Kinder Foundation
Kinder Foundation is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas. Established by Rich and Nancy Kinder in 1997, it makes transformational grants focused on urban green space, education and quality of life, primarily in the Greater Houston area.
Kinder Foundation at a glance
In short: Kinder Foundation gave $66.9M across 78 grants in 2025 (avg $857K), mostly in Texas. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $66,876,693
- +14.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 78
- -6.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $857,394
- +21.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $94,658
- Total assets
- $213,340,151
- +23.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (6 of 33, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Texas (89% 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 Kinder Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. When notified by the foundation, preselected organizations should submit an application in writing with the organization’s name and address and a discussion of the grant’s purpose. The foundation does not make grants to individuals.
- Review Cycle
- None is listed.
- Deadline
- None is listed.
- Contact
Application contact: Nancy G Kinder President Ceo
Mailing address: 2229 San Felipe Suite 1700, Houston, TX 77019
Phone: (713) 529-5537
Website: https://kinderfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Kinder Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Buffalo Bayou Partnership ($20.2M across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $59.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
387 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 130 grants of 387 (34%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation states that it is primarily, but not exclusively, focused on the Greater Houston community. In 2025, 89% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 7% to Missouri and 4% to Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 78 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Kinder Foundation open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 33 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $845K; repeat grants $2.3M. How we count
Medians: $515K first-time, $501K repeat.
- 79% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 23% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 427% 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 $50.6M (2020) to $66.9M (2025). In 2025 it made 78 grants totaling $66.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bayou Partnership Houston, TX | Park design & construction - 10 year master plan | $19,433,012 |
| Rice University Houston, TX | Enhancement and expansion of the kinder institute for urban research | $11,869,293 |
| Memorial Park Conservancy Houston, TX | Park design & construction - 10 year master plan & memorial groves | $5,416,557 |
| Houston Parks Board Houston, TX | Macgregor Park Design & Construction | $5,207,549 |
| University of Missouri Columbia, MO | Enhancement and expansion of the kinder institute for constitutional democracy | $4,732,150 |
| University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA | Endowed Chair in Landscape Architecture | $2,377,494 |
| Emancipation Park Conservancy Houston, TX | Stage and Endowmenet | $2,371,957 |
| Coalition for the Homeless of Houstonharris County Houston, TX | Mayor Whitmire's Homelessness Plan | $1,425,933 |
| Depelchin Children's Center Houston, TX | Texas Foster Care Transition to the CBC Model | $1,421,290 |
| Cristo Rey Jesuit Houston, TX | Capital Campaign/STEAM Building | $1,420,839 |
Ready to take the next step with Kinder Foundation?
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 | $213,340,151 | $102,263,053 | $70,839,311 | $66,876,693 | 78 | $68,842,492 | $39,001,965 | $16,127,074 |
| 2024 | $173,359,442 | $84,468,068 | $61,251,054 | $58,500,762 | 83 | $59,894,419 | $23,134,006 | $13,742,836 |
| 2023 | $162,035,942 | $67,607,405 | $58,437,619 | $55,727,027 | 80 | $57,233,266 | $11,473,482 | $11,873,552 |
| 2022 | $148,818,599 | $65,311,294 | $57,050,695 | $54,322,909 | 66 | $55,804,166 | $8,847,647 | $11,212,966 |
| 2021 | $141,449,180 | $60,608,944 | $54,283,910 | $51,889,786 | 80 | $52,966,104 | $9,398,531 | $12,040,870 |
| 2020 | $130,110,480 | $45,137,318 | $52,610,947 | $50,619,809 | 83 | — | $4,186,777 | $9,342,166 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Kinder Foundation reported a distributable amount of $16.1M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to enrich lives in the Greater Houston area through transformational grants that impact urban green space, education and quality of life. Its major-gifts list includes parks and green-space projects, educational institutions and programs, and organizations working in areas such as health, food access and community well-being.
Grantees’ stated missions illustrate the range of organizations supported. Buffalo Bayou Partnership says it transforms and revitalizes Buffalo Bayou; Houston Parks Board says it expands, improves and protects parks and greenspace in the Houston region. Rice University describes its work as research, undergraduate education and contributions to the betterment of the world. DePelchin Children’s Center says it strengthens children’s lives by enhancing their mental health and physical well-being.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 78 grants totaling $66,876,693. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $19,433,012, with a median of $94,658.
Among the largest reported grants were $19,433,012 to Buffalo Bayou Partnership for park design and construction under a 10-year master plan; $11,869,293 to Rice University for enhancement and expansion of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research; $5,416,557 to Memorial Park Conservancy for park design and construction and Memorial Groves; and $5,207,549 to Houston Parks Board for MacGregor Park design and construction. Other large grants included $4,732,150 to the University of Missouri for the Kinder Institute for Constitutional Democracy and $2,377,494 to the University of Virginia for an endowed chair in landscape architecture.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Richard D. Kinder as chairman and Nancy G. Kinder as president, CEO and treasurer. Other listed officers and directors are Kara K. Vidal, David D. Kinder, Gary C. Dudley, Roxann S. Neumann, James V. Derrick Jr., Ginger A. Corley, Todd V. Adam and Polly K. Whittle.
Kinder Foundation is led by Nancy G. Kinder, President, CEO & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; 8 of 17 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Nancy G. Kinder
President, CEO & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard D. Kinder
Chairman
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Patra Brannon
Director of Education & Community Projects
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$173K (2020) → $234K (2025)
Sarah Newbery
Director of Parks & Greenspace
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$215K (2020) → $274K (2025)
Aarti K. Garehgrat
Assistant Treasurer & CFO
Assistant Treasurer → Assistant Treasurer & CFO, 2025
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
$20K (2020) → $30K (2025)
Gary C. Dudley
Chief Investment Officer & Board Member
Chief of Staff & Board Member → Chief Investment Officer & Board Member, 2025
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$66K (2020) → $87K (2025)
Guy Hagstette
Senior Vice President of Parks & Civic Projects
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$325K (2020) → $408K (2025)
Kathryn Dollins
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$56K (2020) → $62K (2025)
Sabrina W. Kirwin
Assistant Treasurer & COO
Assistant Treasurer → Assistant Treasurer & COO, 2025
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
$21K (2020) → $30K (2025)
Cheryl Huffman
Assistant Director of Parks & Greenspace
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$113K (2025)
David D. Kinder
Board Member
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Ginger A. Corley
Board Member
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
James V. Derrick Jr.
Secretary & Board Member
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Kara K. Vidal
Board Member
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Polly K. Whittle
Board Member
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Roxann S. Neumann
Board Member
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Todd V. Adam
Board Member
On filings since 2020
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $408K, to Guy Hagstette (Sr. VP of Parks & Civic Projects). 8 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Kinder Foundation
How much does Kinder Foundation give each year?
Kinder Foundation gave $66.9M across 78 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $58.5M across 83 grants.
What is Kinder Foundation's typical grant size?
Kinder Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $94,658, and its average grant was $857,394, across 78 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Kinder Foundation that year got $845K on average.
Where does Kinder Foundation give grants?
Kinder Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Missouri (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (71 grants), Columbia, MO (4 grants) and Charlottesville, VA (2 grants).
Does Kinder Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 31% of Kinder Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (24 of 78) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Teacher Awards" (7 grants), "Postsecondary Gift" (3 grants) and "Endowment Fund" (3 grants).
Who are Kinder Foundation's largest grantees?
Kinder Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Buffalo Bayou Partnership ($20,153,065 across 3 grants), Rice University ($12,355,808 across 6 grants) and Memorial Park Conservancy ($5,678,861 across 4 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Kinder Foundation?
Kinder Foundation reported $213.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $68.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $16.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Kinder Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to enrich lives in the Greater Houston area through transformational grants that impact urban green space, education and quality of life. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Kinder Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Kinder Foundation's EIN?
Kinder Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 76-0519073. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Kinder 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 October 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 May 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Kinder Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Kinder Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/kinder-foundation-morg_0c1d041c4d03454db7ebaaedfeb65a36
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_760519073_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Kinder Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/kinder-foundation-morg_0c1d041c4d03454db7ebaaedfeb65a36},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Kinder 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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