KINDER FOUNDATION
Annual Giving
$58.5M+5% YoY
Grants
83
Median Grant
$75K
Organizations Funded
33
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Foundation Overview
Mission
The mission of the Kinder Foundation is to support Greater Houston for economic opportunity and quality of life by providing transformational grants. We enrich the lives of people in the Greater Houston area through transformational grants that impact urban green space, education and quality of life.
Focus Areas
Grant Types
Funded Initiatives
Memorial Park ($70M in 2018, $10M for Memorial Groves in 2025); Kinder Institute for Urban Research ($15M endowment 2010, $50M grant 2022); Kinder High School for Performing and Visual Arts ($7.5M lead grant 2016); Education Research Center at University of Houston ($790K 2017); Third Ward affordable housing preservation ($2M to Project Row Houses 2018); LGBTQ-affirming senior housing ($1.5M 2019). Over $621.4M distributed of $850M+ committed as of Dec 2024.
How to Apply
Foundation only makes contributions to pre-selected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Contact inquiries@kinderfoundation.org for verification of correspondence authenticity.
Does Not Fund
Does not accept unsolicited requests for funds, does not give internationally, does not purchase tickets, tables or sponsorships to fundraising events. Geographic focus primarily on Greater Houston Community.
Based on publicly available information from the foundation's 990 filings and website.
Giving History
$58.5M
Grants
83
Median
$75K
States
3
$55.7M
Grants
80
Median
$100K
States
2
$54.3M
Grants
66
Median
$100K
States
2
Grant Size Distribution
$75K
Typical Grant (Median)
$1K
Smallest
$25K
25th Pctile
$324K
75th Pctile
$15.8M
Largest
Excludes grants ≤ $5K. Half fall between $25K and $324K.
Largest Recent Grants
$15.8M
2024
BUFFALO BAYOU PARTNERSHIP
TX · PARK DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION - 10 YEAR MASTER PLAN
$11.9M
2024
RICE UNIVERSITY
TX · ENHANCEMENT AND EXPANSION OF THE KINDER INSTITUTE FOR URBAN RESEARCH
$4.7M
2024
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
MO · ENHANCEMENT AND EXPANSION OF THE KINDER INSTITUTE FOR CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY
$2.5M
2024
HOUSTON LOCAL INFORMATION INITIATIVE INC
TX · SUPPORT OF AN INDEPENDENT NEWS PUBLICATION IN HOUSTON
$2.4M
2024
MEMORIAL PARK CONSERVANCY
TX · MEMORIAL GROVES
Geographic Focus
Top states by total grant dollars. Based on IRS filing data.
Financial Overview
Grants paid shown as percentage of total assets
Data sourced from IRS 990 and 990-PF filings and publicly available foundation websites. Grant data, financial figures, and organizational details reflect historical filings and may not represent current operations or funding priorities. Verify directly with the foundation before applying. See an issue? Let us know.