The Kenan Family Foundation

CHAPEL HILL, NC EIN: 58-1587972 Website

The Kenan Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Established in 1984, it operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization dedicated to philanthropic grantmaking.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$5.3M

-0.4% YoY

Annual Giving

$380K

+5.6% YoY

Grant Count

-7.4% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$15K

+14.0% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Kenan Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $417K 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's grantmaking priorities include:

Education
Human Services
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Poverty Alleviation
Reproductive Health

The foundation focuses its giving primarily in North Carolina, Utah, and California.

Grantmaking

Grant Range

& Activity:**

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation prioritizes grantmaking in North Carolina, Utah, and California.

Grant Distribution by State

North Carolina $1.2M (69%)

California $255K (15%)

Utah $238K (14%)

Georgia $29K (2%)

Florida $17K (1%)

States

California Florida Georgia North Carolina Utah

Cities

AmericusAshevilleBluffdaleBolinasCarrboroChapel HillCrossnoreDecaturDurhamFuquay VarinaJupiterKamasKenansvilleLinvilleNewlandOjaiPalm BeachPark CitySan FranciscoSan Rafael

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2023:

Total Assets: $5,273,602
Total Revenues: $439,977
Total Expenses: $382,173
Total Liabilities: $0
Number of Employees: 0

Tax-Exempt Status: Designated as 501(c)(3); tax-exempt since December 1984

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$5,251,123	$5,273,602	$5,215,794
Revenue	$404,310	$439,977	$197,790
Expenses	$426,782	$382,173	$400,807
Qualifying Distributions	$392,368	$366,148	$386,030
Net Investment Income	$379,929	$424,695	$183,013
Distributable Amount	$416,628	$370,914	$375,342

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

135 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Bridge 21 Park City Corp ($40,000), Trinity School ($35,000), Duplin County Board of Education ($25,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
BRIDGE 21 PARK CITY CORP PARK CITY, UT	HOUSING FUND	$40,000
BELOVED ASHEVILLE ASHEVILLE, NC	HURRICANE HELENE SUPPORT	$10,000
CANAL ALLIANCE SAN RAFAEL, CA	DIRECTOR'S DISCRETIONARY FUND	$20,000
COMPASS FAMILY SERVICES SAN FRANCISCO, CA	OPERATIONS	$20,000
CROSSNORE COMMUNITIES FOR CHILDREN CROSSNORE, NC	GREATEST NEEDS	$5,000
DUKE UNIVERSITY DURHAM, NC	DR. CARL BERG HEPATOLOGY EDUCATION FUND	$15,000
DUKE UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER DURHAM, NC	FH KENAN RESEARCH FUND IN PLASTIC SURGERY	$10,000
DUPLIN COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION KENANSVILLE, NC	JAMES G. KENAN SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT	$25,000
EXTRAORDINARY VENTURES INC CHAPEL HILL, NC	GENERAL OPERATIONS	$5,000
COMMONWEAL BOLINAS, CA	HONOR OF MICHAEL LERNER	$5,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Thomas S Kenan – Vice President and Treasurer
Elizabeth Kenan Howell – Trustee
Annice Hawkins Kenan – Trustee
Elizabeth Price Kenan – Trustee

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
ELIZABETH KENAN HOWELL	PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR	—	—
ANNICE HAWKINS KENAN	VP, DIRECTOR	—	—
OWEN GYWN JR	DIRECTOR	—	—
THOMAS S KENAN III	VP, TREAS, DIRECT	—	—
ROBERTA STERLING KENAN	DIRECTOR	—	—

Contact Information

PO Box 4150 Chapel Hill, NC 27515-4150

EIN: 58-1587972

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Kenan Family Foundation fund?

The foundation's grantmaking priorities include: • Education • Human Services • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Poverty Alleviation • Reproductive Health The foundation focuses its giving primarily in North Carolina, Utah, and California.

How do I apply for a grant from The Kenan Family Foundation?

**Grant Size & Activity:** • Typical grant awards range from $1,000 to $50,000 • The foundation made 26 grants in 2023 • Total giving in 2023: $360,000 **Recent Grantees (2023):** • Compass Family Services ($25,000 for Operations) • Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation ($25,000 for General Needs) • Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill ($25,000 for Lowe School Upgrade & Visiting Author Fund) • Duplin County Board Of Education

Where does The Kenan Family Foundation make grants?

The foundation prioritizes grantmaking in North Carolina, Utah, and California.

What size grants does The Kenan Family Foundation award?

In 2024, The Kenan Family Foundation awarded 25 grants totaling $380K — an average of about $15K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Kenan Family Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Kenan Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $417K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.