William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust
At a glance
Key takeaways
- This Trust funds Education and Human Thriving work only in Florida, New York, North Carolina and Virginia, so organisations outside those four states should not approach it.
- Grants start from $150,000, so this is not a fit for small requests; a realistic application should be built around a project or programme of that scale, with the Trust noting a preference for programme-related expenses over overhead unless overhead is well justified.
- The process begins with a brief Letter of Inquiry, followed by a more detailed project description and budget if invited to the next stage, and only proposals that align with Trustees' priorities proceed to the Full Proposal stage, so this looks like a competitive, strategy-led process rather than a relationship-led one.
- There are two grant cycles each fiscal year, so timing your approach to one of these cycles matters.
- Projects related to lobbying or political activity are not funded, so any proposal with that character should not be submitted.
Overview
William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust is a US private foundation administered by its trustee, JP Morgan Chase Bank NA, in Chicago, IL.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Trust supports Education and Human Thriving projects in Florida, New York, North Carolina and Virginia. Its education work aims to empower people, regardless of age or life circumstance, to pursue educational goals; it funds public and private K–12 schools, community colleges, four-year colleges and universities, and non-profits whose programmes align with its focus areas. Its education focus includes access and retention, educator advancement, leadership development, healthcare workforce pathways, literacy, arts education and financial literacy. Human Thriving addresses access to healthcare, affordable housing and food insecurity, seeking improved opportunity and outcomes for individuals, families and communities. The Trust generally prefers project or programme grants, and may also consider capital projects and endowment grants in some circumstances. It reviews requests for alignment with its programme strategies, impact, empowerment and community opportunity.
Themes
- Education
- Human Thriving
Geographic Focus
Florida; New York; North Carolina; Virginia.
What They Don't Fund
- Projects related to lobbying or political activity
How to apply
Applicants begin with a brief Letter of Inquiry outlining the project. The second stage asks for a more detailed project description and budget.
Deadlines: Two grant cycles run each fiscal year.
Application success factors
What the foundation says:
- Requests are assessed for alignment with Education and Human Thriving strategies, impact, empowerment and opportunities for communities.
- Projects that best align with Trustees’ priorities are invited to the Full Proposal stage.
- The Trust prefers proposals to maximise programme-related expenses; overhead requests need sufficient justification.
- Grantees submit annual progress reports for grants lasting more than one year and a final report at grant end.
Officers and directors
- Lawrence Lewis Gray — Co-Trustee
- Thomas S Kenan III — Co-Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $42,518,521 | $36,468,801 | $755,946,509 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $37,684,743 | $31,647,436 | $842,663,931 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $41,809,516 | $35,110,775 | $899,499,226 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
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Contact
- Chicago, IL (office of its trustee, JP Morgan Chase Bank NA)
- kenancharitabletrust.org
Applying to William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Chicago, IL (office of its trustee, JP Morgan Chase Bank NA)
- kenancharitabletrust.org