Robert S & Grayce B Kerr Foundation

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK EIN: 73-1256123

The Robert S & Grayce B Kerr Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1986 and based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The foundation operates with a focus on supporting organizations aligned with its specific philanthropic interests across multiple states, with particular emphasis on the American West region.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$22.9M

+15.7% YoY

Annual Giving

$1.0M

-29.6% YoY

Grant Count

-55.6% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$85K

+58.5% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Robert S & Grayce B Kerr Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.6M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation supports grantmaking in the following primary areas:

Arts and Culture — particularly museums and organizations focused on the American West
Environmental and Wildlife Conservation
Education
Human Services
Equine Rescue and Care

Arts and culture have historically represented the foundation's largest giving area, with particular interest in museum support.

Grantmaking

The foundation made 34 grants in 2023, with total giving of $1,025,000. Notable recent grants include:

Grant Range

$8,000

Average Grant

amount: approximately $57,500

Grant Types

include general operating supportcapital campaignsand program-specific funding

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Primary funding areas include:

Oklahoma (strong priority)
Wyoming (strong priority)
Virginia

While Oklahoma and Wyoming are the main sites of the foundation's giving, some grants support organizations in other states.

Grant Distribution by State

Wyoming $5.5M (82%)

Oklahoma $777K (12%)

Virginia $193K (3%)

District of Columbia $96K (1%)

Minnesota $51K (1%)

New York $28K (0%)

Montana $26K (0%)

North Carolina $16K (0%)

+8 more states

States

Arizona California District of Columbia Hawaii Iowa Kentucky Massachusetts Minnesota Montana North Carolina New York Ohio Oklahoma Texas Virginia Wyoming

Cities

BartlesvilleBlowing RockBooneCheyenneCodyColumbusEdmondGuthrieHonoluluHudsonJacksonJackson HoleLexingtonMerrifieldMissoulaNew YorkNormanOakdaleOkalhoma CityOklahoma City

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Most Recent Financial Data (2023-2024):

Total Assets: $22,863,266
Total Annual Giving: $1,025,000
Total Revenues: $1,071,264 (2023)
Total Expenses: $1,998,244 (2023)
Number of Employees: 1

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$22,863,266	$19,752,974	$19,876,921
Revenue	$4,514,224	$1,071,264	$1,950,712
Expenses	$1,524,164	$1,998,244	$2,098,860
Qualifying Distributions	$1,322,628	$1,784,675	$1,884,410
Net Investment Income	$4,309,631	$403,268	$1,766,140
Distributable Amount	$1,599,121	$1,627,614	$1,695,494

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

132 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Nexus Equine ($241,000), National Museum of Wildlife Art ($195,000), Make-a-wish Oklahoma ($172,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
CHILDREN'S LEARNING CENTER JACKSON HOLE, WY	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$15,000
CLIMB - WYOMING CHEYENNE, WY	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$15,000
COMMUNITY SAFETY NETWORK JACKSON HOLE, WY	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$15,000
MAKE-A-WISH OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA CITY, OK	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$172,000
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WILDLIFE ART JACKSON HOLE, WY	ART GIFT TO MUSEUM	$195,000
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WILDLIFE ART JACKSON HOLE, WY	GRANT FOR CARL RUNGIUS CATALOGUE RAISONNE (9 YEAR PLEDGE)	$140,000
NEXUS EQUINE OKLAHOMA CITY, OK	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$241,000
TETON COUNTY LIBRARY JACKSON HOLE, WY	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$15,000
TETON YOUTH & FAMILY SERVICES JACKSON HOLE, WY	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$15,000
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY MERRIFIELD, VA	GRANT FOR GENERAL OPERATING FUND IN MEMORY OF BILL & JOFFA KERR	$172,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Key foundation personnel include:

Kavar Kerr — Foundation President
William G Kerr — Chairman
Mara Kerr — Secretary/Treasurer
Joarthur G Kerr — Director

The foundation is operated by Kerr family members. Robert S. Kerr, the foundation's namesake, was a businessman who founded a petroleum company and served as a U.S. Senator from Oklahoma.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
GRAYCEN MASHBURN	INTERIM PRESIDENT	10	$27,083
MARA KERR	SECRETARY/TREASURER	30	$54,167
NANCY KERR	DIRECTOR	1	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, has received ongoing substantial support from the foundation, with recent annual awards exceeding $1 million. The foundation has also provided support to organizations including the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, and the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City.

Focus to Continue on Oklahoma Programs Kerr Foundation to Split Four Ways

The foundation maintains a low public profile with limited publicly available information about specific grantmaking goals and priorities.

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Arts, Culture & Humanities

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Robert S & Grayce B Kerr Foundation fund?

The foundation supports grantmaking in the following primary areas: • **Arts and Culture** — particularly museums and organizations focused on the American West • **Environmental and Wildlife Conservation** • **Education** • **Human Services** • **Equine Rescue and Care** Arts and culture have historically represented the foundation's largest giving area, with particular interest in museum support.

How do I apply for a grant from Robert S & Grayce B Kerr Foundation?

**Grant Characteristics:** • Typical award range: $1,000–$1,227,000 • Average grant amount: approximately $57,500 • Median grant size: $8,000 • Grant types include general operating support, capital campaigns, and program-specific funding **Recent Grant Activity:** The foundation made 34 grants in 2023, with total giving of $1,025,000. Notable recent grants include: • National Museum of Wildlife Art of the United States: $1,000,000 (art gift to museum) • National Museum of Wildlife Art of the U…

Where does Robert S & Grayce B Kerr Foundation make grants?

Primary funding areas include: • **Oklahoma** (strong priority) • **Wyoming** (strong priority) • **Virginia** While Oklahoma and Wyoming are the main sites of the foundation's giving, some grants support organizations in other states.

What size grants does Robert S & Grayce B Kerr Foundation award?

In 2024, Robert S & Grayce B Kerr Foundation awarded 12 grants totaling $1.0M — an average of about $85K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Robert S & Grayce B Kerr Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Robert S & Grayce B Kerr Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.6M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Robert S & Grayce B Kerr Foundation's EIN?

Robert S & Grayce B Kerr Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 73-1256123. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.