Ka Foundation
Ka Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, North Carolina. Its 2025 filing reports $1,236,000 in grants to 10 organizations.
Ka Foundation at a glance
In short: Ka Foundation gave $1.2M across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $124K), top state South Carolina. 50% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,236,000
- +85.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +11.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $123,600
- +67.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $77,500
- Total assets
- $3,663
- -36.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (5 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- South Carolina (47% 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 Ka Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing lists a written letter request, no restrictions on awards, and no deadlines. It names Wesley M. Carter as the person to contact. The filing states that the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: Wesley M Carter
Mailing address: 806 N 23Rd Street, Wilmington, NC 28405
Phone: (910) 343-0624
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ka Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Land and Sea for All ($350K). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
25 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 12 grants of 25 (48%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that 47% of grant dollars went to recipients in South Carolina and 40% to recipients in California. Colorado, New York, and New Mexico each received 4% of grant dollars.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Ka Foundation open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 10 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $176K; repeat grants $71K. How we count
Medians: $100K first-time, $55K repeat.
- 40% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2023–2025). 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 2023 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $475K (2023) to $1.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Land and Sea for All Fairfax, CA | In Support of Another Public Charity | $350,000 |
| South Carolina Forestry Commission Columbia, SC | In Support of SC Forestry | $330,000 |
| Lowcountry Land Trust Charleston, SC | In Support of Another Public Charity | $101,000 |
| Wildaid Inc San Francisco, CA | In support of another public charitysupport of another public charity | $100,000 |
| Sustain SC Commerce & Conservation Columbia, SC | In Support of Another Public Charity | $100,000 |
| Greenhouse Scholars Boulder, CO | In Support of Another Public Charity | $55,000 |
| Bee Cause Isle of Palms, SC | In Support of Another Public Charity | $50,000 |
| Space for Giants USA New York, NY | In support of another public charityin support of another public charity | $50,000 |
| Center for World Philsophy and Religion Ben Lomond, CA | In Support of Another Public Charity | $50,000 |
| Core Light Santa Fe, NM | In Support of Another Public Charity | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Ka Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,663 | $1,236,000 | $1,238,096 | $1,236,000 | 10 | $1,236,000 | $829 |
| 2024 | $5,759 | $648,000 | $667,009 | $665,000 | 9 | $665,000 | $1,085 |
| 2023 | $24,768 | $500,100 | $475,332 | $475,000 | 6 | $475,000 | $7,945 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ka Foundation reported a distributable amount of $829 for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. Lowcountry Land Trust describes its mission as protecting land and water, nurturing relationships between people and place, and connecting conservation to community. WildAid says it works to empower people to protect wildlife and vital habitats. Greenhouse Scholars describes its work as partnering with young leaders and supporting initiatives to transform communities. Space for Giants USA says it works to protect Africa’s natural ecosystems and large wild animals while bringing social and economic value to local communities.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 10 grants totaling $1,236,000. Grants ranged from $50,000 to $350,000, with a median grant of $77,500. Among the largest were $350,000 to Land and Sea for All, $330,000 to the South Carolina Forestry Commission, and $101,000 to Lowcountry Land Trust. Other notable grants included $100,000 each to WildAid and Sustain SC Commerce & Conservation, and $55,000 to Greenhouse Scholars.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Russell M. Carter as chairman and Wesley M. Carter as vice chairman, secretary, and treasurer.
Ka Foundation is led by Russell M. Carter, Chairman on every filing since 2023; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Russell M. Carter
Chairman
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Wesley M. Carter
Vice Chairman, Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2023–2025. "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 Ka Foundation
How much does Ka Foundation give each year?
Ka Foundation gave $1.2M across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $665K across 9 grants.
What is Ka Foundation's typical grant size?
Ka Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $77,500, and its average grant was $123,600, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ka Foundation that year got $176K on average.
Where does Ka Foundation give grants?
Ka Foundation's top state is South Carolina, with 47% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest state was California (40%). The most frequent recipient cities were Columbia, SC (2 grants).
Does Ka Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on Ka Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "In Support of Another Public Charity" (7 grants).
Who are Ka Foundation's largest grantees?
Ka Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Land and Sea for All ($350,000), South Carolina Forestry Commission ($330,000) and Lowcountry Land Trust ($101,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ka Foundation?
Ka Foundation reported $4K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $829 (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Ka Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. Lowcountry Land Trust describes its mission as protecting land and water, nurturing relationships between people and place, and connecting conservation to community. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ka Foundation?
The 2025 filing lists a written letter request, no restrictions on awards, and no deadlines. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Ka Foundation's EIN?
Ka Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 92-1849835. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2023–2025.
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
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2023–2024
Live grants for the work Ka Foundation funds
Environment & Animals Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Ka Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ka Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ka-foundation-morg_196fa854ecb8453997ee2f8375076efd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_921849835_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ka Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ka-foundation-morg_196fa854ecb8453997ee2f8375076efd},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Ka 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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