The Kao Family Foundation
The Kao Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. In its 2025 filing, it reported 16 grants totaling $36,400, including support for churches and other charitable organizations.
The Kao Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Kao Family Foundation gave $36K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $36,400
- +17.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- -11.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,275
- +32.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $444,462
- -5.0% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (66% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Kao Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Kao Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was First Evangelical Church of San Gabriel Valley ($11K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $33K.
Grant Size Distribution
53 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 53 grants of 53 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in California (66%), Texas (19%), South Carolina (5%), Colorado (5%), and Wisconsin (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Kao Family Foundation gives
- 54% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 217% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 92% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $7K (2020) to $36K (2025). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $36K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Bible Study Fellowship Dallas, TX | General & Unrestricted | $7,000 |
| Faith Lutheran Church Monterey Park, CA | General & Unrestricted | $6,000 |
| First Evangelical Church of San Gabriel Valley Rosemead, CA | Mission fund - LMF, building fund, General fund, thanksgiving fund | $5,000 |
| First Evangelical Church of San Gabriel Valley Rosemead, CA | funds for Taiwan mission, Taiwan Hakka, for Connections Big Bear Retreat, Mexico mission, LMF -inter-Varsity Ukraine, Artist -China - Tangible -China, & Interserve Scholarship Fund | $5,000 |
| Cure Sanfilippo Foundation Columbia, SC | Type B EA program | $2,000 |
| USC Arcadia Hospital Foundation Arcadia, CA | General & Unrestricted | $2,000 |
| Chinatown Service Center Los Angeles, CA | General & Unrestricted | $1,000 |
| Chinese Christian Mission Petaluma, CA | General & Unrestricted | $1,000 |
| First Evangelical Church Association Montebello, CA | Fire Relief Fund | $1,000 |
| First Evangelical Church of San Gabriel Valley Rosemead, CA | MWC fund (Metro World Child fund) | $1,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Kao Family 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 | $444,462 | $20,591 | $43,797 | $36,400 | 16 | $42,709 | $26,284 | $46,477 |
| 2024 | $467,668 | $27,695 | $37,514 | $30,913 | 18 | $37,099 | $28,957 | $42,633 |
| 2023 | $477,487 | $-4,964 | $23,197 | $16,610 | 8 | $22,675 | $11,589 | $36,502 |
| 2022 | $505,648 | $18,949 | $18,585 | $11,500 | 6 | $16,857 | $26,197 | $35,730 |
| 2021 | $505,284 | $284,032 | $17,530 | $12,000 | 5 | $17,025 | $118,649 | $30,392 |
| 2020 | $238,782 | $12,184 | $12,613 | $7,000 | 3 | — | $11,955 | $18,959 |
| 2019 | $239,211 | $18,200 | $21,939 | $16,500 | 8 | — | $17,974 | $18,208 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Kao Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $46K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for religious organizations and for organizations working in areas such as medical research, immigrant services, education, and homelessness. These are examples of grantees’ work, not stated priorities of the foundation.
For example, the Cure Sanfilippo Foundation describes its work as advancing potential treatments and a cure, advocating for improved care, and supporting affected families. Chinatown Service Center says it provides services and advocacy for immigrants and other communities. The Peach Foundation describes its work as providing educational scholarships and funds to children from poor regions of China and Southeast Asia.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 16 grants totaling $36,400. Grants ranged from $500 to $7,000, with a median grant of $1,000.
Among its 2025 grants were $7,000 to Bible Study Fellowship, $6,000 to Faith Lutheran Church, and two grants of $5,000 each to First Evangelical Church of San Gabriel Valley. Other listed grants included $2,000 to Cure Sanfilippo Foundation and $1,000 each to Chinatown Service Center and Chinese Christian Mission. The Los Angeles Mission reported receiving $900 in 2025.
Bible Study Fellowship describes its mission as providing global, in-depth Bible classes to develop commitment to Christ, his word, and his church. Chinese Christian Mission says it reaches Chinese communities worldwide through evangelism and foreign missions.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Pauline Kao is listed as president, director, and secretary on the 2025 filing.
The Kao Family Foundation is led by Pauline Kao, President, Director & Secretary on every filing since 2019 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Pauline Kao
President, Director & Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Kao Family Foundation
How much does The Kao Family Foundation give each year?
The Kao Family Foundation gave $36K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $31K across 18 grants.
What is The Kao Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Kao Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $2,275, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Kao Family Foundation give grants?
The Kao Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 66% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Texas (19%) and South Carolina (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Rosemead, CA (3 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (2 grants).
Does The Kao Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 63% of The Kao Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Kao Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Kao Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include First Evangelical Church of San Gabriel Valley ($11,000 across 3 grants), Bible Study Fellowship ($7,000) and Faith Lutheran Church ($6,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 66% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Kao Family Foundation?
The Kao Family Foundation reported $444K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $43K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $46K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Kao Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for religious organizations and for organizations working in areas such as medical research, immigrant services, education, and homelessness. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Kao Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Kao Family Foundation's EIN?
The Kao Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1595689. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Kao 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.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 17, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 30, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 28, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 2, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 3, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Kao Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in Delaware
Thrivent Charitable Impact & Investing
Appleton, WI
Thrivent Charitable Impact & Investing distributes donor-directed and program donations to a broad range of causes and organizations in local, national, and global communities. Its 2024 grants had a median of $11,520 and ranged from $5,006 to $5 million. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$939.7M
Grants
2,565
Total Given
$84.6M
Christian Community Foundation Inc
Colorado Springs, CO
WaterStone supports domestic and international nonprofits, including Christian ministries and charitable and educational organizations, through donor-directed grants; eligible organizations must be IRS-recognized 501(c)(3)s whose mission aligns with its Statement of Faith. Its 2025 grants had a median of $20,000, with awards ranging from $5,028 to $11 million, and were concentrated in Texas and Colorado. Grant recommendations come from donor-advised fund holders; the profile does not state that it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$746.4M
Grants
1,651
Total Given
$161.8M
American Electric Power Foundation
Wilmington, DE
The American Electric Power Foundation funds education, especially STEM, basic human services, social justice, and environmental protection, primarily for organizations in AEP’s service territory or with broader beneficial impact. Its 2025 grants ranged from $500 to $1,428,570, with a median of $10,000. It does not accept unsolicited requests; eligible organizations need an invitation from their local AEP Operating Company.
Assets
$43.6M
Grants
753
Total Given
$23.0M
Puget Sound Energy Foundation
Wilmington, DE
The Puget Sound Energy Foundation funds nonprofits serving communities where PSE has a service or generation presence, primarily in Washington, across household needs, education and workforce pathways, climate resilience, and community safety. Grants vary widely; in 2024 they ranged from $13 to $100,000, with a $500 median, while its 2026 disaster-focused competitive program offers up to $15,000. It generally does not accept unsolicited requests, but eligible local nonprofits can apply through that competitive program.
Assets
$19.6M
Grants
451
Total Given
$1.2M
First Eagle Investments Foundation
Wilmington, DE
Assets
$747K
Grants
389
Total Given
$1.2M
Hagerty Drivers Foundation
Wilmington, DE
Assets
$193K
Grants
330
Total Given
$192K
More similar funders
More Funders in Delaware
The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from The Kao Family 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.
The Kao Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?