Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation
The Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation is a private foundation based in Pasadena, California. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, with most grant dollars going to recipients in California.
Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation at a glance
In short: Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation gave $585K across 62 grants in 2024 (avg $9K), mostly in California. 26% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $584,620
- -57.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 62
- -20.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $9,429
- -46.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $4,876,580
- +27.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (16 of 62, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (95% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 117 E Colorado Blvd 400, Pasadena, CA 91105-1938
Phone: (626) 356-0944
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Museique ($150K). Together the top 10 received $483K.
Grant Size Distribution
403 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 388 grants of 403 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in California. New York and the District of Columbia each accounted for 2%, Virginia for 1%, and New Jersey for 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 62 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 16 of 62 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 63% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 40% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 330% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2018–2024). 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 2018 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $243K (2018) to $1.4M (2022). In 2024 it made 62 grants totaling $585K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Museique Pasadena, CA | Charity | $150,000 |
| Jewish Federation Monrovia, CA | Charity | $105,000 |
| Pasadena Playhouse Pasadena, CA | Charity | $100,000 |
| Center Theatre Group Los Angeles, CA | Charity | $30,000 |
| Huntington Library Sanmarino, CA | Charity | $25,000 |
| Cancer Support Community Pasadena, CA | Charity | $22,000 |
| Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center Pasadena, CA | Charity | $15,500 |
| Pasadena Heritage Pasadena, CA | Charity | $15,000 |
| American Friends of Beit Issie Shapero Beverly Hills, CA | Charity | $10,000 |
| Armory Center for the Arts Pasadena, CA | Charity | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $4,876,580 | $1,585,223 | $616,685 | $584,620 | 62 | $586,254 | $179,923 | $177,674 |
| 2023 | $3,837,521 | $2,564,357 | $1,398,127 | $1,369,870 | 78 | $1,372,569 | $42,441 | $92,837 |
| 2022 | $2,629,542 | $140,215 | $1,461,342 | $1,438,156 | 98 | $1,439,424 | $36,092 | $163,898 |
| 2021 | $4,087,933 | $2,077,046 | $442,222 | $418,904 | 87 | $420,144 | $78,704 | $207,515 |
| 2020 | $4,243,668 | $86,698 | $1,055,653 | $1,031,153 | 78 | — | $26,269 | $156,419 |
| 2018 | $1,628,432 | $205,920 | $261,727 | $243,110 | 37 | — | $104,704 | $85,654 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation reported a distributable amount of $178K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants include support for organizations working in music and the arts, Jewish community and educational programs, cancer support, historic preservation, and family homelessness services. For example, Muse/Ique describes its work as creating live music events and outreach programs; Cancer Support Community says it provides counseling, support groups, and other programs for people with cancer and their families; and Families Forward describes its mission as preventing and ending family homelessness. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a stated focus-area list for the foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 62 grants totaling $584,620. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $150,000, with a median of $1,500.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $150,000 to MuseIque, $105,000 to Jewish Federation, $100,000 to Pasadena Playhouse, $30,000 to Center Theatre Group, and $25,000 to Huntington Library. Other notable awards included $22,000 to Cancer Support Community, $15,000 to Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, and $15,000 to Pasadena Heritage.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Harvey G Knell and Ellen R Knell are listed as directors on the 2024 filing.
Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ellen R. Knell
Director
On filings since 2018
No compensation reported
Harvey G. Knell
Director
On filings since 2018
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2018–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation
How much does Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation give each year?
Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation gave $585K across 62 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.4M across 78 grants.
What is Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation's typical grant size?
Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,500, and its average grant was $9,429, across 62 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation give grants?
Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation gives mostly in California: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Pasadena, CA (14 grants), Washington, DC (10 grants), Los Angeles, CA (8 grants) and New York, NY (8 grants).
Does Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 62 grants with a stated purpose on Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charity" (62 grants).
Who are Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation's largest grantees?
Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Museique ($150,000), Jewish Federation ($105,000) and Pasadena Playhouse ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation?
Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation reported $4.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $586K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $178K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants include support for organizations working in music and the arts, Jewish community and educational programs, cancer support, historic preservation, and family homelessness services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation's EIN?
Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-6163510. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2018–2024.
Does Harvey and Ellen Knell 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2018 (received by the IRS November 15, 2019)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2018–2024
Live grants for the work Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/harvey-and-ellen-knell-foundation-morg_5c091375978040da887792c1492435f8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_276163510_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/harvey-and-ellen-knell-foundation-morg_5c091375978040da887792c1492435f8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Harvey and Ellen Knell 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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