John S and James L Knight Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is a private foundation based in Miami, Florida. Founded in 1950, it supports journalism, arts and culture, and community development in the 26 cities and towns where the Knight brothers once published newspapers, with the stated aim of helping people shape thriving communities.
John S and James L Knight Foundation at a glance
In short: John S and James L Knight Foundation gave $147.7M across 513 grants in 2024 (avg $288K), top state Florida. 46% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $147,682,903
- +22.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 513
- +23.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $287,881
- -0.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $85,300
- Total assets
- $2,533,415,674
- +0.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 46% first-time grantees (188 of 410, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Florida (27% 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 John S and James L Knight Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s filing says it issues open challenges or calls for proposals throughout the year, with each opportunity having its own application criteria and deadlines. It directs prospective applicants to subscribe to its newsletter for updates about opportunities. The filing lists exclusions including medical research and disease-focused projects, political campaigns and legislative lobbying, projects serving exclusively religious purposes, and direct support for individuals.
- Contact
Application contact: Website Wwwkforg
Mailing address: 2850 Tigertail Avenue Ste 600, Miami, FL 33131
Phone: (305) 908-2600
Website: https://www.kf.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from John S and James L Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation: Arts Grant Program - Knight Art + Tech Expansion Fund
John S and James L Knight Foundation
Amount
Up to US $100,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Knight Foundation: Community & National Initiatives
John S and James L Knight Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Knight Foundation: Journalism Grant Program
John S and James L Knight Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who John S and James L Knight Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Miami Foundation ($18.0M across 24 grants). Together the top 10 received $44.7M.
Organizations only. It also paid 6 grants to individuals ($1,146,292), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
1,836 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 604 grants of 1,836 (33%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation states that it supports work in 26 cities and towns where the Knight brothers once published newspapers. In its 2024 grantmaking, the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state went to Florida (27%), New York (11%), Washington, D.C. (10%), California (8%), and Michigan (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 513 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is John S and James L Knight Foundation open to new grantees?
46%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 188 of 410 grantees (46%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $98K; repeat grants $582K. How we count
Medians: $24K first-time, $250K repeat.
- 46% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 146% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $102.3M (2022) to $147.7M (2024). In 2024 it made 513 grants totaling $147.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Associated Press New York, NY | To support the associated press to ensure state-based, public-service journalism is available in 50 states while ap devises a new local news business strategy to better position it for long-term sustainability. | $5,000,000 |
| Georgetown University Washington, DC | To sustain the institute, which will convene, support and provide accessible, actionable, nonpartisan insights to the stakeholders and institutions that design, operate, study and govern the digital information environment. | $4,000,000 |
| Groundtruth Project Inc Boston, MA | To recruit, hire, train and place reporters from a variety of experiences and backgrounds into local newsrooms, and build durable local revenue streams atop those positions to assure long-term support for community journalism. | $3,000,000 |
| The Miami Foundation Miami, FL | Support the growth, adaptation and diversification of newsmatch in the press forward era, to increase the competency of non-profit publishers seeking earned reader revenue. | $2,859,554 |
| The Miami Foundation Miami, FL | To foster healthy communities by aiding local news publishers in the production of fact-based state and local election reporting, with a focus on swing states in which this coverage will be particularly relevant and useful. | $2,800,000 |
| The Miami Foundation Miami, FL | To help local news organizations poised for statewide growth expand into new markets. | $2,703,000 |
| The Pew Charitable Trusts Philadelphia, PA | To support a five-year, co-branded partnership between knight and grantees subsidiary, the pew research center to study and widely share research on how americans absorb civic information; form beliefs, identities and community; and engage in civic action. | $2,500,000 |
| The Lenfest Institute for Journalism Special Assets Fund of TPF Philadelphia, PA | Create an accelerator supporting technology solutions essential for publishers and journalists to achieve their educational mission and help demonstrate the viability of solutions supporting local publishers' missions by accelerating the market. | $2,249,500 |
| The Miami Foundation Miami, FL | To supplement the elections integrity fund at the miami foundation, which fosters healthy communities by aiding local news publishers in the production of fact-based state and local election reporting, with a focus on swing states. | $2,100,000 |
| American Journalism Project DC, WA | To provide the lead investment in the American journalism project, (AJP) a first-of-its-kind venture philanthropy organization focused on growing and sustaining independent, nonpartisan, local civic news organizations. | $2,000,000 |
Ready to take the next step with John S and James L Knight Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The foundation files Form 990-PF.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,533,415,674 | $139,912,312 | $239,590,667 | $147,682,903 | 513 | $179,620,479 | $196,118,547 | $122,728,376 |
| 2023 | $2,533,365,916 | $86,858,117 | $222,846,065 | $120,142,770 | 416 | $153,837,774 | $135,478,027 | $121,666,831 |
| 2022 | $2,465,124,931 | $66,937,027 | $147,423,086 | $102,293,248 | 411 | $129,925,405 | — | $133,060,016 |
| 2021 | $3,014,109,587 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2020 | $2,530,104,679 | $183,144,507 | $117,868,918 | $108,276,848 | 496 | — | $181,937,289 | $107,579,655 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John S and James L Knight Foundation reported a distributable amount of $122.7M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated purpose is to invest in local journalism, community development, and arts initiatives that foster an informed citizenry, freedom of expression, and inclusive economic growth. Its website identifies Journalism, Community Impact, Arts, and Information & Society as areas of work.
Its journalism program describes an objective of helping news organizations expand sustainably, including through revenue diversification, market expansion, strategic partnerships, product development, and technology that supports community engagement. Its community and national initiatives describe a focus on equitable and inclusive engagement.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of grantees. The GroundTruth Project says it works to develop journalists through field reporting that serves under-covered communities. Civic News Company describes its work as providing deep local coverage to increase public understanding and participation in civic issues. The National Trust for Local News describes itself as dedicated to conserving, transforming, and sustaining community news organizations. The Miami Foundation describes its role as a philanthropic and community backbone for Greater Miami.
The foundation also reports direct charitable activities through the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, the Knight Media Forum, and the Informed Conference. The Knight Commission’s stated goal is transformational change in college sports that prioritizes athletes’ education, health, safety, and success. The foundation describes the Knight Media Forum as a gathering for funders and media leaders working to strengthen local news, community, and democracy.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 513 grants totaling $147,682,903. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $5,000,000, with a median of $85,300.
Among the largest reported grants were $5,000,000 to The Associated Press for state-based public-service journalism and a new local news business strategy; $4,000,000 to Georgetown University to support an institute providing nonpartisan insights on the digital information environment; and $3,000,000 to The GroundTruth Project for reporter recruitment, training, placement, and local revenue development.
Other major grants included $2,859,554, $2,800,000, $2,703,000, and $2,100,000 to The Miami Foundation for initiatives involving nonprofit publisher revenue, election reporting, and local news expansion; $2,500,000 to The Pew Charitable Trusts for a five-year research partnership; and $2,000,000 each to the American Journalism Project and Civic News Company for support of independent local civic news and local publishing, respectively.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Christopher M. Austen as chairman and trustee effective March 2024. Frank Borges is listed as chairman and trustee through March 2024. Other trustees listed are Martin Baron, Stephanie Bell-Rose, Shona Brown, Adriana M. Cisneros, Austin Clements, Ana-Marie Codina, Ramona Hood, and Susan D. Kronick, who is listed as a trustee through March 2024.
John S and James L Knight Foundation is led by Maribel Perez Wadsworth, President & CEO since 2024 (on filings since 2023); 17 of 25 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Maribel Perez Wadsworth
President & CEO
President & CEO - Elect → President & CEO, 2024
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$3K (2023) → $876K (2024)
Christopher M. Austen
Chairman & Trustee
Trustee → Chairman & Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$45K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Frank Borges
Chairman & Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Adriana M. Cisneros
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$40K (2020) → $40K (2024)
Christine Amer Mayer
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$40K (2020) → $45K (2024)
Austin Clements
Trustee
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
$40K (2022) → $40K (2024)
Ramona Hood
Trustee
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
$40K (2022) → $40K (2024)
Charles Frank Olson
Trustee
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
$40K (2023) → $40K (2024)
Matthew Stephen Stepka
Trustee
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
$40K (2023) → $40K (2024)
Michael Marsicano
Trustee
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
$40K (2023) → $40K (2024)
Anna Spangler Nelson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Martin Baron
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shona Brown
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephanie Bell-Rose
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan D. Kronick
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ana-Marie Codina
Trustee
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jorge Martinez
Vice President & CTO
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$257K (2020) → $288K (2024)
Juan J. Martinez
Vice President, CFO & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$362K (2020) → $396K (2024)
Terese Curiel
Vice President, Administrator & Secretary
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$269K (2020) → $330K (2024)
Victoria Rogers
Vice President & Arts
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$279K (2020) → $324K (2024)
Alejandro De Onis
Vice President, Comms. & Digital Strat.
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$186K (2022) → $269K (2024)
Ashley Zohn
Vice President, Learning & Impact
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$271K (2022) → $312K (2024)
James M. Brady
Vice President & Journalism
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$295K (2022) → $319K (2024)
Kelly Jin
Vice President, Communities & Nat'l
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$317K (2022) → $352K (2024)
Roshell Rinkins
Vice President, Grant Administrator & Cdeio
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$257K (2022) → $231K (2024)
Former officers (10)
- Former: Alberto Ibarguen (2020–2023) — President & CEO
- Former: Beverly Knight Olson (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Ray Rodriguez (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Ana-Marie Codina Barlick (2022–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Jennifer Preston (2020–2022) — Former Vice President & Journalism
- Former: John Palfrey (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: William H. Considine (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Heidi Barker (2022) — Former Vice President, Comms. & Cdeio
- Former: Andrew Sherry (2020) — Vice President & Communications
- Former: Samsher Gill (2020) — Senior Vice President & Cpo
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $876K, to Maribel Perez Wadsworth (President & CEO). 17 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about John S and James L Knight Foundation
How much does John S and James L Knight Foundation give each year?
John S and James L Knight Foundation gave $147.7M across 513 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $120.1M across 416 grants.
What is John S and James L Knight Foundation's typical grant size?
John S and James L Knight Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $85,300, and its average grant was $287,881, across 513 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from John S and James L Knight Foundation that year got $98K on average.
Where does John S and James L Knight Foundation give grants?
John S and James L Knight Foundation's top state is Florida, with 27% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (11%) and District of Columbia (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Miami, FL (103 grants), New York, NY (34 grants), Washington, DC (31 grants) and Charlotte, NC (23 grants).
Does John S and James L Knight Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 25% of John S and James L Knight Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (126 of 513) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are John S and James L Knight Foundation's largest grantees?
John S and James L Knight Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Miami Foundation ($17,951,682 across 24 grants), The Associated Press ($5,000,000) and Georgetown University ($4,840,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 6 grants to individuals ($1,146,292), which are not listed by name. Together they received 19% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is John S and James L Knight Foundation?
John S and James L Knight Foundation reported $2.5B in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $179.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $122.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does John S and James L Knight Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated purpose is to invest in local journalism, community development, and arts initiatives that foster an informed citizenry, freedom of expression, and inclusive economic growth. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from John S and James L Knight Foundation?
The foundation’s filing says it issues open challenges or calls for proposals throughout the year, with each opportunity having its own application criteria and deadlines. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is John S and James L Knight Foundation's EIN?
John S and James L Knight Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 65-0464177. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS December 6, 2024)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work John S and James L Knight Foundation funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in John S and James L Knight Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). John S and James L Knight Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/john-s-and-james-l-knight-foundation-morg_fc9b2cd374e946eb838a14995f4b7a50
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_650464177_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{John S and James L Knight Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/john-s-and-james-l-knight-foundation-morg_fc9b2cd374e946eb838a14995f4b7a50},
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 John S and James L Knight 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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