The Kris Rockwell Foundation
S KENT ROCKWELL FOUNDATION INC is a private foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It supports work in conservation, community advancement, education, and entrepreneurship and innovation, with its 2024 filing describing grants as primarily benefiting Western Pennsylvania.
Key facts about The Kris Rockwell Foundation
In short: The Kris Rockwell Foundation gave $1.7M across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $95K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 67% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 47-1440025
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,704,500
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- Average grant
- $94,694
- Median grant
- $17,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 67% first-time grantees (12 of 18, 2025)
- Total assets
- $3,592,744
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (89% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to apply
- The foundation accepts unsolicited requests for consideration through its initial inquiry process. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- The 2024 filing lists no deadlines.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$3.6M
-23.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.7M
-65.5% YoY
Grant Count
18
+80.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$95K
-80.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Kris Rockwell Foundation reported a distributable amount of $169K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Kris Rockwell Foundation open to new grantees?
67%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 18 grantees (67%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $123K; repeat grants $38K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $23K repeat.
- 22% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 65% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s website describes a mission of restoring and enhancing natural environments, supporting community advancement, expanding educational opportunity, and encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation. Its stated areas of interest include natural-resource and wildlife conservation; community efforts such as disaster relief, child development, and human rehabilitation; education; and initiatives that build skills and support innovative solutions.
The 2024 grantees illustrate a range of supported work. Robert Morris University received the largest grant; the university describes its mission as preparing people for productive and successful careers and lives. American Rivers says it works to protect and restore rivers, while the Ruffed Grouse Society describes its work as improving wildlife habitat and forest health through science-based management.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 10 grants totaling $4,942,500. Grants ranged from $7,500 to $4,000,000, with a median of $55,000. The largest awards were $4,000,000 to Robert Morris University, $375,000 to Allegheny RiverTrail Park, and $300,000 to Kiski School. The stated purpose for each of these grants was to cover the recipient’s operating costs. Other 2024 recipients included American Rivers ($100,000), Ruffed Grouse Society ($60,000), and Fisher House Foundation ($25,000).
Review Cycle
** The 2024 filing lists no deadlines. The grant-program listing describes a rolling deadline.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Kris Rockwell Foundation
Ready to take the next step with The Kris Rockwell Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing says the foundation’s grants primarily benefit Western Pennsylvania. In that year, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania, 3% to recipients in Washington, DC, and 1% to recipients in Maryland. The listed recipients were also located in Georgia, Florida, and Montana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 18 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
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 2025
Grant Size Distribution
130 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ASPINWALL RIVERFRONT PARK INC Pittsburgh, PA | COVER THE COST OF OPERATIONS OF THE RECIPIENTS | $750,000 |
| SK ROCKWELL CONSERVATION FUND Pittsburgh, PA | COVER THE COST OF OPERATIONS OF THE RECIPIENTS | $615,000 |
| THEODORE ROOSEVELT CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP Washington, DC | COVER THE COST OF OPERATIONS OF THE RECIPIENTS | $100,000 |
| RUFFED GROUSE SOCIETY Pittsburgh, PA | COVER THE COST OF OPERATIONS OF THE RECIPIENTS | $60,000 |
| BRIDGEWAY CAPITAL - MONMADE Pittsburgh, PA | COVER THE COST OF OPERATIONS OF THE RECIPIENTS | $25,000 |
| FISHER HOUSE FOUNDATION Rockville, MD | COVER THE COST OF OPERATIONS OF THE RECIPIENTS | $25,000 |
| SWEETWATER ARTS CENTER Sewickley, PA | COVER THE COST OF OPERATIONS OF THE RECIPIENTS | $25,000 |
| CANCER BRIDGES Pittsburgh, PA | COVER THE COST OF OPERATIONS OF THE RECIPIENTS | $20,000 |
| UMASS AMHERST FOUNDATION Amherst, MA | COVER THE COST OF OPERATIONS OF THE RECIPIENTS | $20,000 |
| BONEFISH & TARPON TRUST Miami, FL | COVER THE COST OF OPERATIONS OF THE RECIPIENTS | $15,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $4,942,500 | 10 |
| 2023 | $4,495,500 | 22 |
| 2022 | $4,865,300 | 39 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,592,744 | $4,710,388 | $9,013,815 |
| Revenue | $1,078,867 | $697,463 | $598,136 |
| Expenses | $1,779,904 | $5,071,688 | $4,740,494 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,709,846 | $4,952,404 | $4,505,527 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,057,350 | $658,006 | $554,994 |
| Distributable Amount | $169,207 | $435,548 | $616,409 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 27, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 27, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists S Kent Rockwell as chairman of the board, Peter E Boorn Jr as chair of the finance and investment committee, John Irvin as treasurer and secretary, Patricia Babyak as trustee, and Kris Rockwell as president.
The Kris Rockwell Foundation is led by Kris Rockwell, President since 2023 (on filings since 2021) — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kris Rockwell
President
Trustee → President, 2023
On filings since 2021
10 hrs/week
$36K (2024) → $10K (2025)
Former officers (6)
- Former: John Irvin (2020–2024) — Treasurer & Secretary
- Former: Patricia Babyak (2020–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Peter E. Boorn Jr. (2020–2024) — Chair of the Finance & Investment Co
- Former: S. Kent Rockwell (2020–2024) — Chairman of the Board
- Former: Brian Smith (2020–2023) — Former President & CEO
- Former: David J. Hornyak (2021–2022) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
Contact
Application contact: Bryan Smith
Mailing address: 960 Penn Avenue Suite 400, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: (412) 281-4620
Website: https://skentrockwellfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about The Kris Rockwell Foundation
How much does The Kris Rockwell Foundation give each year?
The Kris Rockwell Foundation gave $1.7M across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $4.9M across 10 grants.
What is The Kris Rockwell Foundation's typical grant size?
The Kris Rockwell Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $17,500, and its average grant was $94,694, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Kris Rockwell Foundation that year got $123K on average.
Where does The Kris Rockwell Foundation give grants?
The Kris Rockwell Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Pittsburgh, PA (8 grants).
Does The Kris Rockwell Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on The Kris Rockwell Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Cover the Cost of Operations of the Recipients" (18 grants).
Who are The Kris Rockwell Foundation's largest grantees?
The Kris Rockwell Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Aspinwall Riverfront Park Inc ($750,000), SK Rockwell Conservation Fund ($615,000) and Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 86% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Kris Rockwell Foundation?
The Kris Rockwell Foundation reported $3.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $169K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Kris Rockwell Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website describes a mission of restoring and enhancing natural environments, supporting community advancement, expanding educational opportunity, and encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation. Its stated areas of interest include natural-resource and wildlife conservation; community efforts such as disaster relief, child development, and human rehabilitation; education; and initiatives that build skills and support innovative solutions. The 2024 grantees illustrate a range of…
How do I apply for a grant from The Kris Rockwell Foundation?
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests for consideration through its initial inquiry process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Kris Rockwell Foundation's EIN?
The Kris Rockwell Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-1440025. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Kris Rockwell Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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