The Kohlberg Foundation Inc

ARMONK, NY EIN: 13-3496263

The Kohlberg Foundation Inc is a private family foundation established in 1989 by private equity pioneer Jerome Kohlberg Jr. and his wife Nancy Kohlberg. Based in Armonk, New York, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with a staff of three employees. The foundation reflects the individual and collective philanthropy of its founders through strategic grantmaking across multiple sectors.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$209.6M

+1.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$10.3M

+6.5% YoY

Grant Count

-43.5% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$792K

+88.4% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Kohlberg Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $11.1M 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 approach is characterized by an "unfettered, roll-up-your-sleeves quality" that emphasizes moving things ahead. The foundation works within three major categories:

Health and Medical Research — including integrative medicine
Education — including support for long-term legacy grants for HBCUs
Environment — including environmental and conservation programs, sustainable foodways, and local land conservation

Additional focus areas include:

Human services and family services
Child welfare
Prison reform
Civic engagement through support for policy think tanks and legal advocacy
Community and cultural organizations

Grantmaking

The foundation operates through trustee discretion rather than formal grant programs.

Grant Range

$10,000 to $2,500,000

Average Grant

approximately $420,583

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation has a national focus with emphasis on the Northeastern United States. Geographic areas of support include major cities and states across the country, with particular concentration in New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.

Grant Distribution by State

New York $16.4M (40%)

District of Columbia $8.2M (20%)

Massachusetts $4.4M (11%)

Pennsylvania $4.0M (10%)

Kentucky $3.0M (7%)

Oregon $2.8M (7%)

Missouri $650K (2%)

Georgia $350K (1%)

+11 more states

States

Alabama Arizona California Connecticut District of Columbia Florida Georgia Kentucky Massachusetts Maryland Missouri North Carolina New Hampshire New Jersey New York Oregon Pennsylvania Texas Virginia

Cities

Annandale On HudsonArlingtonAtlantaAustinBaltimoreBedfordBedford HillsBethelBostonBronxBrooklineBrooklynCohoesColumbiaCovingtonDallasDurhamEdgartownEugeneEuguene

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

Total Assets: $209,571,951
Total Revenue: $7,852,702
Total Expenses: $12,082,677
Net Income: -$4,229,975
Total Liabilities: $0

As of 2023:

Total Assets: $207,234,230
Total Revenue: $11,102,898
Total Expenses: $11,923,085

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$209,571,951	$207,234,230	$188,677,169
Revenue	$7,852,702	$11,102,898	$18,458,015
Expenses	$12,082,677	$11,923,085	$21,049,890
Qualifying Distributions	$11,425,561	$10,747,954	$19,933,380
Net Investment Income	$14,507,437	$20,453,824	$15,833,689
Distributable Amount	$11,147,721	$10,341,125	$10,902,851

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

186 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include National Philanthropic Trust ($2,000,000), Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund ($2,000,000), Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund ($2,000,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
HUDSON LINK FOR HIGHER EDUCATION IN PRISON INC OSSINING, NY	2024 NEW BEGINNINGS, FINISH LINE AND PERMANENT RESERVE FUND	$250,000
BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE NEW YORK, NY	GENERAL SUPPORT - JK/NSK LEGACY GIFTS	$500,000
THE KUNDHARDT FILM FOUNDATION INC PLEASANTVILLE, NY	FOR PERMANENT RESERVE FUND AND NEW FILM PROJECTS	$150,000
GORDON PARKS FOUNDATION PLEASANTVILLE, NY	PROGRAM SUPPORT	$100,000
SPONSORS INC EUGENE, OR	LEGACY GIFT FOR PERMANENT RESERVE 2024	$250,000
INDIVISIBLE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT INC WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL SUPPORT - 2025 501C3 OPERATIONS	$500,000
NOVA INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH INC BALTIMORE, MD	PROGRAM SUPPORT	$250,000
MOUNT KISCO CHILD CARE CENTER MOUNT KISCO, NY	IN MEMORY OF TWINK AND JIM WOOD	$200,000
MARTHA'S VINEYARD BANK CHARITABLE FDTN EDGARTOWN, MA	RON RAPPAPORT SCHOLAR FUND	$100,000
NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TRUST JENKINTOWN, PA	2024 PAYOUT TO SIBLING DAF'S - FOR ANDREW KOHLBERG	$2,000,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Key Personnel:

Nancy McCabe — President and Treasurer (compensation: $398,794)
Jennifer Magnone — Officer (serves without compensation)
Les Fagen — Officer (serves without compensation)

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
JENNIFER MAGNONE	SECRETARY	1	—
LES FAGEN	VICE PRESIDENT	1	—
NANCY MCCABE	PRESIDENT AND TREASURER	40	$392,944

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2025

The foundation is in its final year of operations. According to available information, the foundation will close in 2025, honoring the wishes of its founders Jerome Kohlberg Jr. (who passed away in 2015) and Nancy Kohlberg (who passed away in 2022).

Herb Kohl\u2019s foundation gives $30M to renovate Music Hall

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Kohlberg Foundation Inc fund?

The foundation's approach is characterized by an "unfettered, roll-up-your-sleeves quality" that emphasizes moving things ahead. The foundation works within three major categories: • **Health and Medical Research** — including integrative medicine • **Education** — including support for long-term legacy grants for HBCUs • **Environment** — including environmental and conservation programs, sustainable foodways, and local land conservation Additional focus areas include: • Human services and fam…

How do I apply for a grant from The Kohlberg Foundation Inc?

The foundation operates through trustee discretion rather than formal grant programs. **Grant Characteristics:** • Grant range: $10,000 to $2,500,000 • Average grant size: approximately $420,583 • Typical awards: $500,000 to $3,000,000 • Annual giving: approximately $9.6 million to $10.3 million **Application Process:** The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations. Decision timelines and success rates are not …

Where does The Kohlberg Foundation Inc make grants?

What size grants does The Kohlberg Foundation Inc award?

In 2024, The Kohlberg Foundation Inc awarded 13 grants totaling $10.3M — an average of about $792K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Kohlberg Foundation Inc required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Kohlberg Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $11.1M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.