The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation
The John G. and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation is a public charity based in Corpus Christi, Texas. Established in 1960 by Sarita Kenedy East, it supports mostly Catholic educational, charitable, and religious activities, primarily in South Texas.
Key facts about The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation
In short: The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation gave $16.8M across 388 grants in 2024 (avg $43K), mostly in Texas. 45% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 74-6040701
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $16,766,015
- Grants made (2024)
- 388
- Average grant
- $43,211
- Median grant
- $25,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 45% first-time grantees (164 of 366, 2024)
- Total assets
- $494,578,717
- Primary geography
- Texas (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- Organizations must first pass the online Eligibility Quiz to access the online application. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- October 15 for consideration at the Board’s annual May meeting.
- Next open deadline
- October 15, 2026 (Fundraiser Support)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; 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 2024 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$494.6M
+10.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$16.8M
+4.7% YoY
Grant Count
388
+15.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$43K
-9.3% YoY
Is The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation open to new grantees?
45%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 164 of 366 grantees (45%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $36K; repeat grants $54K. How we count
Medians: $28K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 37% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+11%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 nurture and advance endeavors that help break the cycle of poverty, assist people to help themselves, develop the Catholic faith and spirituality, support Catholic institutions, cultivate a passion for learning, foster respect, and encourage cooperative partnerships. It encourages grants with benefits that extend beyond the primary grantee and also encourages “seed money” grants.
The Foundation reports that nearly 90% of its charitable contributions go to sectarian entities, primarily Catholic schools and churches, and that at least 10% of annual distributions go to non-sectarian charities. It favors education—including tuition assistance and support for Catholic and public universities—as well as health and human services.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate this range. Mother Teresa Shelter in Corpus Christi, which received $200,000 in 2024, describes its mission as providing outreach services to homeless individuals and families to help break the cycle of homelessness. Christ the King Diocesan Schools in Lubbock, which received $140,000 in 2024, describes its mission as supporting the school’s educational programs.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Foundation reported 388 grants totaling $16,766,015. Grant amounts ranged from $6,000 to $1,918,015, with a median grant of $25,000.
Review Cycle
October 15 for consideration at the Board’s annual May meeting.
Open Grants
4 open opportunities from The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation
Fundraiser Support
The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation
Amount
Up to $5,000
Deadline
October 15, 2026
General Grants (Sectarian and Non-Sectarian)
The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
October 15, 2026
Kenedy Memorial Foundation Grant
The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ready to take the next step with The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation states that grant funds must be used within Texas, with South Texas as its primary focus. It identifies other Texas locations as a secondary focus for Catholic activities. In its 2024 filing, it reported that 100% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas. The Foundation describes about 70% of its sectarian grants as going to the South Texas area, including the Dioceses of Brownsville, Corpus Christi, and Laredo.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 388 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 $14.4M (2020) to $16.9M (2022). In 2024 it made 388 grants totaling $16.8M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Diocese of Corpus Christi ($1.9M). Together the top 10 received $4.3M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($118,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
1,738 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 1,271 grants of 1,738 (73%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Diocese of Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, TX | 10% Income Distribution | $1,918,015 |
| Chancery Office of Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, TX | Renovations (2nd of 5 payments) | $600,000 |
| San Agustin Parish Hall Laredo, TX | Operational Support | $252,800 |
| Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission La Villa, TX | Repairs | $250,000 |
| Texas Catholic Conference Austin, TX | Education Growth Fund | $250,000 |
| Archdiocese of San Antonio - Hope for the Future San Antonio, TX | Tuition Assistance | $200,000 |
| Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, TX | Mission Support | $200,000 |
| MissionParish Support - Diocese of Laredo Laredo, TX | Operational Support | $200,000 |
| Mother Teresa Shelter Corpus Christi, TX | Program Support | $200,000 |
| Office of Evangelization and Catechesis - Diocese of Victoria Victoria, TX | Operational Support | $154,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $494,578,717 | $31,844,186 | $22,119,519 | $16,766,015 |
| 2023 | $447,376,604 | $23,340,020 | $21,540,965 | $16,015,958 |
| 2022 | $391,275,423 | $49,226,807 | $22,004,481 | $16,900,094 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $494,578,717 | $447,376,604 | $391,275,423 |
| Revenue | $31,844,186 | $23,340,020 | $49,226,807 |
| Expenses | $22,119,519 | $21,540,965 | $22,004,481 |
| Net Investment Income | $18,864,730 | $7,948,215 | $13,284,524 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 31, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 24, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists BP WM Michael Mulvey, AB Gustavo Garcia-Siller, Bishop Robert Coerver, Bishop John Cahill, Nicholas T Serafy Jr, Marcela Garcia, Francis Hubert, and Michael F Terry as directors. Gloria Hicks is listed as vice president, and Robert Sweeney as treasurer.
The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation is led by Sylvia Whitmore, CEO & Officer on every filing since 2020; 16 of 18 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Sylvia Whitmore
CEO & Officer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$258K (2020) → $307K (2024)
Ricardo Hinojosa
President
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
AB Gustavo Garcia-Siller
Director
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$13K (2020) → $13K (2024)
Bishop John Cahill
Director
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
$14K (2020) → $14K (2024)
Bishop Robert Coerver
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
$13K (2020) → $14K (2024)
BP WM Michael Mulvey
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$14K (2020) → $14K (2024)
Nicholas T Serafy Jr.
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$13K (2020) → $14K (2024)
Michael F Terry
Director
On filings since 2021
1.5 hrs/week
$12K (2021) → $14K (2024)
Francis Hubert
Director
On filings since 2023
0.3 hrs/week
$13K (2023) → $14K (2024)
Marcela Garcia
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$13K (2023) → $14K (2024)
Thomas E Dobson
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$1K (2023) → $0 (2024)
Gloria Hicks
Vice President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$15K (2020) → $14K (2024)
Jean Claire Turcotte
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$16K (2020) → $14K (2024)
Linda E Galvan
Assistant Comptroller
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$106K (2020) → $121K (2024)
Marco Castillo
Operations Officer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$131K (2020) → $153K (2024)
Paul Damerow
Comptroller
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$159K (2020) → $173K (2024)
Robert J Sweeney
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$16K (2020) → $14K (2024)
Silvat Majeed
Investment Officer
Invest Coordinator → Investment Officer, 2022
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$110K (2020) → $124K (2024)
Former officers (7)
- Former: Brad Stewart (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: JA Garcia Jr. (2020–2022) — Non-Voting Director
- Former: Tom Dobson (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Anna B Galo (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Homero Vera (2020–2021) — Ranch Manager
- Former: Analeta Olden (2020) — Director
- Former: Mike Dipp Jr. (2020) — Director
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 $307K, to Sylvia Whitmore (CEO/Officer). 16 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 555 N Carancahua St 1700, Corpus Christi, TX 78401-0851
Phone: (361) 887-6565
Website: https://kenedy.org
Frequently asked questions about The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation
How much does The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation give each year?
The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation gave $16.8M across 388 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $16.0M across 336 grants.
What is The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation's typical grant size?
The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $43,211, across 388 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation that year got $36K on average.
Where does The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation give grants?
The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Corpus Christi, TX (95 grants), San Antonio, TX (30 grants), Laredo, TX (29 grants) and Brownsville, TX (16 grants).
Does The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 24% of The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (93 of 388) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (59 grants), "Tuition Assistance" (28 grants) and "Tuition Assistance - KMF Initiative" (21 grants).
Who are The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation's largest grantees?
The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Diocese of Corpus Christi ($1,918,015), Chancery Office of Corpus Christi ($600,000) and Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission ($280,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($118,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 17% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation?
The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation reported $494.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $31.8M.
What does The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s mission is to nurture and advance endeavors that help break the cycle of poverty, assist people to help themselves, develop the Catholic faith and spirituality, support Catholic institutions, cultivate a passion for learning, foster respect, and encourage cooperative partnerships. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation?
Organizations must first pass the online Eligibility Quiz to access the online application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation's EIN?
The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-6040701. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation by hand.
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