Copaken Family Foundation

KANSAS CITY, MO EIN: 48-6264196 Website

The Copaken Family Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1984 and based in Kansas City, Missouri. It operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and has been tax-exempt since July 1986. The foundation focuses on grantmaking to support charitable causes across multiple sectors.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$863K

+18517.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$257K

-31.8% YoY

Grant Count

-10.6% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$4K

-23.7% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Copaken Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $46K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation supports a diverse range of charitable activities with particular emphasis on:

Arts and performing arts
Education
Human services
Philanthropy and voluntarism
Religion-related causes

Grantmaking

The foundation made 50 grants totaling approximately $318,000 in fiscal year 2024. Recent notable grants include:

Grant Range

$225–$90,000

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

Missouri $821K (60%)

Kansas $319K (23%)

Colorado $85K (6%)

New York $56K (4%)

South Carolina $50K (4%)

District of Columbia $23K (2%)

Pennsylvania $9K (1%)

Massachusetts $3K (0%)

+10 more states

States

Alabama Arkansas Arizona California Colorado District of Columbia Florida Kansas Massachusetts Maryland Missouri New York Pennsylvania South Carolina Texas Utah Virginia Washington

Cities

AspenBaltimoreBasaltBentonvilleBrooklynCarbondaleCedar CityDorchesterEnglewoodFairwayGreenvilleHoustonIndependenceKansas CityLawrenceLeawoodLibertyLos AngelesMerriamMiami

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Most Recent Fiscal Year (FYE September 2024):

Total Assets: $4,636
Total Revenue: $35,203
Total Expenses: $389,790
Total Liabilities: $0

Prior Year (FYE September 2023):

Total Assets: $353,000
Total Distributions: $326,000
Total Contributions: $396,000

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2025	2024	2023
Total Assets	$863,112	$4,636	$359,223
Revenue	$1,120,920	$35,203	$669,058
Expenses	$262,444	$389,790	$331,132
Qualifying Distributions	$256,915	$376,603	$326,305
Net Investment Income	$143,251	$6,675	$269,830
Distributable Amount	$45,558	$7,350	$3,156

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include Kansas City Repertory Theatre ($55,000), Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey ($25,000), United Way of Greater Kansas City ($20,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE RESEARCH CENTER FAIRWAY, KS	CHARITABLE	$1,000
AMERICAN PUBLIC SQUARE KANSAS CITY, MO	CHARITABLE	$500
ANDERSON RANCH ARTS CENTER SNOWMASS VILLAGE, CO	CHARITABLE	$5,500
ARTS ENGAGEMENT FOUNDATION OF KC KANSAS CITY, MO	CHARITABLE	$1,000
ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL ASPEN, CO	CHARITABLE	$8,590
ASPEN PUBLIC RADIO ASPEN, CO	CHARITABLE	$500
CAMPS FOR KIDS MISSION, KS	CHARITABLE	$1,000
CHARLOTTE STREET FOUNDATION KANSAS CITY, MO	CHARITABLE	$12,500
COMMUNITY LINC KANSAS CITY, MO	CHARITABLE	$1,000
COTERIE THEATRE KANSAS CITY, MO	CHARITABLE	$1,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation is governed by four co-trustees:

Paul Copaken
Lois Copaken
Keith Copaken
Jon Copaken

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

From 2025 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
PAUL COPAKEN	CO-TRUSTEE	—	—
LOIS COPAKEN	CO-TRUSTEE	—	—
KEITH COPAKEN	CO-TRUSTEE	—	—
JON COPAKEN	CO-TRUSTEE	—	—

Contact Information

Address: 1111 Main St Ste 3100, Kansas City, MO 64105-2116

Telephone: 913-381-3840

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Copaken Family Foundation fund?

The foundation supports a diverse range of charitable activities with particular emphasis on: • Arts and performing arts • Education • Human services • Philanthropy and voluntarism • Religion-related causes

How do I apply for a grant from Copaken Family Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** The foundation made 50 grants totaling approximately $318,000 in fiscal year 2024. Recent notable grants include: • Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City: $90,000 • Kansas City Repertory Theatre: $55,000 • Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey: $25,000 **Grant Characteristics:** • Typical grant range: $225–$90,000 • Median grant size: $1,500 • Maximum grant observed: $65,000 **Geographic Focus:** The foundation primarily funds organizations in Missouri, Colorado, and Kansas,…

What size grants does Copaken Family Foundation award?

In 2025, Copaken Family Foundation awarded 59 grants totaling $257K — an average of about $4K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Copaken Family Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, Copaken Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $46K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.