Kanter Family Foundation
The Kanter Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Sandy, Utah. It supports charitable grants, and its stated scope of interest is educational and cultural activities and programs in the greater Chicago, Washington, DC, and Salt Lake City areas.
Kanter Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Kanter Family Foundation gave $522K across 56 grants in 2024 (avg $9K), top state Utah. 29% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $521,593
- -3.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 56
- -21.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $9,314
- +21.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $4,850
- Total assets
- $8,489,025
- -2.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 29% first-time grantees (16 of 56, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Utah (23% 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 Kanter Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Requests should be sent to the Foundation, stating the intended purpose and use of the donation. The filing lists Joel S Kanter as the contact. It lists no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Joel S Kanter
Mailing address: 925 H Street Nw 1106, Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (703) 448-7688
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Kanter Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Hyde Park Art Center ($50K). Together the top 10 received $340K.
Grant Size Distribution
290 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 284 grants of 290 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated scope of interest is educational and cultural activities and programs in the greater Chicago, Illinois; Washington, DC; and Salt Lake City areas. Its 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in several states; the largest shares were in Utah (23%), Illinois (21%), and DC (17%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 56 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Kanter Family Foundation open to new grantees?
29%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 16 of 56 grantees (29%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 64% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+7%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 82% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2024). 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 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $474K (2019) to $634K (2020). In 2024 it made 56 grants totaling $522K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hyde Park Art Center Chiacgo, IL | Support Charitable Purpose | $50,000 |
| Chikaming Open Lands Sawyer, MI | Support Charitable Purpose | $50,000 |
| John F Kennedy Center Washington, DC | Support Charitable Purpose | $47,443 |
| Better Utah Institute Sandy, UT | Support Charitable Purpose | $45,000 |
| University of Chicago Smart Museum Chicago, IL | Support Charitable Purpose | $40,000 |
| Lubeznik Center for the Arts Michigan City, IN | Support Charitable Purpose | $36,650 |
| Arena Stage Washington, DC | Support Charitable Purpose | $20,000 |
| Temple Rodef Shalom Chantilly, VA | Support Charitable Purpose | $18,500 |
| The Langley School McLean, VA | Support Charitable Purpose | $17,500 |
| Utah Museum of Contemporary Art Salt Lake City, UT | Support Charitable Purpose | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Kanter 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8,489,025 | $367,240 | $614,146 | $521,593 | 56 | $530,147 | $289,782 | $643,720 |
| 2023 | $8,730,931 | $953,419 | $701,225 | $542,300 | 71 | $542,624 | $842,453 | $469,672 |
| 2022 | $8,478,737 | $1,608,653 | $715,130 | $546,475 | 64 | $546,951 | $1,433,350 | $568,260 |
| 2021 | $7,587,714 | $551,889 | $650,487 | $488,390 | 48 | — | $390,647 | $437,022 |
| 2020 | $7,675,107 | $419,730 | $879,784 | $634,117 | 51 | — | $174,886 | $413,670 |
| 2019 | $7,877,034 | $185,918 | $730,915 | $474,240 | 52 | — | $139,598 | $434,039 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Kanter Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $644K 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
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its filing identifies educational and cultural activities and programs as its areas of interest. Its grantees illustrate the range of supported organizations: Hyde Park Art Center says it works to sustain visual arts in Chicago, while Chikaming Open Lands says it preserves open space and the natural character of Berrien County.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 56 grants totaling $521,593. Grants ranged from $250 to $50,000, with a median of $4,850. Among the largest were $50,000 each to Hyde Park Art Center and Chikaming Open Lands, $47,443 to the John F Kennedy Center, $45,000 to Better Utah Institute, and $40,000 to the University of Chicago Smart Museum.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Joel S Kanter as president, treasurer, and director; Joshua S Kanter as vice president, secretary, and director; Janis S Kanter, Ricki Kanter, Catherine M Kanter, and Thomas McCormick as vice presidents and directors; and Phillip J Karmin as director.
Kanter Family Foundation is led by Joel S Kanter, President, Treasurer & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 7 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Joel S Kanter
President, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Catherine M Kanter
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Janis S Kanter
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joshua S Kanter
Vice President, Secretary & Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Phillip J Karmin
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ricki Kanter
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas McCormick
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 Kanter Family Foundation
How much does Kanter Family Foundation give each year?
Kanter Family Foundation gave $522K across 56 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $542K across 71 grants.
What is Kanter Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Kanter Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $4,850, and its average grant was $9,314, across 56 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Kanter Family Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Kanter Family Foundation give grants?
Kanter Family Foundation's top state is Utah, with 23% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Illinois (21%) and District of Columbia (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were Salt Lake City, UT (14 grants), Washington, DC (6 grants), Chicago, IL (6 grants) and Sandy, UT (2 grants).
Who are Kanter Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Kanter Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Hyde Park Art Center ($50,000), Chikaming Open Lands ($50,000) and John F Kennedy Center ($47,443), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Kanter Family Foundation?
Kanter Family Foundation reported $8.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $530K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $644K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Kanter Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its filing identifies educational and cultural activities and programs as its areas of interest. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Kanter Family Foundation?
Requests should be sent to the Foundation, stating the intended purpose and use of the donation. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Kanter Family Foundation's EIN?
Kanter Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3682199. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
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 2019 (received by the IRS August 30, 2020)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work Kanter Family Foundation funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Kanter Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Kanter Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/kanter-family-foundation-morg_17aa04fb0d644c15b12bbd2c28c2361d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363682199_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Kanter Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/kanter-family-foundation-morg_17aa04fb0d644c15b12bbd2c28c2361d},
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 Kanter 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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