrying his belief in making things a little better every day into the future.

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