Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation
The Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation is a private foundation based in San Diego, California. Its 2025 filing reports 10 grants totaling $1,530,094 to charitable organizations, including organizations working in health, education, and human trafficking response.
Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation gave $1.5M across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $153K), mostly in California. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,530,094
- -3.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +42.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $153,009
- -32.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $85,000
- Total assets
- $39,751,531
- +2.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (2 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (68% 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 Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 864 Grand Ave Pmb 504, San Diego, CA 92109
Phone: (619) 997-9945
Website: https://kennethwhalenfamilyfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Challenged Athletes Foundaton ($400K). Together the top 10 received $1.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
49 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 12 grants of 49 (24%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 68% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 26% to Arizona, 5% to Texas, and 1% to Utah.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 10 grantees (20%) 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 $7K; repeat grants $189K. How we count
Medians: $7K first-time, $133K repeat.
- 60% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−15%). Method
- In 2023 it paid out 108% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $824K (2020) to $1.8M (2022). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $1.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Challenged Athletes Foundaton San Diego, CA | General | $400,000 |
| Alport Syndrome Foundation Inc Scottsdale, AZ | General | $400,000 |
| Rady's Children's Hospital San Diego, CA | General | $350,000 |
| Captivating International La Jolla, CA | General | $175,000 |
| Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition National City, CA | General | $90,000 |
| The Monarch School Houston, TX | General | $80,000 |
| Albion 12 Foundation San Diego, CA | General | $20,000 |
| Huntsman Foundation Salt Lake City, UT | General | $14,590 |
| San Diego Food Bank San Diego, CA | General | $400 |
| Orange Elementary Corona, CA | General | $104 |
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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 | $39,751,531 | $4,072,565 | $1,745,803 | $1,530,094 | 10 | $1,720,803 | $4,047,565 | — |
| 2024 | $38,941,631 | $1,482,706 | $1,765,796 | $1,586,000 | 7 | $1,622,595 | $1,480,067 | — |
| 2023 | $32,726,130 | $353,530 | $1,857,755 | $1,642,700 | 12 | $1,694,060 | $727,178 | $1,570,657 |
| 2022 | $31,467,374 | $1,492,256 | $2,009,242 | $1,800,000 | 10 | $1,841,045 | $1,342,723 | $1,662,539 |
| 2021 | $36,807,658 | $2,769,040 | $1,957,687 | $1,697,510 | 10 | — | $2,381,206 | $1,761,629 |
| 2020 | $33,617,911 | $7,163,732 | $1,006,990 | $824,000 | 6 | — | $627,553 | $1,729,965 |
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 show support for organizations including the Alport Syndrome Foundation, which says it educates and supports people affected by a genetic kidney disease and funds research toward more effective treatments and a cure. The Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition says it coordinates efforts addressing human trafficking in and through the U.S.-Mexico border region and works to preserve victims’ dignity and well-being. The Monarch School and Institute describes its work as providing therapeutic education for people with neurological differences.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $1,530,094. Grants ranged from $104 to $400,000, with a median of $85,000. Notable grants included $400,000 each to the Challenged Athletes Foundation and the Alport Syndrome Foundation, $350,000 to Rady’s Children’s Hospital, $175,000 to Captivating International, and $90,000 to the Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition. The Monarch School received $80,000. All listed grants were designated for general purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Paula Whalen as President & CEO and Alba Wylie as Secretary; Wylie’s title is shown as “Secretary & Tre” in the filing data.
Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation is led by Paula Whalen, President & CEO on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Paula Whalen
President & CEO
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alba Wylie
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation
How much does Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation give each year?
Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation gave $1.5M across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.6M across 7 grants.
What is Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $85,000, and its average grant was $153,009, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation give grants?
Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 68% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Arizona (26%) and Texas (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Diego, CA (4 grants).
Does Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Challenged Athletes Foundaton ($400,000), Alport Syndrome Foundation Inc ($400,000) and Rady's Children's Hospital ($350,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 75% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation?
Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation reported $39.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $4.1M.
What does Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations including the Alport Syndrome Foundation, which says it educates and supports people affected by a genetic kidney disease and funds research toward more effective treatments and a cure. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation's EIN?
Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-0788122. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Kenneth Whalen 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 August 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/kenneth-whalen-family-foundation-morg_824334da5400409c87f9f9dfc10fc494
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_810788122_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/kenneth-whalen-family-foundation-morg_824334da5400409c87f9f9dfc10fc494},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Kenneth Whalen 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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