Kenneth Rainin Foundation
The Kenneth Rainin Foundation is a private foundation based in Oakland, California. It supports Bay Area artists, early childhood education in Oakland, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) research worldwide.
Key facts about Kenneth Rainin Foundation
In short: Kenneth Rainin Foundation gave $21.9M across 294 grants in 2024 (avg $74K), mostly in California. 35% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 94-3289283
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $21,886,455
- Grants made (2024)
- 294
- Average grant
- $74,444
- Median grant
- $25,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 35% first-time grantees (71 of 202, 2024)
- Total assets
- $642,199,471
- Primary geography
- California (75% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$642.2M
+4.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$21.9M
+35.2% YoY
Grant Count
294
+34.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$74K
+0.2% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Kenneth Rainin Foundation reported a distributable amount of $31.6M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Kenneth Rainin Foundation open to new grantees?
35%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 71 of 202 grantees (35%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $57K; repeat grants $136K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $43K repeat.
- 42% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 54% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 101% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to enhance quality of life by championing the arts, promoting early childhood literacy, and supporting research to cure chronic disease. Its vision is for all Oakland children to read at or above grade level, no one to suffer from IBD, and Bay Area artists to thrive.
In Arts, it supports Bay Area artists working in dance, film, theater, and public space, as well as arts organizations. For example, the Roxie Theater, a 2024 grantee, describes its mission as promoting and preserving film and theater while encouraging independent thought and artistic experimentation. The San Francisco Film Society says its work supports independent voices in film through exhibition, education, and artist development.
In Education, the foundation focuses on early childhood literacy in Oakland, including literacy development from birth through third grade. Its 2024 grants included support for structured literacy initiatives and K–2 literacy. Grantee Education for Change describes its mission as providing public education to underserved Oakland children, while Center for the Collaborative Classroom says it helps students grow as readers, writers, and thinkers.
In Health, the foundation supports basic, translational, and clinical IBD research worldwide, including early support for research ideas that may improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Its 2024 grants included research on mucosal regeneration and clinical decision-making.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 294 grants totaling $21,886,455. Grant amounts ranged from $75 to $1,300,000, with a median grant of $25,000.
Among the largest 2024 awards were $1,300,000 to the Roxie Theater for its Roxie Forever campaign and general operating support; two separate $1,000,000 grants to the Community Arts Stabilization Trust for general operating support; $900,000 to Education for Change for a structured literacy initiative; and $832,432 to Oakland Unified School District for a structured literacy initiative. Other large awards included $750,000 to the San Francisco Film Society for SFFILM Rainin grants and programs, $600,000 to United States Artists for the Rainin Arts Fellowship program, and $500,000 to the University of Pennsylvania for research on neuro-epithelial interactions in mucosal regeneration.
The foundation’s funding opportunities include Innovator Awards for IBD research, which offer up to $150,000 for individual projects and up to $300,000 for collaborative projects. Early Care Spaces offers one-year grants of up to $75,000 or two-year grants of up to $100,000 for organizations promoting early language and literacy for Oakland children from birth to age five. Other listed opportunities include the New & Experimental Works Program, Open Spaces, SFFILM Rainin Grants & Programs, and the Rainin Arts Fellowship.
How to Apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Its website describes application opportunities for certain programs during open cycles; prospective applicants can create an account and submit an application when a cycle is open.
Open Grants
6 open opportunities from Kenneth Rainin Foundation
Early Care Spaces program
Kenneth Rainin Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
IBD Research Grant
Kenneth Rainin Foundation
Amount
US $150,000 - US $300,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Innovator Awards - Individual Research Projects (Researchers) Grant
Kenneth Rainin Foundation
Amount
Up to US $150,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Ready to take the next step with Kenneth Rainin Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports Bay Area artists, early childhood education in Oakland, and IBD research worldwide. In 2024, 75% of grant dollars went to recipients in California; other leading recipient states were Pennsylvania and New York at 4% each, and Massachusetts and Illinois at 3% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 294 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $14.2M (2021) to $21.9M (2024). In 2024 it made 294 grants totaling $21.9M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Community Arts Stabilization Trust ($2.0M across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $9.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
1,140 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 752 grants of 1,140 (66%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Roxie Theater San Francisco, CA | $1,200,000 for the roxie forever campaign and $100,000 for general operations support of the new facility and staff. | $1,300,000 |
| Community Arts Stabilization Trust San Francisco, CA | General Operating Support | $1,000,000 |
| Community Arts Stabilization Trust San Francisco, CA | General Operating Support | $1,000,000 |
| Education for Change Oakland, CA | Structured Literacy Initiative | $900,000 |
| Oakland Unified School District Oakland, CA | Structured Literacy Initiative | $832,432 |
| San Francisco Film Society San Francisco, CA | SFFILM Rainin Filmmaking Grants and Programs | $750,000 |
| United States Artists Inc Chicago, IL | For the Rainin Fellowship Program. | $600,000 |
| Trustees of University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA | Neuro-Epithelial Interactions in Mucosal Regeneration | $500,000 |
| University of California San Francisco San Francisco, CA | Improving clinical decision making beyond the standard of care using artificial intelligence | $500,000 |
| Center for the Collaborative Classroom Alameda, CA | 2025-2026 K-2 Literacy Support | $400,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $642,199,471 | $25,289,234 | $50,479,043 | $21,886,455 |
| 2023 | $614,668,063 | $10,372,080 | $36,985,705 | $16,191,989 |
| 2022 | $583,048,144 | $9,404,948 | $30,790,626 | $17,154,748 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $642,199,471 | $614,668,063 | $583,048,144 |
| Revenue | $25,289,234 | $10,372,080 | $9,404,948 |
| Expenses | $50,479,043 | $36,985,705 | $30,790,626 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $32,050,012 | $24,618,675 | $25,319,211 |
| Net Investment Income | $19,877,241 | $4,918,067 | $6,335,246 |
| Distributable Amount | $31,641,400 | $30,238,467 | $29,170,843 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jennifer Rainin as CEO, director, and president; Lauren Webster as CFO and treasurer; and Michelle Trott as executive director and secretary. Other listed directors are Rivkah Medow, Moy Eng, William Rogers, and Dash Patterson.
Kenneth Rainin Foundation is led by Jennifer Rainin, CEO, Director & President since 2021 (on filings since 2020); all 7 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jennifer Rainin
CEO, Director & President
Chief Executive Officer & President → CEO, Director & President, 2021
On filings since 2020
38 hrs/week
$464K (2020) → $637K (2024)
Michelle Trott
Executive Director & Secretary
Cpo & Secretary → Executive Director & Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$240K (2021) → $325K (2024)
Rivkah Medow
Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$25K (2020) → $25K (2024)
William Rogers
Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$25K (2020) → $25K (2024)
Dash Patterson
Director
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
$25K (2022) → $25K (2024)
Moy Eng
Director
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
$25K (2022) → $25K (2024)
Lauren Webster
CFO & Treasurer
CFO → CFO & Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$326K (2020) → $439K (2024)
Former officers (3)
- Former: Laverne Matias (2020–2022) — Chief of Organizational Effectiveness
- Former: Eric Rodenbeck (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Lorin Harris (2020) — Cpso
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 $637K, to Jennifer Rainin (CEO/Director/President). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 155 Grand Avenue Suite 1000, Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: (510) 625-5200
Website: https://krfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about Kenneth Rainin Foundation
How much does Kenneth Rainin Foundation give each year?
Kenneth Rainin Foundation gave $21.9M across 294 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $16.2M across 218 grants.
What is Kenneth Rainin Foundation's typical grant size?
Kenneth Rainin Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $74,444, across 294 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Kenneth Rainin Foundation that year got $57K on average.
Where does Kenneth Rainin Foundation give grants?
Kenneth Rainin Foundation gives mostly in California: 75% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (92 grants), Oakland, CA (76 grants), Berkeley, CA (18 grants) and Washington, DC (9 grants).
Does Kenneth Rainin Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 28% of Kenneth Rainin Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (81 of 294) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Rest & Care" (21 grants), "Honorarium for Completing a Smudata Survey." (4 grants) and "Technical Assistance" (3 grants).
Who are Kenneth Rainin Foundation's largest grantees?
Kenneth Rainin Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Community Arts Stabilization Trust ($2,000,000 across 2 grants), Roxie Theater ($1,300,000) and Oakland Unified School District ($1,111,588 across 3 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Kenneth Rainin Foundation?
Kenneth Rainin Foundation reported $642.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $32.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $31.6M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Kenneth Rainin Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to enhance quality of life by championing the arts, promoting early childhood literacy, and supporting research to cure chronic disease. Its vision is for all Oakland children to read at or above grade level, no one to suffer from IBD, and Bay Area artists to thrive. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Kenneth Rainin Foundation?
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and 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 Kenneth Rainin Foundation's EIN?
Kenneth Rainin Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3289283. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Kenneth Rainin 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 October 2026.
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