Kapnick Foundation Trust

Quick Stats

• EIN: 36-7434011
• Annual Giving: $6,943,500 (2023)
• Foundation Assets: $49,329,733
• Grant Range: $10,000 - $800,000
• Typical Awards: 19 grants (2022)
• Foundation Type: Private family foundation
• Geographic Focus: New York, Chicago/Northeast, Southwestern Florida
• Established: 2004 (IRS ruling year)

Contact Details

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 73, Bowling Green Station, New York, NY 10274-0073

Note: The foundation does not maintain a public website or published contact information beyond the mailing address. Direct contact information is available through nonprofit databases like GuideStar and ProPublica.

Overview

The Kapnick Foundation Trust was established in 2004 by Scott B. Kapnick and his wife Kathleen G. Kapnick, continuing the philanthropic legacy of Harvey Kapnick, the former chairman of Arthur Andersen who passed away in 2002. Scott Kapnick is CEO of HPS Investment Partners, a global alternative credit management firm with $114 billion in assets under management, which he founded in 2007 after a 21-year career at Goldman Sachs. With assets of approximately $49.3 million, the foundation distributed nearly $7 million in grants during 2023 to organizations primarily in New York, the Northeast, Chicago, and Southwestern Florida. The foundation operates as a private family foundation supporting three primary areas: education and youth development, arts and culture, and health initiatives. The foundation has made transformational gifts including a $10 million pledge to Howard University's School of Business in 2021, $10 million to Naples Botanical Garden, and $5 million to Northwestern University's Weinberg College.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with specific application windows or named initiatives. Rather, it makes strategic grants through trustee selection to organizations aligned with the family's philanthropic interests. Recent major grants include:

• Education & Youth: $10,000 - $800,000 (supporting universities, K-12 schools, literacy programs)
• Arts & Culture: Variable amounts (supporting performing arts, botanical gardens, museums)
• Health: Variable amounts (supporting medical research, hospitals, healthcare access)

Priority Areas

Education & Youth

• Higher education institutions, particularly law schools and business schools
• University endowed chairs and centers focused on business institutions, public policy, and leadership development
• Literacy and educational access programs (Room to Read, College Summit)
• K-12 independent schools
• Fellowship programs for graduate students

Arts & Culture

• Opera companies and symphony orchestras
• Botanical gardens and environmental conservation
• Writers-in-residence programs
• Museums and performing arts venues

Health

• Medical research, particularly melanoma research
• Hospital support and healthcare facilities
• Orthopedic and specialty medical centers

Geographic Priorities

• New York metropolitan area
• Chicago and the Midwest
• Southwestern Florida (particularly Naples)
• The Northeast corridor

What They Don't Fund

While the foundation's exclusions are not formally published, the grant history suggests they do not fund:

• General operating support for small community organizations outside their geographic focus areas
• Organizations without established institutional credibility
• Projects outside their three core focus areas
• International organizations (with rare exceptions for international education programs)

Governance and Leadership

Scott B. Kapnick - CEO of HPS Investment Partners and foundation leader. Kapnick earned his JD from the University of Chicago Law School and spent 21 years at Goldman Sachs before founding HPS in 2007. Forbes estimates his net worth at $3.6 billion. He has stated about the Howard University gift: "It is an honor and a privilege to provide the resources to help prepare students for careers in fields that have historically suffered from a lack of diversity."

Kathleen G. Kapnick - Trustee. Also a University of Chicago Law School graduate, Kathleen has been described as an environmental steward continuing the Kapnick family legacy, particularly regarding the Naples Botanical Garden. She serves actively on nonprofit boards and guides the foundation's strategic giving.

The foundation operates with minimal staff, with decision-making residing with the family trustees. Both Scott and Kathleen serve without compensation.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Kapnick Foundation Trust does not have a public application process or accept unsolicited proposals. As a private family foundation, grants are made at the discretion of the trustees based on their philanthropic interests and existing relationships with institutions.

The foundation identifies organizations to support through:

• Board memberships and personal connections of the Kapnick family
• Institutional relationships (particularly universities where family members studied)
• Geographic connections to New York, Chicago, and Naples, Florida
• Invitations extended by the trustees to specific organizations

Organizations seeking funding from the foundation should note that the typical pathway to support involves pre-existing relationships with the family or invitation from the trustees.

Getting on Their Radar

While the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, organizations can position themselves strategically:

Institutional Connections: The foundation has demonstrated strong, multi-decade support for institutions with family connections, including:

• University of Chicago Law School (where Scott, Kathleen, and brother Richard graduated)
• Northwestern University (family established the Harvey Kapnick Professor of Business Institutions in 1988)
• Naples Botanical Garden (Harvey Kapnick founded; Scott and Kathleen continue major support)
• Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (established Kapnick Fellowship Program in 1998)
• University of Virginia (established Kapnick Foundation Distinguished Writer-in-Residence Program in 2014)

Geographic Focus: Organizations located in or serving New York City, the Chicago area, or Southwestern Florida (especially Naples) align with areas where the family has deep roots and ongoing philanthropic interests.

Thematic Alignment: Organizations working in opera and symphony orchestras, law school programs, business education, melanoma research, or botanical/environmental conservation in the family's geographic areas of interest may find opportunities for relationship building.

Board and Network Connections: Given Scott Kapnick's prominence in finance through HPS Investment Partners and previous Goldman Sachs leadership, connections through financial sector networks, higher education boards, and arts institution leadership may provide relationship-building opportunities.

Application Success Factors

While the foundation does not have a formal application process, analysis of their grant history reveals key factors in their philanthropic decision-making:

Institutional Excellence and Reputation: The foundation supports nationally recognized institutions with demonstrated excellence. Recipients include The Metropolitan Opera, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Howard University, Northwestern University, Duke University, and Stanford University.

Transformational Impact: The foundation makes significant multi-million dollar commitments designed to create lasting institutional change. The $10 million Howard University gift established an entire center; the $5 million Northwestern gift created the Harvey Kapnick Center for Business Institutions; the Naples Botanical Garden received over $22 million cumulatively.

Personal Connection and Legacy: Many grants honor Harvey Kapnick's memory or reflect the family's personal educational journey and values. Named programs and facilities reflect the foundation's preference for recognition that creates lasting institutional memory.

Diversity and Access: Scott Kapnick's statement about the Howard University gift emphasizes preparing students for "careers in fields that have historically suffered from a lack of diversity." The foundation supports programs expanding access to elite education and professional opportunities.

Long-term Relationships: The foundation demonstrates sustained giving over many years to favored institutions rather than one-time grants to many organizations. Naples Botanical Garden received $12 million "last decade" plus an additional $10 million pledge; University of Chicago support spans decades since the 1988 establishment of the first endowed chair.

Strategic Focus Areas: Successful recipients align with education (especially law and business), performing arts (especially opera and symphony), medical research (especially melanoma), and environmental conservation (especially botanical gardens).

Geographic Presence: The three-region focus (New York, Chicago/Midwest, Southwest Florida) is consistent across all grant categories. Organizations outside these areas are rarely supported unless they are nationally significant institutions with clear family connections.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• This is a private family foundation that does not accept unsolicited proposals - traditional grant seeking will not be successful with this funder
• Relationship-building is essential - all grants appear to stem from personal connections, board memberships, or institutional relationships with the Kapnick family
• Think transformational, not transactional - the foundation makes large, multi-million dollar commitments to create centers, endowed chairs, and named programs rather than annual operating grants
• Geographic focus is strict - unless your organization is in New York, Chicago, or Naples, FL, or is a nationally prominent institution, alignment will be challenging
• Institutional prestige matters - grant recipients are overwhelmingly elite universities, major cultural institutions, and nationally recognized organizations
• Legacy and naming opportunities - the foundation frequently makes gifts that honor Harvey Kapnick or establish named programs, suggesting interest in lasting recognition
• Look for network connections - Scott Kapnick's prominence in finance (HPS Investment Partners, Goldman Sachs alumnus) and both trustees' University of Chicago Law connections may provide indirect relationship pathways for organizations where board or leadership overlap exists

References

1. Cause IQ - Kapnick Foundation Trust Profile. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/kapnick-foundation-trust,367434011/ (Accessed February 2026)

2. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Kapnick Foundation Tr. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/367434011 (Accessed February 2026)

3. Inside Philanthropy - "Scott and Kathleen Kapnick." https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant/major-donors/scott-b-kapnick (Accessed February 2026)

4. Philanthropy News Digest - "Naples Botanical Garden to Receive $10 Million From Kapnick Foundation." https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/naples-botanical-garden-to-receive-10-million-from-kapnick-foundation (Accessed February 2026)

5. Howard University - "Howard University Announces $10 Million Gift from HPS Investment Partners and The Kapnick Foundation." March 16, 2021. https://thedig.howard.edu/all-stories/howard-university-announces-10-million-gift-hps-investment-partners-and-kapnick-foundation (Accessed February 2026)

6. Northwestern Now - "Kapnick family honors father with $5 million gift to Weinberg College." October 2016. https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2016/10/kapnick-family-honors-father-with-5-million-gift-to-weinberg-college (Accessed February 2026)

7. Inside Philanthropy - "Naples Connection: A Goldman Vet Has on Eye on Southwest Florida." January 7, 2017. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2017-1-7-a-naples-connection-a-goldman-vet-supports-southwestern-florida (Accessed February 2026)

8. Stanford SIEPR - "Kapnick Fellowship Program." https://siepr.stanford.edu/research/fellowships/kapnick-fellowship-program (Accessed February 2026)

9. UVA Arts - "MacArthur Fellows Lydia Davis and Junot Diaz to serve as Kapnick Foundation Writers-In-Residence." https://magazine.arts.virginia.edu/stories/kapnick-foundation-writers-in-residence (Accessed February 2026)

10. Gulfshore Life - "Environmental steward Kathleen Kapnick continues her family's legacy." https://gulfshorelife.com/wellness/environmental-steward-continues/ (Accessed February 2026)

11. Instrumentl - Kapnick Foundation Tr 990 Report. https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/kapnick-foundation-tr (Accessed February 2026)