Carl E Kessler Family Foundation
The Carl E Kessler Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Fort Worth, Texas. In filing year 2025, it reported 17 grants totaling $478,710 to charitable organizations, including organizations working in human services, education, veteran support, and affordable homeownership.
Carl E Kessler Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Carl E Kessler Family Foundation gave $479K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $28K), mostly in New Jersey. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $478,710
- +54.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +13.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $28,159
- +36.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,750
- Total assets
- $8,444,882
- +6.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (2 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New Jersey (72% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Carl E Kessler Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 121579, Fort Worth, TX 76121-1579
Phone: (817) 946-3232
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Carl E Kessler Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Charity Navigator ($346K). Together the top 10 received $466K.
Grant Size Distribution
362 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 359 grants of 362 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the reported shares of grant dollars by recipient state were New Jersey 72%, Texas 26%, Missouri 1%, California 1%, and New York 1%. These shares total 101%, based on the reported rounded percentages.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Carl E Kessler Family Foundation open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 17 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $30K. How we count
Medians: $12K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 59% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+6%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 306% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $204K (2019) to $479K (2025). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $479K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Charity Navigator Glen Rock, NJ | Human Service | $346,000 |
| Communities in Schools Dallas Region Dallas, TX | Education | $25,000 |
| Salvation Army Fort Worth, TX | Human Service | $22,500 |
| North Texas Giving Dallas, TX | Human Services | $22,360 |
| Military Museum of Fort Worth Fort Worth, TX | Veteran Support | $15,000 |
| Careity Foundation Fort Worth, TX | Human Service | $10,000 |
| Deki Inc Fort Worth, TX | Education | $10,000 |
| Trinity Habitat for Humanity Fort Worth, TX | Affordable homeownership | $10,000 |
| Wings of Hope Chesterfield, MO | Human Services | $2,750 |
| American Red Cross Fort Worth, TX | Human Service | $2,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Carl E Kessler Family Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $8,444,882 | $605,661 | $788,606 | $478,710 | 17 | $478,710 | $416,935 | $156,621 |
| 2024 | $7,967,465 | $270,926 | $579,105 | $310,661 | 15 | $310,661 | $85,974 | $376,441 |
| 2023 | $7,497,587 | $152,552 | $590,778 | $345,030 | 17 | $345,030 | — | $368,618 |
| 2022 | $7,335,543 | $572,493 | $693,506 | $453,500 | 171 | $453,500 | $344,192 | $357,761 |
| 2021 | $7,823,457 | $3,655,585 | $458,336 | $215,971 | 142 | $215,971 | $3,507,970 | $336,775 |
| 2020 | $4,511,798 | $30,275 | $470,863 | $285,193 | 130 | — | — | $222,214 |
| 2019 | $4,822,408 | $87,331 | $388,895 | $203,785 | 112 | — | $51,109 | $248,824 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Carl E Kessler Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $157K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for human services, education, veteran support, affordable homeownership, and cancer-related work.
The grantees describe their work in their own terms. Charity Navigator says it provides free information, ratings, guidance, and tools to help donors make informed giving decisions. Careity Foundation says it supports cancer patients and their families through the cancer journey. Deki Inc says it helps people in Northern Uganda realize their potential through educational opportunities. Wings of Hope says it uses aviation to save and change lives and provide access to lifesaving care and resources. Stand Up To Cancer says it raises awareness and funds research to detect and treat cancers, with the aspiration to cure all patients. Brazos Foundation Inc says it financially supports charitable organizations in Palo Pinto County, Texas, and surrounding areas.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 17 grants totaling $478,710. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $346,000, with a median of $2,750. Its largest reported grants included $346,000 to Charity Navigator, $25,000 to Communities in Schools Dallas Region, $22,500 to the Salvation Army, $22,360 to North Texas Giving, and $15,000 to the Military Museum of Fort Worth. Other grants included $10,000 each to Careity Foundation, Deki Inc, and Trinity Habitat for Humanity.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists David R Kessler as Vice President, Carla K Kessler as President, and Karen Garrison as Secretary/Treasurer.
Carl E Kessler Family Foundation is led by Carla K Kessler, President since 2024 (on filings since 2019); all 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Carla K Kessler
President
Secretary & Treasurer → President, 2024
On filings since 2019
20 hrs/week
$53K (2019) → $77K (2025)
David R Kessler
Vice President
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
$40K (2019) → $50K (2025)
Karen Garrison
Secretary & Treasurer
President → Secretary & Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2022
20 hrs/week
$10K (2022) → $31K (2025)
Former officers (2)
- Former: Karen Ferguson (2019–2021) — President
- Former: Kenneth R Kessler (2019) — President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $77K, to Carla K Kessler (President). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Carl E Kessler Family Foundation
How much does Carl E Kessler Family Foundation give each year?
Carl E Kessler Family Foundation gave $479K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $311K across 15 grants.
What is Carl E Kessler Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Carl E Kessler Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,750, and its average grant was $28,159, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Carl E Kessler Family Foundation that year got $12K on average.
Where does Carl E Kessler Family Foundation give grants?
Carl E Kessler Family Foundation gives mostly in New Jersey: 72% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Texas (26%). The most frequent recipient cities were Fort Worth, TX (6 grants), Dallas, TX (2 grants) and Mineral Wells, TX (2 grants).
Does Carl E Kessler Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Carl E Kessler Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Human Service" (6 grants) and "Education" (4 grants).
Who are Carl E Kessler Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Carl E Kessler Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Charity Navigator ($346,000), Communities in Schools Dallas Region ($25,000) and Salvation Army ($22,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 82% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Carl E Kessler Family Foundation?
Carl E Kessler Family Foundation reported $8.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $479K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $157K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Carl E Kessler Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for human services, education, veteran support, affordable homeownership, and cancer-related work. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Carl E Kessler Family Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Carl E Kessler Family Foundation's EIN?
Carl E Kessler Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-2567397. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Carl E Kessler Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 15, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Carl E Kessler Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Carl E Kessler Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/carl-e-kessler-family-foundation-morg_32b3ba30d0ce49dea7c1908d177089d2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_752567397_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Carl E Kessler Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/carl-e-kessler-family-foundation-morg_32b3ba30d0ce49dea7c1908d177089d2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Carl E Kessler Family Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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