McKinnon Family Foundation
The McKinnon Family Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2025 grants supported organizations working in areas including education, scientific research, community services, and the arts.
Key facts about McKinnon Family Foundation
In short: McKinnon Family Foundation gave $3.6M across 50 grants in 2025 (avg $72K), mostly in California. 36% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 35-7079265
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,617,213
- Grants made (2025)
- 50
- Average grant
- $72,344
- Median grant
- $15,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (18 of 50, 2025)
- Total assets
- $23,780,733
- Primary geography
- California (52% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 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 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$23.8M
+0.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.6M
+25.2% YoY
Grant Count
50
+13.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$72K
+10.2% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, McKinnon Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.8M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is McKinnon Family Foundation open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 18 of 50 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $28K; repeat grants $97K. How we count
Medians: $18K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 64% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+2%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 197% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for universities, research, youth education and wellbeing, community services, and arts organizations. For example, the Santa Fe Institute describes its work as expanding scientific understanding of complex systems, while the Peoria Riverfront Museum says it connects art, history, science, and achievement through collections, exhibitions, and programs. Eat Learn Play Foundation describes its work as supporting children’s wellbeing through a whole-child, whole-school approach.
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 50 grants totaling $3,617,213 in 2025, compared with 44 grants totaling $2,888,350 in 2024 and 27 grants totaling $1,585,000 in 2023. In 2025, grants ranged from $250 to $1,430,000, with a median grant of $15,000.
Notable 2025 grants included $1,430,000 to UCSF Foundation for education; $500,000 to Santa Fe Institute; $300,000 to Brown University for education; $197,000 to Roger Federer Charitable Fund for educational projects in Southern Africa and Switzerland; and $125,000 to First Serve – New Mexico for children’s education, life skills, and tennis.
How to Apply
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Applications should be submitted in writing and state the organization’s purpose, address, telephone number, and contact person. Applicants should also include a prior-period operating statement and balance sheet, and indicate whether the organization is a 501(c)(3). The filing lists no award restrictions.
Ready to take the next step with McKinnon Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in California (52%), New Mexico (21%), New York (9%), Rhode Island (8%), and Illinois (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 50 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.1M (2019) to $5.2M (2020). In 2025 it made 50 grants totaling $3.6M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was UCSF Foundation ($1.4M). Together the top 10 received $3.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
163 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 114 grants of 163 (70%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| UCSF Foundation San Francisco, CA | Education | $1,430,000 |
| Santa Fe Institute Santa Fe, NM | Dedicated to the multidisciplinary study of the fundamental principles of complex adaptive systems, including physical, computational, biological, and social systems. | $500,000 |
| Brown University Providence, RI | Education | $300,000 |
| Roger Federer Charitable Fund New York, NY | Supports educational projects located in the region of southern africa and switzerland. | $197,000 |
| First Serve - New Mexico Santa Fe, NM | To strengthen the lives and enhance the character of santa fe's children through education, life skills, and tennis. | $125,000 |
| Harvard University Cambridge, MA | Education | $100,000 |
| Stinson Beach Volunteer Firefighters Assoc Stinson Beach, CA | Community Services | $100,000 |
| Peoria Riverfront Museum Peoria, IL | ARTS | $100,000 |
| Eat Learn Play Foundation Oakland, CA | Support children's wellbeing through nutrition, education, and safe play opportunities. | $100,000 |
| University of New Mexico Mens Basketball Alburquerque, NM | Raises funds necessary to provide financial support for student-athlete scholarships, facilities, programs that support student-athlete success and operational support | $62,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,617,213 | 50 |
| 2024 | $2,888,350 | 44 |
| 2023 | $1,585,000 | 27 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $23,780,733 | $23,727,129 | $23,100,747 |
| Revenue | $3,618,433 | $4,031,514 | $-904,930 |
| Expenses | $3,664,196 | $2,917,672 | $1,616,385 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,617,213 | $2,888,350 | $1,585,000 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,243,564 | $2,915,010 | $577,786 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,835,265 | $1,588,845 | $1,290,760 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 21, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Daniel I McKinnonn, Sonnet McKinnon, William McKinnon, and Ashley McKinnon as trustees.
McKinnon Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Daniel I. McKinnonn
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Sonnet McKinnon
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
William McKinnon
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Ashley McKinnon
Trustee
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Application contact: Daniel I Mckinnon
Mailing address: C/O Trebatch 950 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022
Phone: (203) 295-7703
Frequently asked questions about McKinnon Family Foundation
How much does McKinnon Family Foundation give each year?
McKinnon Family Foundation gave $3.6M across 50 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.9M across 44 grants.
What is McKinnon Family Foundation's typical grant size?
McKinnon Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $72,344, across 50 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from McKinnon Family Foundation that year got $28K on average.
Where does McKinnon Family Foundation give grants?
McKinnon Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 52% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New Mexico (21%) and New York (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (8 grants), New York, NY (8 grants), Albuquerque, NM (4 grants) and Santa Fe, NM (2 grants).
Does McKinnon Family Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 2% of McKinnon Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 50) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Community Services" (13 grants), "Education" (11 grants) and "Medical" (4 grants).
Who are McKinnon Family Foundation's largest grantees?
McKinnon Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include UCSF Foundation ($1,430,000), Santa Fe Institute ($500,000) and Brown University ($300,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is McKinnon Family Foundation?
McKinnon Family Foundation reported $23.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does McKinnon Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for universities, research, youth education and wellbeing, community services, and arts organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from McKinnon Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is McKinnon Family Foundation's EIN?
McKinnon Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-7079265. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching McKinnon Family Foundation by hand.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in McKinnon Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in New York
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Mountain View, CA
Silicon Valley Community Foundation funds work in areas such as housing, economic security, education, health, the environment, arts and culture, and civic engagement, with Community Action Grants supporting local, community-led organizations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Its 2024 grants had a median of $51,716, though amounts varied widely; applications depend on the program, and SVCF states that it does not accept unsolicited proposals for advised funds.
Assets
$12.3B
Grants
3,576
Total Given
$3.2B
Marin Community Foundation
Novato, CA
Marin Community Foundation funds work in affordable housing and homelessness, community resilience and power, as well as social services, education, arts and conservation, with a focus on marginalized Marin County residents and some broader U.S. and international grantmaking. Its 2025 grants had a median of $25,000, though amounts varied widely. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.3B
Grants
1,573
Total Given
$186.1M
The Ford Foundation
New York, NY
The Ford Foundation funds organizations and initiatives working to reduce inequality and advance social justice, including work on civic engagement, civil rights, climate justice, disability rights, and technology and society. In 2024, its grants ranged from $45 to $15 million, with a median of $100,000, supporting work in the U.S. and internationally. It says most grants are identified by the foundation and it does not accept unsolicited proposals by mail, email, or phone; limited opportunities may be offered separately.
Assets
$17.5B
Grants
4,007
Total Given
$844.7M
The New York Community Trust
New York, NY
The New York Community Trust funds nonprofit programs in areas such as arts, education, health, the environment, workforce development, and youth development, including projects that improve services, build organizational capacity, or advance policy and systems change. Its competitive grants mainly serve New York City, Long Island, and Westchester, with some national and international environmental funding; the 2024 median grant was $20,000. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$3.5B
Grants
2,748
Total Given
$193.8M
The Simons Foundation Inc
New York, NY
The Simons Foundation funds research and public engagement in mathematics and the physical, life, autism, and neuroscience sciences. In 2024, it made 1,727 grants, with a median award of $72,000 and amounts ranging from $1,480 to $20 million, supporting organizations in the U.S. and internationally. It states that it funds only preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$4.5B
Grants
1,727
Total Given
$272.0M
Local Initiatives Support Corporation
New York, NY
LISC funds affordable housing, community development, small businesses, and related efforts that strengthen inclusive communities, providing grants as well as loans, equity, and technical assistance across the country. Its 2024 grants had a median award of $40,000, though amounts varied widely. Application access is program-specific: for its Rhode Island child care facilities planning grants, applicants are instructed to consult program staff before submitting a request.
Assets
$1.6B
Grants
1,119
Total Given
$102.8M
More Funders in New York
McKinnon Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?