Kavanaugh Family Foundation
Kavanaugh Family Foundation is a private foundation based in La Jolla, California. It gave 26 grants totaling $38,342 in filing year 2025 to charitable organizations, with listed grants supporting organizations in California, Texas, Massachusetts, New York, and Missouri.
Kavanaugh Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Kavanaugh Family Foundation gave $38K across 26 grants in 2025 (avg $1K), mostly in California. 58% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $38,342
- +26.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 26
- +23.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,475
- +2.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $907,202
- +16.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 58% first-time grantees (15 of 26, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (78% 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 Kavanaugh Family 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: 8275 La Jolla Shores Dr, La Jolla, CA 92037
Phone: (858) 554-0358
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Kavanaugh Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was La Jolla Plahouse ($5K). Together the top 10 received $24K.
Grant Size Distribution
55 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 55 grants of 55 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in California (78%), Texas (12%), Massachusetts (3%), New York (3%), and Missouri (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Kavanaugh Family Foundation open to new grantees?
58%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 15 of 26 grantees (58%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 42% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 95% 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 (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 $8K (2023) to $38K (2025). In 2025 it made 26 grants totaling $38K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| La Jolla Plahouse La Jolla, CA | General Support | $5,000 |
| Feeding San Diego San Diego, CA | General Support | $4,342 |
| Irish Outreach Center San Diego, CA | General Support | $2,500 |
| The Bishops School La Jolla, CA | General Support | $2,500 |
| Texas A&M College Station, TX | General Support | $2,500 |
| Nurtured by Nature Valley Center, CA | General Support | $2,000 |
| Our Mother of Confidence San Diego, CA | General Support | $1,500 |
| San Diego Museum of Art San Diego, CA | General Support | $1,500 |
| Somfabradys Childrens Hospital San Diego, CA | General Support | $1,500 |
| MIT Cambridge, MA | General Supportgeneral Support | $1,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $907,202 | $57,374 | $45,310 | $38,342 | 26 | $38,342 | $50,406 | $40,413 |
| 2024 | $780,069 | $23,381 | $36,977 | $30,242 | 21 | $30,242 | $16,646 | $37,222 |
| 2023 | $714,973 | $523,617 | $25,176 | $8,453 | 8 | $8,453 | $15,236 | $30,132 |
| 2022 | $167,874 | $167,874 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Kavanaugh Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $40K 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 include support for organizations working in hunger relief, care and well-being for children, the arts, and services for veterans. For example, Feeding San Diego describes its mission as connecting people facing hunger with nutritious meals through food rescue and community partnerships. Nurtured by Nature says it supports children with life-threatening illnesses and children who have experienced severe emotional trauma through interactions with nature. The San Diego Museum of Art says it aims to inspire, educate, and cultivate curiosity through art, while Shelter to Soldier says it provides specially trained service dogs to medically retired U.S. veterans who need them.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation awarded 26 grants totaling $38,342. Grants ranged from $500 to $5,000, with a median grant of $1,000. Its largest listed grants included $5,000 to La Jolla Playhouse; $4,342 to Feeding San Diego; $2,500 each to Irish Outreach Center, The Bishop’s School, and Texas A&M; and $2,000 to Nurtured by Nature.
Other listed recipients included Our Mother of Confidence, San Diego Museum of Art, and Sombrafadys Children’s Hospital, each receiving $1,500, and Shelter to Soldier, which received $1,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Arthur and Lynn Kavanaugh are listed as a director on the foundation’s 2025 filing.
Kavanaugh Family Foundation is led by Arthur And Lynn Kavanaugh, Director on every filing since 2022 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Arthur And Lynn Kavanaugh
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2022–2025. "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 Kavanaugh Family Foundation
How much does Kavanaugh Family Foundation give each year?
Kavanaugh Family Foundation gave $38K across 26 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $30K across 21 grants.
What is Kavanaugh Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Kavanaugh Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,475, across 26 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Kavanaugh Family Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Kavanaugh Family Foundation give grants?
Kavanaugh Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 78% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Texas (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Diego, CA (11 grants) and La Jolla, CA (3 grants).
Does Kavanaugh Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Kavanaugh Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (26 of 26) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Kavanaugh Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Kavanaugh Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include La Jolla Plahouse ($5,000), Feeding San Diego ($4,342) and Irish Outreach Center ($2,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Kavanaugh Family Foundation?
Kavanaugh Family Foundation reported $907K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $38K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $40K (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 Kavanaugh Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations working in hunger relief, care and well-being for children, the arts, and services for veterans. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Kavanaugh Family 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 Kavanaugh Family Foundation's EIN?
Kavanaugh Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 88-4378471. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2022–2025.
Does Kavanaugh Family 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
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2022–2024
Live grants for the work Kavanaugh Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Kavanaugh Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Figures come from Kavanaugh 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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