Kettering Family Foundation
The Kettering Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Dayton, Ohio, established in 1956 and incorporated in Illinois, then reincorporated in Ohio in 1966. It operates as part of Kettering Family Philanthropies, an umbrella organization that manages multiple private foundations supporting charitable causes aligned with the interests of the Kettering family. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization with tax-exempt status since April 1967.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$90.6M
-2.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$7.1M
+12.9% YoY
Grant Count
164
-3.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$43K
+16.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Kettering Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $6.5M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Kettering Family Foundation was founded by Eugene W. Kettering, son of Charles F. Kettering, and his wife Virginia W. Kettering. Today, the foundation supports a broad range of charitable activities of interest to its Board of Trustees, composed of members of the Kettering family.
Primary funding focus areas include:
- Arts, Culture and Humanities
- Education
- Environment
- Health and Medical
- Human Services
- Public Benefit
Grantmaking
The foundation made 144 grants in 2024, with total giving of $7,104,500. Typical grant awards range from $1,000 to $500,000.
Review Cycle
(most recently January 1–31, 2026). All prospective applicants must communicate their interest and discuss their proposal with foundation personnel prior to submitting an application. Applicants must document contact with Kettering Family Philanthropies staff and the specific person with whom they discussed their proposal.
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grant-making focuses primarily on Colorado, Ohio, and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of December 2024:
- Total Assets: $90,571,893
- Total Revenue: $7,895,031
- Total Expenses: $9,773,335
- Net Income: -$1,878,304
- Total Liabilities: $0
- Number of Employees: 1
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $90,571,893 | $92,450,197 | $96,735,612 |
| Revenue | $7,895,031 | $3,728,385 | $7,862,035 |
| Expenses | $9,773,335 | $8,013,800 | $8,114,363 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $7,683,107 | $6,521,525 | $6,881,158 |
| Net Investment Income | $6,127,997 | $2,127,762 | $5,069,966 |
| Distributable Amount | $6,471,815 | $6,242,686 | $6,083,930 |
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
2 open opportunities from Kettering Family Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Children's Research Institute (cri) ($500,000), Dayton Society of Natural History ($250,000), Antioch College ($200,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 826DC WASHINGTON, DC | FREE CREATIVE WRITING AND LITERACY PROGRAMS AT 826DC FOR UNDERSERVED STUDENTS | $15,000 |
| 826NYC INC BROOKLYN, NY | 826NYC 2023-2024 YOUTH WRITING PROGRAMS | $25,000 |
| AIR FORCE MUSEUM FOUNDATION INC WPAFB, OH | AIR FORCE MUSEUM FOUNDATION | $25,000 |
| ANTIOCH COLLEGE YELLOW SPRINGS, OH | MEANINGFUL WORK: SECURING ANTIOCH COLLEGES NATIONAL PLACE IN HIGHER EDUCATION | $200,000 |
| ART AT A TIME LIKE THIS INC NEW YORK, NY | UNRESTRICTED OPERATING SUPPORT | $10,000 |
| BANG ON A CAN BROOKLYN, NY | LONG PLAY 2025 | $35,000 |
| BELOVED ASHEVILLE ASHEVILLE, NC | RECOVERY AND EMERGENCY SERVICES FOR HURRICANE HELENE | $5,000 |
| BELOVED ASHEVILLE ASHEVILLE, NC | HURRICANE HELENE RELIEF | $50,000 |
| BERKSHIRE MUSEUM PITTSFIELD, MA | UNRESTRICTED OPERATING SUPPORT | $5,000 |
| BIDOUN PROJECTS INC BROOKLYN, NY | UNRESTRICTED OPERATING SUPPORT | $10,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board of Trustees:
- Charles F. Kettering III
- Linda H Hanauer
- Debra L Williamson
Staff:
- Katherine Reed, Administrative Director
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHARLES F KETTERING III | PRESIDENT | 2 | — |
| DEBRA L WILLIAMSON | VICE PRESIDENT | 2 | — |
| KAREN W CUSHNIE | SECRETARY/TREASURER | 2 | — |
| SUSAN S KETTERING | ASSISTANT TREASURER | 2 | — |
| KYLE W KIM | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| ALBERT W LELAND | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| JANE K LOMBARD | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| RICHARD J LOMBARD | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| DOUGLAS E WILLIAMSON | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| SHALYN R KETTERING | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| PETER A WILLIAMSON | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation announced that Request Summaries for the next grant cycle will be accepted from January 1, 2026 through January 31, 2026. All non-profit organizations applying must submit through the web portal and have prior documented contact with foundation personnel regarding their specific proposal.
January 21, 2026 MCG Grant Opportunities NewsletterFrequently Asked Questions
What does Kettering Family Foundation fund?
The Kettering Family Foundation was founded by Eugene W. Kettering, son of Charles F. Kettering, and his wife Virginia W. Kettering. Today, the foundation supports a broad range of charitable activities of interest to its Board of Trustees, composed of members of the Kettering family. Primary funding focus areas include: • Arts, Culture and Humanities • Education • Environment • Health and Medical • Human Services • Public Benefit
How do I apply for a grant from Kettering Family Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** The foundation made 144 grants in 2024, with total giving of $7,104,500. Typical grant awards range from $1,000 to $500,000. **Recent Grants (2024):** • Zoological Society of Cincinnati: $250,000 (Elephant Trek: the Final Stretch) • The New School: $250,000 (The VLC Studio) • Dayton Society of Natural History: $250,000 (A River Runs Through Us: Transforming Dayton's Museum of Natural History) **Application Process:** Request Summaries are accepted during designated grant cyc…
Where does Kettering Family Foundation make grants?
The foundation's grant-making focuses primarily on Colorado, Ohio, and New York.
What size grants does Kettering Family Foundation award?
In 2024, Kettering Family Foundation awarded 164 grants totaling $7.1M — an average of about $43K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Kettering Family Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Kettering Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $6.5M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Kettering Family Foundation's EIN?
Kettering Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-0727384. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Kettering Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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