The Kavli Foundation
The Kavli Foundation is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. It supports scientific research, honors scientific achievement, and promotes public understanding of scientists and their work, with the stated aim of advancing science for the benefit of humanity.
The Kavli Foundation at a glance
In short: The Kavli Foundation gave $17.4M across 107 grants in 2024 (avg $163K), top state California. 33% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $17,416,685
- -5.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 107
- -10.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $162,773
- +5.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $65,550
- Total assets
- $604,090,789
- +1.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (23 of 69, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (26% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Kavli Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Applicants should check the foundation’s funding opportunities for any open calls and their eligibility requirements.
- Review Cycle
- Communication and Public Engagement Skill Building Sessions: December 31, 2026; Kavli Scholars: December 15, 2026.
- Deadline
- Communication and Public Engagement Skill Building Sessions: December 31, 2026; Kavli Scholars: December 15, 2026.
- Contact
Mailing address: 5715 Mesmer Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90230
Phone: (424) 353-8800
Website: https://kavlifoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Kavli Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford Univers ($2.1M across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $8.8M.
Organizations only. It also paid 9 grants to individuals ($2,036,834), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
568 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 173 grants of 568 (30%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports that grant dollars went to recipients in California (26%), Massachusetts (16%), an individual recipient (10%), and Texas (6%); 29% is listed with an unspecified recipient state. The grants include recipients in other locations as well, including Washington state and Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 107 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Kavli Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 23 of 69 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $130K; repeat grants $285K. How we count
Medians: $58K first-time, $105K repeat.
- 52% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 37% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 113% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $17.4M (2024) to $49.0M (2022). In 2024 it made 107 grants totaling $17.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford Univers Stanford, CA | The via project: the milky way as a dark matter laboratory | $2,000,000 |
| Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind at Ucsd La Jolla, CA | Kavli institute for brain and mind - phase iii | $1,000,000 |
| Kavli Institute for Nanoscience at Delft University of Technology | Kavli Institute Innovation Award Kind | $853,800 |
| Kavli Neural Systems Institute (Rockefeller University) New York, NY | Kavli NSI Phase III | $833,333 |
| 9 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $2,036,834 |
| National Academy of Sciences Washington, DC | Kavli Frontiers of Science Symposia | $600,000 |
| Brandeis University Waltham, MA | Nice Sengupta 2024 | $550,000 |
| Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research at MIT Cambridge, MA | Kavli institute for astrophysics and space research phase iii | $500,000 |
| Kavli Institute for Brain Science at Columbia University New York, NY | Kavli institute for brain science at columbia: phase iii-a | $500,000 |
| Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience at the Norwegian University | Ki for Systems Neuroscence at NTNU Phase III | $500,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $604,090,789 | $31,441,928 | $41,925,144 | $17,416,685 | 107 | $31,365,605 | $35,676,048 | $27,649,892 |
| 2023 | $595,602,528 | $8,283,789 | $37,453,293 | $18,506,915 | 120 | $30,633,153 | $2,753,445 | $27,637,328 |
| 2022 | $588,327,587 | $27,226,049 | $25,451,459 | $48,988,361 | 123 | $62,628,330 | $22,166,838 | $28,286,297 |
| 2021 | $672,190,947 | $63,900,227 | $48,985,003 | $27,520,110 | 97 | $37,811,998 | $57,520,575 | $30,727,004 |
| 2020 | $637,506,324 | $3,680,027 | $49,100,967 | $24,957,498 | 121 | — | — | $29,518,530 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Kavli Foundation reported a distributable amount of $27.6M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to stimulate basic research in astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience, and theoretical physics; strengthen the relationship between science and society; and honor scientific discoveries through The Kavli Prize. Its website also identifies science and society as one of its four funding areas.
The foundation supports universities, research institutes, and other scientific organizations. For example, Rice University describes its own mission as pursuing pathbreaking research and contributions to the betterment of the world, while the National Academy of Sciences describes itself as a membership organization of distinguished researchers dedicated to furthering science for the general welfare.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 107 grants totaling $17,416,685. Grants ranged from $1,189 to $2,000,000, with a median grant of $65,550. Notable grants included $2,000,000 to the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford University for “The Via Project: The Milky Way as a Dark Matter Laboratory,” $1,000,000 to the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind at UCSD for Phase III, and $600,000 to the National Academy of Sciences for Kavli Frontiers of Science Symposia.
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Its website says it may occasionally issue an open call. Listed opportunities include funding for Kavli Institutes to host communication and public engagement skill-building sessions, with a deadline of December 31, 2026, and Kavli Scholars awards, with a deadline of December 15, 2026. Other listed 2026 opportunities, including Science and Society Sparks and the Nano-Network Materials Exploration Award, had deadlines before October 2, 2026 and are past cycles.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Rockell N. Hankin as chairman and Cynthia Friend as president. It lists Douglas K. Freeman as secretary and Alice Galstian as CFO/VP of Finance. Directors listed are Henry Yang, Richard Meserve, Mary Sue Coleman, Gunnar Nilsen, Shirley Malcolm, and Emily Ann Carter.
The Kavli Foundation is led by Cynthia Friend, President on every filing since 2021; 11 of 12 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Cynthia Friend
President
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$611K (2021) → $792K (2024)
Rockell N. Hankin
Chairman
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$76K (2020) → $141K (2024)
Gunnar Nilsen
Director
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$31K (2020) → $107K (2024)
Henry Yang
Director
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$25K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Mary Sue Coleman
Director
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$35K (2020) → $35K (2024)
Richard Meserve
Director
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$31K (2020) → $42K (2024)
Emily Ann Carter
Director
On filings since 2022
3 hrs/week
$40K (2022) → $41K (2024)
Shirley Malcolm
Director
On filings since 2022
3 hrs/week
$31K (2022) → $35K (2024)
Alice Galstian
CFO & Vice President of Finance
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$284K (2020) → $338K (2024)
Douglas K. Freeman
Secretary
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$35K (2020) → $47K (2024)
Mark Chancellor
Chief Operating Officer
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$218K (2024)
Pauline Poompan
Controller
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$208K (2024)
Former officers (4)
- Former: Thomas E. Everhart (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Eric Marshall (2020) — Vice President Public Engage & Prizes
- Former: Kevin Moses (2020) — Vice President Science Programs
- Former: Robert Conn (2020) — President & CEO
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 $792K, to Cynthia Friend (President). 11 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Kavli Foundation
How much does The Kavli Foundation give each year?
The Kavli Foundation gave $17.4M across 107 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $18.5M across 120 grants.
What is The Kavli Foundation's typical grant size?
The Kavli Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $65,550, and its average grant was $162,773, across 107 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Kavli Foundation that year got $130K on average.
Where does The Kavli Foundation give grants?
The Kavli Foundation's top state is California, with 26% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Massachusetts (16%) and New York (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (14 grants), Cambridge, MA (8 grants), New York, NY (5 grants) and La Jolla, CA (5 grants).
Does The Kavli Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 1% of The Kavli Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 107) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Kavli Foundation's largest grantees?
The Kavli Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford Univers ($2,106,075 across 3 grants), Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind at Ucsd ($1,210,000 across 4 grants) and Kavli Institute for Nanoscience at Delft University of Technology ($1,053,800 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 9 grants to individuals ($2,036,834), which are not listed by name. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Kavli Foundation?
The Kavli Foundation reported $604.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $31.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $27.6M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Kavli Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to stimulate basic research in astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience, and theoretical physics; strengthen the relationship between science and society; and honor scientific discoveries through The Kavli Prize. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Kavli 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 The Kavli Foundation's EIN?
The Kavli Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 77-0560142. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Kavli 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Kavli Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-kavli-foundation-morg_18c3f32185a5487d876895449f24efc0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_770560142_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Kavli Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-kavli-foundation-morg_18c3f32185a5487d876895449f24efc0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Kavli 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 Kavli Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?