Kenny's Kids
Kenny's Kids is a private foundation based in Sedona, Arizona. Its 2022 filing reports 22 grants totaling $17,655,476, including grants to organizations in Arizona, Tennessee, and other states.
Kenny's Kids at a glance
In short: Kenny's Kids gave $17.7M across 22 grants in 2022 (avg $803K), mostly in Arizona. 58% of 2022 grantees were new. Source: 2022 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2022)
- $17,655,476
- +4338.8% vs 2021
- Grants made (2022)
- 22
- +120.0% vs 2021
- Average grant
- $802,522
- +1917.7% vs 2021
- Median grant
- $21,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 58% first-time grantees (11 of 19, 2022; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Arizona (63% of itemized 2022 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2022 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2022; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Kenny's Kids
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 35 Ruby Dr, Sedona, AZ 86336
Phone: (928) 554-1010
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Kenny's Kids funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2022
The largest 2022 recipient was Kenny's Kids ($11.1M). Together the top 10 received $17.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
69 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 48 grants of 69 (70%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2022, 63% of reported grant dollars went to recipients in Arizona and 33% to recipients in Tennessee. The remaining reported shares were Illinois (2%), California (1%), and Georgia (1%). These figures describe the locations of recipients, not a stated geographic restriction.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2022 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Kenny's Kids open to new grantees?
58%
first-time grantees, 2022
In 2022, 11 of 19 grantees (58%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $1.6M; repeat grants $37K. How we count
Medians: $18K first-time, $18K repeat.
- 21% of 2022 grantees were also funded in 2021. Method
- Giving grew 1999% from 2019 to 2022. Method
- In 2022 it paid out 304% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2022). 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 2022, annual grant giving ranged from $398K (2021) to $17.7M (2022). In 2022 it made 22 grants totaling $17.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Kenny's Kids Sedona, AZ | General Purposes | $11,115,979 |
| Pontikes Family Foundation Nashville, TN | General Purposes | $5,769,497 |
| University of Chicago Chicago, IL | General Purposes | $175,000 |
| Soc - F Atlanta, GA | General Purposes | $100,000 |
| The Station Foundation Bozeman, MT | General Purposes | $100,000 |
| Ascension Illinois Foundation Bolingbrook, IL | General Purposes | $100,000 |
| We Care Services for Children Concord, CA | General Purposes | $75,000 |
| Ascension Illinois Foundation Bolingbrook, IL | General Purposes | $50,000 |
| Taylor Family Foundation Livermore, CA | General Purposes | $40,000 |
| Taylor Family Foundation Livermore, CA | General Purposes | $25,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | — | $509,065 | $17,667,224 | $17,655,476 | 22 | $770,000 | $497,317 | $253,332 |
| 2021 | $17,158,159 | $377,738 | $629,680 | $397,750 | 10 | — | $297,947 | $979,636 |
| 2020 | $17,415,102 | $6,643,349 | $959,355 | $742,135 | 17 | — | $6,476,454 | $728,303 |
| 2019 | $11,747,108 | $1,913,260 | $1,068,988 | $841,000 | 20 | — | $1,717,380 | $801,689 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Kenny's Kids reported a distributable amount of $253K for 2022 — 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 Kenny’s Kids is provided. Its 2022 grants included support for a range of organizations. For example, We Care Services for Children describes its work as providing early intervention services to young children and families; Hope House of Sedona says it helps families experiencing homelessness access safe haven and support; and Sedona Arts Center says it works to make the arts a vital part of life in the Verde Valley. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work, not a stated mission or focus area of Kenny’s Kids.
Grantmaking
In 2022, Kenny’s Kids reported 22 grants totaling $17,655,476. Grant amounts ranged from $2,000 to $11,115,979, with a median of $21,500. Notable reported grants included $11,115,979 to Kenny’s Kids and $5,769,497 to Pontikes Family Foundation, both for general purposes; $175,000 to the University of Chicago; and $100,000 each to The Station Foundation, SOC - F, and Ascension Illinois Foundation.
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2022 filing lists Nicholas K Pontikes as vice president and director, Melissa Pontikes as president and director, and Victoria L Gallegos as treasurer and director.
Kenny's Kids is led by Melissa Pontikes, President & Director since 2020 (on filings since 2019); none of the 3 officers listed in 2022 report compensation.
Officers on the 2022 filing
Melissa Pontikes
President & Director
President & D → President & Director, 2020
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nicholas K. Pontikes
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
$56K (2019) → $0 (2022)
Victoria L. Gallegos
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2022. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2020 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2020 filing was $56K, to Nicholas K Pontikes (VP, Director).
Frequently asked questions about Kenny's Kids
How much does Kenny's Kids give each year?
Kenny's Kids gave $17.7M across 22 grants in 2022, according to its 2022 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2021 it gave $398K across 10 grants.
What is Kenny's Kids's typical grant size?
Kenny's Kids's median grant in 2022 was $21,500, and its average grant was $802,522, across 22 grants on its 2022 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Kenny's Kids that year got $1.6M on average.
Where does Kenny's Kids give grants?
Kenny's Kids gives mostly in Arizona: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2022 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Tennessee (33%). The most frequent recipient cities were Sedona, AZ (5 grants), Bolingbrook, IL (2 grants), Concord, CA (2 grants) and Livermore, CA (2 grants).
Does Kenny's Kids give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Kenny's Kids's 2022 grants with a stated purpose (22 of 22) were for general or operating support, per its 2022 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Kenny's Kids's largest grantees?
Kenny's Kids's largest 2022 grantees include Kenny's Kids ($11,115,979), Pontikes Family Foundation ($5,769,497) and University of Chicago ($175,000), according to its 2022 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 97% of its itemized 2022 grant dollars.
What does Kenny's Kids fund?
No mission statement for Kenny’s Kids is provided. Its 2022 grants included support for a range of organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Kenny's Kids?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
How much is Kenny's Kids required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2022, Kenny's Kids reported a distributable amount of $253K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Kenny's Kids's EIN?
Kenny's Kids's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3977234. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2022.
Does Kenny's Kids accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 6, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 5, 2021)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 25, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS January 14, 2023)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2022
Live grants for the work Kenny's Kids funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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