William S Knight Foundation Inc. is a private foundation based in Naples, Florida, established in 2016. The foundation operates as a non-operating private foundation with a focus on supporting educational, philanthropic, and cultural initiatives.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$39.0M
+8.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.4M
+24.5% YoY
Grant Count
31
+24.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$45K
+0.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation primarily funds organizations aligned with values of entrepreneurism, self-reliance, and free market enterprise. Primary funding areas include:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Arts, Culture & Humanities
- Youth leadership programs
- STEM educational programs
- Patriotic education
- Stock market game programs for youth
- Start-up funding and revolving loan funds
Grantmaking
The foundation made 24 grants totaling $1,404,465. Notable recent grants include:
Average Grant
amount: $65,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily supports organizations in:
- Wisconsin
- Illinois
- Missouri
- Virginia
- Kansas
Grantmaking reaches organizations across 12 states, with Wisconsin, Missouri, and Illinois accounting for 47% of all grants.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total assets: $38,960,775
- Total revenues: $4,265,849
- Total expenses: $1,716,428
- Total giving: $1,404,465
- Annual income: $15.8 million
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $38,960,775 | $35,787,578 | $31,606,329 |
| Revenue | $4,265,849 | $3,396,426 | $738,755 |
| Expenses | $1,716,428 | $1,410,041 | $1,803,447 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,471,054 | $1,190,898 | $1,636,748 |
| Net Investment Income | $4,077,348 | $3,222,071 | $577,720 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,530,399 | $1,496,920 | $1,510,202 |
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
123 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Principal Officer: Gary G Grabowski
The foundation is governed by 5 officers and trustees.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JENNIFER K RAUSCHER | DIRECTOR | 1 | $5,250 |
| THOMAS L BROWN | VICE PRES. | 1 | $7,000 |
| GARY G GRABOWSKI Also see attachmen | SCRETARY /TREAS | 6 | $7,000 |
| DONALD F WICHELT | PRESIDENT | 1.5 | $7,000 |
| FRAN D SORENSON | DIRECTOR | 1 | $3,500 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation awarded $50,000 to Junior Achievement of Wisconsin to support JA Finance Park Virtual® and JA BizTown Adventures® programs, demonstrating ongoing commitment to youth financial and entrepreneurial education.
William S. Knight Foundation Awards JA of Wisconsin $50,000 to Support JA\Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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