The Kirk Foundation
The Kirk Foundation is a private foundation based in Palmetto Bay, Florida. Its website says it supports projects in arts and education for youth in Dade County and seeks to improve the lives of South Florida residents through program funding.
The Kirk Foundation at a glance
In short: The Kirk Foundation gave $1.9M across 98 grants in 2024 (avg $19K), mostly in Florida. 14% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,898,583
- +15.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 98
- +14.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $19,373
- +1.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $18,000
- Total assets
- $17,956,495
- +0.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (14 of 98, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Florida (92% 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 Kirk Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states on its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Its website describes a process beginning with a letter of inquiry of no more than two pages sent by U.S. Mail. The website says applicants must be IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) public charities classified as not private foundations, registered with Florida’s Department of Agriculture to solicit funds when applicable, and located in or primarily benefiting Miami-Dade County residents. Applicants with budgets over $100,000 must provide CPA-prepared or audited financial statements. The website also says staff and/or Board members visit organizations before Board review; approved applicants must sign a grant agreement, and no new proposals can be considered until reporting and agreement requirements for prior grants are met. The website’s inquiry instructions differ from the filing’s statement that unsolicited requests are not accepted.
- Contact
Mailing address: 8925 Sw 148Th St Ste 210, Palmetto Bay, FL 33176
Phone: (305) 442-1118
Website: HTTP://KIRK-FOUNDATION.ORG/
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Kirk Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Adrienne Arsht Center Trust Inc ($100K). Together the top 10 received $533K.
Grant Size Distribution
422 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 391 grants of 422 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The website identifies Miami-Dade County as the primary area of benefit. In 2024, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in Florida, with the balance reported for Massachusetts (3%), Colorado (2%), California (2%), and the District of Columbia (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 98 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Kirk Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 14 of 98 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 72% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+17%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 233% 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 $1.3M (2020) to $1.9M (2024). In 2024 it made 98 grants totaling $1.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Adrienne Arsht Center Trust Inc Miami, FL | General Purpose | $100,000 |
| The Education Fund Miami Lakes, FL | General Purpose | $60,000 |
| University of Miami Coral Gables, FL | General Purpose | $53,000 |
| Achieve Miami Inc Miami, FL | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| Florida International University Miami, FL | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| Guitars Over Guns Organization Miami, FL | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| Miami Childrens Museum Miami, FL | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| The Miami Foundation Miami, FL | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| Miami City Ballet Miami Beach, FL | General Purpose | $35,000 |
| Young Musicians Unite Miami, FL | General Purpose | $35,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The 2024 filing reports 98 grants; filings for 2023 and 2022 report 86 and 85 grants, respectively.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $17,956,495 | $2,285,136 | $2,245,512 | $1,898,583 | 98 | $2,097,164 | $2,142,742 | $901,675 |
| 2023 | $17,879,542 | $681,937 | $1,978,465 | $1,645,990 | 86 | $1,837,241 | $556,347 | $910,387 |
| 2022 | $18,935,698 | $869,710 | $1,968,978 | $1,594,112 | 85 | $1,797,845 | $698,577 | $945,302 |
| 2021 | $20,034,966 | $-7,350,280 | $1,962,813 | $1,628,230 | 81 | $1,752,371 | $274,149 | $1,080,265 |
| 2020 | $29,348,184 | $803,440 | $1,970,090 | $1,257,599 | 72 | — | $271,419 | $980,891 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Kirk Foundation reported a distributable amount of $902K 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 website describes its focus as developing and supporting South Florida youth through arts and education, with an emphasis on projects benefiting residents primarily of Miami-Dade County.
The 2024 filing lists grants to organizations whose own missions include presenting performing arts, improving education in Miami-Dade public schools, providing interactive arts and learning experiences for children, expanding educational opportunities, and offering music instruction and mentoring to youth. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not descriptions of the foundation’s own programs. The IRS filing’s separate stated purpose concerns scholarships and Parkinson’s-related programs, as noted above.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 98 grants totaling $1,898,583. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $100,000, with a median of $18,000.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $100,000 to Adrienne Arsht Center Trust Inc.; $60,000 to The Education Fund; $53,000 to the University of Miami; and $50,000 each to Achieve Miami Inc., Florida International University, Guitars Over Guns Organization, Miami Children’s Museum, and The Miami Foundation. The filing lists each of these grants as for general purpose.
The website says it does not fund capital campaigns, construction or renovation, deficit financing or debt reduction, conferences or festivals, fundraising events or advertising, special or athletic events, individuals, lobbying to influence legislation, or religious organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Rosa Santiago as president, Ron Shuffield as treasurer, Pamela Garrison as secretary, Kathleen A. Staley as vice president, and Darwin Pace as director. The foundation’s website lists Rosa M. Santiago, Kathleen Staley, Ron Shuffield, Pamela Garrison, and Dar Pace in the corresponding board roles.
The Kirk Foundation is led by Rosa Santiago, President on every filing since 2020; 1 of 5 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Rosa Santiago
President
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$125K (2020) → $150K (2024)
Darwin Pace
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathleen A. Staley
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Pamela Garrison
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ron Shuffield
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 $150K, to Rosa Santiago (President).
Frequently asked questions about The Kirk Foundation
How much does The Kirk Foundation give each year?
The Kirk Foundation gave $1.9M across 98 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.6M across 86 grants.
What is The Kirk Foundation's typical grant size?
The Kirk Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $18,000, and its average grant was $19,373, across 98 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Kirk Foundation that year got $17K on average.
Where does The Kirk Foundation give grants?
The Kirk Foundation gives mostly in Florida: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Miami, FL (53 grants), Coral Gables, FL (6 grants), Washington, DC (6 grants) and Miami Beach, FL (4 grants).
Does The Kirk Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 99% of The Kirk Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (97 of 98) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Kirk Foundation's largest grantees?
The Kirk Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Adrienne Arsht Center Trust Inc ($100,000), The Education Fund ($60,000) and University of Miami ($53,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 11% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Kirk Foundation?
The Kirk Foundation reported $18.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $902K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Kirk Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website describes its focus as developing and supporting South Florida youth through arts and education, with an emphasis on projects benefiting residents primarily of Miami-Dade County. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Kirk Foundation?
The foundation states on its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Kirk Foundation's EIN?
The Kirk Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1625551. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Kirk 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
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Kirk Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Kirk Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-kirk-foundation-morg_fd76d1126a77470b8e6d35cdb392f056
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_311625551_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Kirk Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-kirk-foundation-morg_fd76d1126a77470b8e6d35cdb392f056},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Kirk 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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