Kissick Family Foundation
The Kissick Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Sherman Oaks, California. Founded in 1994 by John Kissick, it supports early-stage work by leaders, researchers, and entrepreneurs, with current impact areas of dementia research and awareness and ocean-based climate solutions.
Key facts about Kissick Family Foundation
In short: Kissick Family Foundation gave $7.3M across 33 grants in 2024 (avg $222K), top state California. 55% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 95-4443453
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $7,321,216
- Grants made (2024)
- 33
- Average grant
- $221,855
- Median grant
- $160,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 55% first-time grantees (18 of 33, 2024)
- Total assets
- $104,935,521
- Primary geography
- California (40% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$104.9M
+5.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$7.3M
+54.5% YoY
Grant Count
33
-21.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$222K
+96.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Kissick Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Kissick Family Foundation open to new grantees?
55%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 18 of 33 grantees (55%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $251K; repeat grants $187K. How we count
Medians: $243K first-time, $100K repeat.
- 45% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 1416% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 140% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to act boldly and invest generously in ideas that can have catalytic impact, providing critical early support to people working to find cures, repair damage to the planet, and change fields of study.
Its stated focus areas are dementia research and awareness—particularly biomarkers and cures for frontotemporal dementia (FTD)—and ocean-based climate solutions. The foundation says it backs innovative and overlooked approaches in the ocean-climate field, including technologies that remove greenhouse gases or mitigate harm to ecosystems.
The organizations it supports work across these areas and beyond. For example, Ocean Visions describes its work as developing and advancing solutions to protect and restore the ocean; the Digital Harbor Foundation says it works on digital equity, diversity in technology, innovative education, and technology for the public good; and Spark Climate Solutions describes its mission as accelerating emerging approaches to climate mitigation and adaptation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 33 grants totaling $7,321,216. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $1,000,000, with a median of $160,000. Among the largest awards were $1,000,000 to 10000 Brains Neuro AI Inc., $750,000 to Ocean Visions, $650,000 to the Regents of the University of California, San Francisco, $600,000 to the Windward Fund, and $500,000 each to Digital Harbor Foundation and Spark Climate Solutions.
How to Apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. It states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept or review unsolicited funding requests.
Ready to take the next step with Kissick Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, California accounted for 40% of grant dollars, Massachusetts 16%, Maryland 12%, Virginia 12%, and New York 4%. These figures describe the states of grant recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $483K (2021) to $7.3M (2024). In 2024 it made 33 grants totaling $7.3M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was 10000 Brains Neuro AL Inc ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $5.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
186 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 89 grants of 186 (48%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 10000 Brains Neuro AL Inc Chestnut Hill, MA | Contribution | $1,000,000 |
| Ocean Visions Leesburg, VA | Contribution | $750,000 |
| The Regents of the University of CA San Francisco Los Angeles, CA | Contribution | $650,000 |
| The Windward Fund Los Angeles, CA | Contribution | $600,000 |
| Digital Harbor Foundation Baltimore, MD | Contribution | $500,000 |
| Spark Climate Solutions Inc San Francisco, CA | Contribution | $500,000 |
| Purpose Campaigns LLC New York, NY | Contribution | $300,000 |
| Stanford University Stanford, CA | Contribution | $300,000 |
| 1907 Foundation International Inc Naples, FL | Contribution | $250,000 |
| Great Barrier Reef Foundation Washington, DC | Contribution | $250,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $104,935,521 | $20,778,486 | $9,814,377 | $7,321,216 | 33 |
| 2023 | $99,302,510 | $9,279,072 | $6,764,882 | $4,739,800 | 42 |
| 2022 | $97,155,242 | $8,643,592 | $4,996,149 | $3,349,000 | 40 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $104,935,521 | $99,302,510 | $97,155,242 |
| Revenue | $20,778,486 | $9,279,072 | $8,643,592 |
| Expenses | $9,814,377 | $6,764,882 | $4,996,149 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $8,107,715 | $5,182,988 | $3,788,927 |
| Net Investment Income | $4,760,317 | $5,780,635 | $4,519,880 |
| Distributable Amount | $5,792,218 | $4,589,614 | $5,043,407 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
John Kissick (1942–2024) founded the foundation and served as its founding president. The 2024 filing lists Mary K. Kissick as secretary, Michael S. Warsavsky as director, and John R. Kissick and Kasey C. Duarte as co-presidents.
Kissick Family Foundation is led by Kasey C. Duarte, Co-President on the 2024 filing; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Kasey C. Duarte
Co-President
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
$67K (2024)
John R. Kissick
Co-President
President & Treasurer → Co-President, 2021
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael S. Warsavsky
Director
Vice President → Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Mary K. Kissick
Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Kasey C. Kissick (2021–2023) — Co-President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $67K, to Kasey C Duarte (Co-President).
Contact
Mailing address: 15260 Ventura Blvd Suite 1910, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Phone: (310) 201-4139
Website: https://kissickfamilyfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about Kissick Family Foundation
How much does Kissick Family Foundation give each year?
Kissick Family Foundation gave $7.3M across 33 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $4.7M across 42 grants.
What is Kissick Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Kissick Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $160,000, and its average grant was $221,855, across 33 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Kissick Family Foundation that year got $251K on average.
Where does Kissick Family Foundation give grants?
Kissick Family Foundation's top state is California, with 40% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Massachusetts (16%) and Maryland (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (5 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants), Baltimore, MD (2 grants) and Stanford, CA (2 grants).
Does Kissick Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 33 grants with a stated purpose on Kissick Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Contribution" (33 grants).
Who are Kissick Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Kissick Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include 10000 Brains Neuro AL Inc ($1,000,000), Ocean Visions ($750,000) and The Regents of the University of CA San Francisco ($650,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Kissick Family Foundation?
Kissick Family Foundation reported $104.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $8.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Kissick Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to act boldly and invest generously in ideas that can have catalytic impact, providing critical early support to people working to find cures, repair damage to the planet, and change fields of study. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Kissick Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Kissick Family Foundation's EIN?
Kissick Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-4443453. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Kissick 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.
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