Kershaw Foundation

DALLAS, TX EIN: 46-3322246 Website

The Kershaw Foundation is a private foundation based in Dallas, Texas, established in 2014. It operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with tax-exempt status. The foundation was created by Clayton Kershaw and primarily supports Kershaw's Challenge, a faith-based organization focused on empowering people to make a difference in communities in need.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

—

Annual Giving

$2.0M

+9.6% YoY

Grant Count

+12.8% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$39K

-2.8% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

Kershaw's Challenge, the primary beneficiary of the foundation, operates with the mission to encourage people to use their God-given passion and talent to make a difference and give back to people in need. The organization aims to empower people to use their spheres of influence to impact communities positively and expand God's Kingdom, with a particular focus on transforming at-risk children and neighborhoods through the benevolence and impact of others.

The foundation supports work across four distinct geographic locations: Dallas, Los Angeles, Africa, and the Dominican Republic.

Grantmaking

The Kershaw Foundation made 38 grants in 2024. Recent grants include:

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's grantmaking focuses on four distinct locations:

Dallas, Texas
Los Angeles, California
Africa
Dominican Republic

Grant Distribution by State

Texas $5.0M (63%)

California $1.4M (17%)

Tennessee $638K (8%)

Virginia $460K (6%)

District of Columbia $200K (3%)

Washington $100K (1%)

Colorado $80K (1%)

Georgia $30K (0%)

+8 more states

States

Arizona California Colorado District of Columbia Florida Georgia Illinois Missouri New Jersey New Mexico New York Ohio Tennessee Texas Virginia Washington

Cities

ABILENEAKRONASPENATLANTACHESAPEAKECLAREMONTCLARKCOLLEGE STATIONDALASDALLASDALLSEL SEGUNDOENCINOFAIRFAXFARMINGTONFORT WORTHGRINDLEYHOUSTONLARGOLONG BEACH

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of December 2024:

Total Assets: $51,463,397
Total Revenues: $4,354,328
Total Expenses: $2,529,668
Total Grants, Contributions, etc.: $2,268,465
Investment Income and Dividends: $1,424,921
Number of Employees: 1

As of December 2023:

Total Assets: $45.2 Million
Total Revenue: $1.38 Million
Total Expenses: $2.38 Million
Total Liabilities: $150,000

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	—	—	—
Revenue	—	—	—
Expenses	—	—	—
Qualifying Distributions	—	—	—
Net Investment Income	—	—	—
Distributable Amount	—	—	—

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

216 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Arise Africa ($150,100), Heaven South ($130,000), Kershaw's Challenge ($108,800).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ACT FOUNDATION ATLANTA, GA	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$10,000
ACTION IN AFRICA ASPEN, CO	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$50,000
AIRBOURNE LIFELINE FOUNDATION PACONIAN SPRINGS, VA	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$75,000
ALLIANCE FOR CHILDREN EVERYWHERE RIDGFIELD, WA	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$50,000
ARISE AFRICA FORT WORTH, TX	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$150,100
BABY 2 BABY LOS ANGELES, CA	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$50,000
BEHIND EVERY DOOR MINISTRIES DALLAS, TX	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$25,000
BIH LEAGUE IMPACT ST LOUIS, MO	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$5,175
BROTHER BILL'S HELPING HAND DALLAS, TX	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$50,000
CANCER FOR COLLEGE SAN DIEGO, CA	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$10,560

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Kershaw Foundation:

Jim Melson, Director and President & CEO, Kershaw Management

Kershaw's Challenge (primary beneficiary organization):

Ellen and Clayton Kershaw, Founders
Ann Higginbottom, Executive Director
Karen James, Director of Operations
Jordan Taylor, Director of Communications
Shay O'Dwyer King, Director of Development
Morgan Miller, Administrative Assistant

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
ELLEN KERSHAW	PRESIDENT	4	—
CLAYTON KERSHAW	VICE-PRESIDENT	2	—
ANN HIGGINBOTTOM	SECRETARY - TREASURER	12	—
JIM MELSON	DIRECTOR - CFO	12	—

Recent Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2011

Since its inception in 2011, Kershaw's Challenge has raised over $28.6 million over 14 years to support at-risk children and families globally. The foundation continues active grantmaking, with 38 grants distributed in 2024 totaling approximately $1.8 million in grant activity.

Kishwaukee College Foundation receives $5K grant for textbook initiative\

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Kershaw Foundation fund?

How do I apply for a grant from Kershaw Foundation?

The Kershaw Foundation made 38 grants in 2024. Recent grants include: • Arise Africa: $150,100 (General Operating Fund) • The Store: $130,000 (General Operating Fund) • Kershaw's Challenge: $108,800 (General Operating Fund) The foundation has partnered with 27 different beneficiary organizations since 2011, supporting organizations working on the front lines of change in their focus areas.