The Kennedy Foundation
The Kennedy Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. In filing year 2025, it awarded 54 grants totaling $1,471,820 to charitable organizations, including organizations working in conservation, health, arts and culture, and legal services.
The Kennedy Foundation at a glance
In short: The Kennedy Foundation gave $1.5M across 54 grants in 2025 (avg $27K), mostly in California. 41% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,471,820
- -9.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 54
- +31.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $27,256
- -31.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $36,064,065
- -2.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 41% first-time grantees (21 of 51, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (79% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Kennedy Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation 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 Kennedy Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was St Joseph Hospital of Orange ($120K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $776K.
Grant Size Distribution
119 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 84 grants of 119 (71%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, California recipients accounted for 79% of grant dollars. Other leading recipient states were Virginia (5%), Minnesota (4%), Wisconsin (3%), and Montana (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 54 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Kennedy Foundation open to new grantees?
41%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 21 of 51 grantees (41%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $39K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 57% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 125% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2023–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $200 (2021) to $1.6M (2024). In 2025 it made 54 grants totaling $1.5M.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St Joseph Hospital of Orange Orange, CA | Innovation and Technology - MAKO Robot FUND | $100,000 |
| Nature Conservancy Sacramento, CA | General & Unrestricted | $86,410 |
| Los Angeles Waterkeeper Los Angeles, CA | General & Unrestricted | $75,000 |
| Pacific Legal Foundation Sacramento, CA | General & Unrestricted | $75,000 |
| Conservation International Foundation Arlington, VA | General & Unrestricted | $70,000 |
| Museum Associates Los Angeles, CA | General & Unrestricted | $70,000 |
| Palos Verdes Art Center Beverly G Alpay Center for RCH Palos VRD, CA | General & Unrestricted | $70,000 |
| South Coast Botanic Garden Foundation Inc PLS VRDS PNSL, CA | General & Unrestricted | $70,000 |
| Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Brain Tumor Center | $50,000 |
| Crystal Cove Conservancy Newport Coast, CA | Cottage Refresh Restoration Fund | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Kennedy 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 | $36,064,065 | $1,872,982 | $2,598,871 | $1,471,820 | 54 | $2,366,640 | $1,895,943 | $1,886,026 |
| 2024 | $36,782,454 | $1,724,661 | $1,976,099 | $1,634,340 | 41 | $1,752,486 | $1,921,635 | $1,850,097 |
| 2023 | $37,033,892 | $1,071,714 | $1,345,884 | $923,840 | 24 | $1,121,089 | $1,185,033 | $1,787,057 |
| 2022 | $37,307,611 | $37,414,647 | $107,487 | — | — | $10,500 | $1,239,271 | $1,096,204 |
| 2021 | $451 | — | $711 | $200 | Total only | $200 | — | $43 |
| 2020 | $1,162 | — | $43 | — | — | — | — | $58 |
| 2019 | $1,205 | $1,000 | $510 | — | — | — | — | $36 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Kennedy Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.9M 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
The foundation’s filing describes its direct charitable activity as “Hal Riney Documentary: An Educational Documentary for Generations of Creatives That Examines Self-Expression and Its Impact on Advertising, Culture and Society.”
Its 2025 grants included support for organizations whose stated missions illustrate the range of recipients. Los Angeles Waterkeeper says it fights for the health of the region’s waterways and for sustainable, equitable, climate-friendly water supplies. Conservation International Foundation says it works to spotlight and secure the benefits nature provides to humanity. Pacific Legal Foundation says it litigates nationwide to secure Americans’ rights to live responsibly and productively. St. Joseph Hospital of Orange describes its mission as serving all, especially people who are poor and vulnerable.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 54 grants totaling $1,471,820. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $100,000, with a median of $20,000. Notable grants included:
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Amy Healey as a director, Parker Kennedy as CFO and director, and Elizabeth Kennedy Myers as a director.
The Kennedy Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Parker S Kennedy
CFO & Director
CFO → Director & CFO, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy Healey
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Kennedy Myers
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Dorothy S Kennedy (2019–2020) — Secretary
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 Kennedy Foundation
How much does The Kennedy Foundation give each year?
The Kennedy Foundation gave $1.5M across 54 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.6M across 41 grants.
What is The Kennedy Foundation's typical grant size?
The Kennedy Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $27,256, across 54 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Kennedy Foundation that year got $15K on average.
Where does The Kennedy Foundation give grants?
The Kennedy Foundation gives mostly in California: 79% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (11 grants), San Francisco, CA (8 grants), Sacramento, CA (3 grants) and Santa Ana, CA (3 grants).
Does The Kennedy Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 80% of The Kennedy Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (43 of 54) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Kennedy Foundation's largest grantees?
The Kennedy Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include St Joseph Hospital of Orange ($120,000 across 2 grants), Museum Associates ($105,000 across 2 grants) and Nature Conservancy ($91,410 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 21% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Kennedy Foundation?
The Kennedy Foundation reported $36.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.9M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Kennedy Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing describes its direct charitable activity as “Hal Riney Documentary: An Educational Documentary for Generations of Creatives That Examines Self-Expression and Its Impact on Advertising, Culture and Society.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Kennedy Foundation?
The foundation 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 Kennedy Foundation's EIN?
The Kennedy Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 33-0719806. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Kennedy 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 23, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 6, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 23, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
Live grants for the work The Kennedy Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Kennedy Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Kennedy Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-kennedy-foundation-morg_e10bfd1d2c144623935817c0950d35ee
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_330719806_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Kennedy Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-kennedy-foundation-morg_e10bfd1d2c144623935817c0950d35ee},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Kennedy 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.
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