The Kresge Foundation is a century-old private foundation headquartered in Troy, Michigan. Established in 1924 by retail magnate Sebastian S. Kresge to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the S.S. Kresge Company, the foundation operates as a national grantmaker and social investor. The organization deploys grants and social investments to expand equity and opportunity across America's cities, with a particular focus on dismantling structural and systemic barriers to equality and justice.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$4.0B
-2.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$170.0M
+3.2% YoY
Grant Count
800
+0.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$213K
+3.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Kresge Foundation reported a distributable amount of $199.5M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: To promote human progress.
The foundation invests across seven primary program areas:
- American Cities — Effective, inclusive community development in U.S. cities
- Arts & Culture — Positioning culture and creativity as drivers of more just communities
- Detroit — Expanding long-term, equitable opportunity in the foundation's hometown
- Education — Addressing postsecondary attainment and closing equity gaps
- Environment — Helping cities with equitable climate resilience strategies
- Health — Building equity-focused systems of health to achieve well-being
- Human Services — Increasing social-economic mobility for people with low incomes
The foundation also operates a Social Investment Practice that uses a full spectrum of capital tools—including program-related investments, loans, equity investments, strategic deposits, and unfunded guarantees—to unlock capital for underserved communities and reduce risk for other investors.
Grantmaking
The foundation invests more than $160 million annually through grants and social investments. Typical grant awards range from $50,000 to $5,000,000.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on Michigan, the District of Columbia, and California, with particular emphasis on America's cities. Detroit receives dedicated funding attention as the foundation's hometown.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $3.98–$4.04 billion (2024)
Annual Giving: $148.9–$170 million (2024)
Total Revenue: $61.3 million (2024)
Total Expenses: $214 million (2024)
Staff: Approximately 110–124 employees
The foundation was tax-exempt since April 1928 and maintains 501(c)(3) status as a private independent foundation.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,984,695,361 | $4,065,070,521 | $4,041,565,416 |
| Revenue | $61,261,641 | $279,706,042 | $244,988,163 |
| Expenses | $214,406,587 | $236,434,347 | $214,603,451 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $229,604,073 | $215,348,887 | $201,710,543 |
| Net Investment Income | $175,937,912 | $285,126,455 | $146,828,869 |
| Distributable Amount | $199,450,283 | $194,212,106 | $217,562,530 |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
6 open opportunities from The Kresge Foundation
Detroit Arts Support Grant
THE KRESGE FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Detroit Parks Coalition 2026 Summer Parks Programming Grants
THE KRESGE FOUNDATION
Amount
Up to US $20,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Gilda Awards Grant
THE KRESGE FOUNDATION
Amount
US $5,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Accelerator for America ($550,000), American Public Human Services Association ($500,000), American Public Human Services Association ($450,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ACCELERATOR FOR AMERICA LOS ANGELES, CA | PROJECT SUPPORT FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, CAPACITY BUILDING, AND ECONOMIC MOBILITY FOR THREE CITIES. | $550,000 |
| ACCOUNTING AID SOCIETY DETROIT, MI | PROJECT SUPPORT TO EXPAND NEIGHBORHOOD TAX PREP SERVICES | $25,000 |
| ACHIEVING THE DREAM INC SILVER SPRING, MD | PROJECT SUPPORT GRANT TO EMPOWER COMMUNITY COLLEGE LEADERS. | $100,000 |
| ACHIEVING THE DREAM INC SILVER SPRING, MD | PROJECT SUPPORT GRANT FOR STUDENT SUPPORT SUCCESS NETWORK | $235,000 |
| ADMINISTRATORS OF THE TULANE EDUCATIONAL FUND NEW ORLEANS, LA | PROJECT SUPPORT TO EXPAND COLLEGE ACCESS PROGRAMMING AND IMPROVE NEW ORLEANS' FAFSA COMPLETION EFFORTS | $125,000 |
| ADVANCEMENT LEAGUE FOUNDATION INC ORLANDO, FL | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $100,000 |
| AFRICAN AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF CDFI CEOS INC ORLANDO, FL | PROJECT SUPPORT GRANT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PROGRAM TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. | $80,333 |
| AFRICAN AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF CDFI CEOS INC ORLANDO, FL | ANNUAL MEMBER CONFERENCE SUPPORT | $25,000 |
| AGITARTE CAMBRIDGE, MA | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $150,000 |
| ALLIANCE FOR AFFORDABLE ENERGY NEW ORLEANS, LA | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $150,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Rip Rapson — President and Chief Executive Officer (joined 2006)
The foundation employs approximately 110-124 staff members and is governed by a Board of Trustees.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| RICHARD RIP RAPSON STMT 24 | PRESIDENT, CEO, TRUSTEE | 55 | $946,698 |
| JOHN BARKER STMT 24 | VP & CIO | 55 | $1,192,304 |
| ZENNA ELHASAN STMT 24 | GENERAL COUNSEL & BOARD SECRETARY | 55 | $394,670 |
| BENJAMIN S KENNEDY STMT 24 | VP, PROGRAMS | 55 | $452,036 |
| AMY B ROBINSON STMT 24 | VP, CFO & CAO, TREASURER | 55 | $548,209 |
| CECILIA MUNOZ STMT 24 | BOARD CHAIR, TRUSTEE | 5 | $43,500 |
| JAMES L BILDNER STMT 24 | TRUSTEE (ENDED 6/24) | 2 | $14,250 |
| RICHARD R BUERY JR STMT 24 | TRUSTEE | 2 | $28,500 |
| AUDREY CHOI STMT 24 | TRUSTEE | 2 | $28,500 |
| JOHN A FRY STMT 24 | TRUSTEE | 2 | $28,500 |
| SAUNTEEL JENKINS STMT 24 | TRUSTEE (ENDED 12/24) | 2 | $28,500 |
| KATHY KO CHIN STMT 24 | TRUSTEE | 2 | $28,500 |
| S SCOTT KRESGE STMT 24 | TRUSTEE | 2 | $28,500 |
| MARIA OTERO STMT 24 | TRUSTEE (ENDED 6/24) | 2 | $14,250 |
| PAULA B PRETLOW STMT 24 | TRUSTEE | 2 | $28,500 |
| SUZANNE SHANK STMT 24 | TRUSTEE | 2 | $28,500 |
| ANNA BLANDING STMT 24 | TRUSTEE (BEGAN 6/24) | 2 | $14,250 |
| LINDA HILL STMT 24 | TRUSTEE (BEGAN 6/24) | 2 | $14,250 |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Kresge Foundation fund?
**Mission:** To promote human progress. The foundation invests across seven primary program areas: • **American Cities** — Effective, inclusive community development in U.S. cities • **Arts & Culture** — Positioning culture and creativity as drivers of more just communities • **Detroit** — Expanding long-term, equitable opportunity in the foundation's hometown • **Education** — Addressing postsecondary attainment and closing equity gaps • **Environment** — Helping cities with equitable climate …
How do I apply for a grant from The Kresge Foundation?
The foundation invests more than $160 million annually through grants and social investments. Typical grant awards range from $50,000 to $5,000,000. The foundation operates as a national private foundation and seldom accepts unsolicited proposals. Programs often proactively invite or solicit applications rather than accepting open calls for proposals. Recent grant activity includes: • $5,000,000 to Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan for the Detroit Retiree-Art Trust (2024) • $9 million…
Where does The Kresge Foundation make grants?
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on Michigan, the District of Columbia, and California, with particular emphasis on America's cities. Detroit receives dedicated funding attention as the foundation's hometown.
What size grants does The Kresge Foundation award?
In 2024, The Kresge Foundation awarded 800 grants totaling $170.0M — an average of about $213K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Kresge Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Kresge Foundation reported a distributable amount of $199.5M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Kresge Foundation's EIN?
The Kresge Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-1359217. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Kresge Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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