The Kenneth Rainin Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Oakland, California, established in 1998. The foundation enhances quality of life through strategic philanthropy, with a focus on supporting Bay Area artists, early childhood education in Oakland, and research to advance treatments for chronic disease. The foundation operates with a commitment to collaboration, innovation, and equity across all its work.
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
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: The Kenneth Rainin Foundation's mission is to enhance quality of life by championing the arts, promoting early childhood literacy, and supporting research to cure chronic disease.
Vision: The foundation envisions a world where all Oakland children read at or above grade level, no one suffers from Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and Bay Area artists thrive.
Core Values: The foundation's work is guided by three core values:
- Interdependence: Collaboration with stakeholder communities, building trust and accountability
- Creativity: Approaching work with curiosity and a growth mindset to create bold solutions
- Equity: Acknowledging inherent differences, learning, and taking action to dismantle inequities and create a more inclusive world
The foundation also emphasizes compassion, respect, humor, and joy in its operations.
Funding Areas
Arts: Supports diverse, visionary Bay Area artists working in dance, film, theater, and public space. Recent initiatives include a grant program supporting arts leader sabbaticals and research into the local arts landscape and conditions.
Education: Focuses on early childhood education to ensure Oakland children develop literacy skills to communicate, learn, and thrive by third grade. The program curates stories and lessons from grantees, convenes partners for collaboration and learning, and conducts stakeholder interviews to design grant priorities.
Health: Provides early support for innovative research ideas that can lead to improvements in preventing, diagnosing, and treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Grantmaking
Recent grant announcements include:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds in the Bay Area for arts initiatives and Oakland for education programs. Health research funding extends worldwide for Inflammatory Bowel Disease research.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $642,199,471
- Total Revenues: $25,289,234
- Total Expenses: $50,479,043
- Number of Employees: 41
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $615,000,000
- Total Giving: $16,191,989
| 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 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
6 open opportunities from Kenneth Rainin Foundation
Early Care Spaces program
KENNETH RAININ FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
IBD Research Grant
KENNETH RAININ FOUNDATION
Amount
US $150,000 - US $300,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Innovator Awards - Individual Research Projects (Researchers) Grant
KENNETH RAININ FOUNDATION
Amount
Up to US $150,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Founder: Kenneth Rainin built his fortune founding scientific and medical products companies. Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1938, he graduated from Ohio State University and served in the US Army before entering the business world.
Current Leadership:
- Jennifer Rainin: CEO
- Miyesha Perry: Chief Program Officer
- Shelley Trott: Executive Director
- Richard McConnell: Director of Information Technology
- Lorena Gomez-Barris: Director of Administration and Workplace Experience (promoted to newly created role as of March 2026)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JENNIFER RAININ | CEO/DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT | 38 | $637,304 |
| LAUREN WEBSTER | CFO/TREASURER | 40 | $439,486 |
| MICHELLE TROTT | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/SECRETARY | 40 | $324,551 |
| RIVKAH MEDOW | DIRECTOR | 5 | $25,000 |
| MOY ENG | DIRECTOR | 5 | $25,000 |
| WILLIAM ROGERS | DIRECTOR | 5 | $25,000 |
| DASH PATTERSON | DIRECTOR | 5 | $25,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**March 2026:** Lorena Gomez-Barris was promoted to a newly created role as Director of Administration and Workplace Experience
The foundation has published resources to support nonprofits in the current landscape
The foundation continues to capture and create photo and video stories highlighting grantee partners
Recent grant programs include the New & Experimental Works (NEW) Program
Grant Opportunity For Dance And Theater Works - Kenneth Rainin FoundationSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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