Sarita Kenedy East Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $1,025,000 (2023)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: $65,000 - $100,000 (based on recent awards)
• Geographic Focus: International (focus on Africa)

Contact Details

Address: 19 Mountain Ave, Mt Kisco, NY 10549

Note: This is a private family foundation. Contact information beyond the mailing address is not publicly available. The foundation does not have a public website.

Overview

The Sarita Kenedy East Foundation Inc was established in 1951 (received tax-exempt status in December 1951) following a complex legal settlement after the death of Texas rancher and philanthropist Sarita Kenedy East in 1961. The foundation was formally established in New York in 1962 when Patrick Grace received oil royalties (not to exceed $14.4 million) from the estate, creating a foundation worth approximately $13 million. Today, the foundation holds total assets of approximately $21.5 million and makes grants totaling around $1-2 million annually. The foundation was originally established to support Trappist monasteries and the poor and needy in the U.S. and Latin America, but has evolved to focus primarily on healthcare initiatives in Africa, Roman Catholic organizations, and social services. The foundation is managed by family trustees and operates as a private grantmaking entity.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates as a private family foundation without formal grant programs or public application cycles. Grants are made at the discretion of the board of trustees.

Recent grant recipients (2023) include:

• Grace Outreach: $100,000 (General Operating)
• The Shalom Centre of Africa: $75,000 (General Operating)
• Came To Believe Recovery: $65,000 (General Operating)

Priority Areas

Based on the foundation's history and documented grants:

• Healthcare in Africa: Major focus on supporting healthcare initiatives, particularly cervical cancer screening programs at mission hospitals in Zimbabwe. The foundation has provided multiple grants to Better Healthcare for Africa for programs at St. Albert's Mission Hospital and Karanda Mission Hospital.

• Catholic Organizations: Consistent with the foundation's origins, Roman Catholic organizations remain a funding priority.

• Social Services: Support for organizations providing social services and community support.

• Mission Work: Historical commitment to supporting Trappist monasteries and mission work in Latin America and Africa.

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not publicly disclose exclusions. As a small private family foundation, they appear to focus on a limited number of carefully selected organizations rather than broad grantmaking.

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees:

• Patrick P. Grace (President, Director)
• Theresa Grace Sears (VP, Secretary, Director)
• Noreen Doyle (VP, Treasurer, Director)
• Patricia Montgomerie (Director)

All trustees serve without compensation. The foundation has no full-time employees and operates through the board's volunteer oversight.

The Grace family has maintained stewardship of this foundation since its establishment in 1962, following the settlement of Sarita Kenedy East's estate.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

The Sarita Kenedy East Foundation operates as a private family foundation where grants are awarded at the discretion of the board of trustees. Based on available records, the foundation appears to identify and support organizations through:

• Existing relationships with Catholic organizations and mission work
• Board members' knowledge of and connection to healthcare initiatives in Africa
• Direct outreach from the foundation to organizations aligned with their mission

The foundation does not maintain a public website, application portal, or published grant guidelines.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available. As a private foundation making grants at trustee discretion, there are no fixed decision timelines or deadlines.

Success Rates

Not applicable for unsolicited applications. The foundation makes approximately 37 grants annually (based on 2022 data) to organizations selected by the trustees.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly available.

Application Success Factors

Given the private nature of this foundation, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, organizations that have received support share these characteristics:

Mission Alignment with Foundation History:

• Organizations working in healthcare, particularly in Africa
• Catholic charitable organizations
• Social service providers
• Mission-based organizations serving poor and needy populations

Demonstrated Impact: The foundation's multi-year support of cervical cancer screening programs in Zimbabwe (2013-2018+) demonstrates their commitment to:

• Programs with measurable outcomes (over 19,000 women screened)
• Sustainable healthcare initiatives at mission hospitals
• Partnerships with credible intermediaries like Better Healthcare for Africa

Geographic Focus:

• Strong emphasis on Africa, particularly Zimbabwe
• Historical ties to Latin America
• Some support for U.S.-based organizations with international reach

Grant Size and Duration: Recent grants suggest the foundation makes awards in the $65,000-$100,000 range for general operating support, with the capacity for multi-year funding relationships with organizations demonstrating impact.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No Public Application Process: This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Traditional grant writing approaches will not be effective.

• Family Foundation Structure: With only four family trustees and no staff, this is a closely held private foundation that makes decisions based on trustee discretion and personal knowledge.

• Focus on Healthcare in Africa: The most documented funding priority is healthcare initiatives in Africa, particularly mission hospital programs addressing cervical cancer and other preventable diseases.

• Multi-Year Relationships: The foundation's support of Zimbabwe cervical cancer programs from 2013-2018+ indicates they value long-term partnerships with proven organizations.

• Intermediary Organizations: The foundation has worked through Better Healthcare for Africa to support mission hospitals, suggesting they may prefer partnering with established intermediaries rather than directly funding frontline providers.

• Catholic Connection: The foundation's origins in supporting Trappist monasteries and its continued support of Roman Catholic organizations suggests religious affiliation may be a factor in trustee decision-making.

• Modest But Meaningful Grants: With annual giving around $1-2 million distributed among approximately 37 grants, the foundation makes focused investments rather than broad grantmaking.

References

• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, Sarita Kenedy East Foundation Inc (EIN 13-6116447), Form 990-PF filings 2022-2024, accessed January 18, 2026. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/136116447

• Cause IQ, Sarita Kenedy East Foundation profile, accessed January 18, 2026. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/sarita-kenedy-east-foundation,136116447/

• Better Healthcare for Africa, "Thank you for your generous support," detailing Sarita Kenedy East Foundation grants for cervical cancer screening programs in Zimbabwe, accessed January 18, 2026. https://betterhealthcareforafrica.org/the-ongoing-work-of-dr-lowell-schnipper-in-zimbabwe/thank-you-for-your-generous-support/

• Candid Foundation Directory, Sarita Kenedy East Foundation Inc profile, accessed January 18, 2026. https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile?key=EAST006

• GuideStar, Sarita Kenedy East Foundation Inc profile (EIN 13-6116447), accessed January 18, 2026. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/13-6116447