Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $39.5 million (2024)
Success Rate: Highly competitive (estimated <5% based on program descriptions)
Decision Time: 3-4 months
Grant Range: $10,000 - $35,000 (organizations); up to $55,000/year (scholarships)
Geographic Focus: National (United States)

Contact Details

Website: www.jkcf.org
Phone: 703-723-8000
Email:

Scholarship Support:

Phone: 571-799-8064
Text: 703-687-0150

Address: 44325 Woodridge Parkway, Lansdowne, VA 20176

Overview

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation with approximately $890 million in assets, established to advance the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. The foundation distributes approximately $39.5 million annually through both direct scholarships to high-achieving students and grants to educational organizations. With over 3,858 current scholars and alumni, JKCF has awarded $332 million in scholarships and $144 million in grants since inception. The foundation focuses on supporting students from elementary through graduate school, providing not just financial assistance but comprehensive academic advising and support services.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Organizational Grants (Limited, mostly by invitation):

Good Neighbor Grants: $10,000 - $35,000 (one-time project support for youth-serving nonprofits)
Academic Achievement Grants: Variable amounts for educational organizations
College Access and Excellence Grants: Support for programs increasing college access
Local Support Grants: Community-based educational initiatives
HBCU Support: Recently invested over $5 million at five public HBCUs
Mental Health Support Grants: $1.7 million recently awarded to three nonprofits
Young Artist Award: Support for talented musicians with financial need

Student Scholarships (Open application):

College Scholarship Program: Up to $55,000/year for high school seniors (Application: August 20 - November 12, 2025)
Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship: Up to $55,000/year for up to 3 years for community college students (Application: October 1, 2025 - January 7, 2026)
Young Scholars Program: Comprehensive support for students grades 8-12 (Application: February 5 - April 29, 2026)

Priority Areas

High-achieving students with demonstrated financial need (family income typically under $95,000)
Educational equity and access
Support for community college transfer students
Comprehensive student support beyond financial aid
Mental health support for students
Strengthening educational pathways from K-12 through graduate school

What They Don't Fund

Unsolicited grant proposals (rarely funded)
General operating support for organizations
Capital campaigns
Endowments
Programs outside the United States
Students without demonstrated high academic achievement

Governance and Leadership

Executive Director: Guiseppe Basili
Scholarship Program Leaders: Natalie Jansorn and Dana Elizabeth O'Neill

The foundation operates with a focus on strategic, invitation-based grantmaking for organizations while maintaining open, competitive scholarship programs for individual students. Leadership emphasizes supporting students who demonstrate both exceptional academic promise and significant financial need.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

For Student Scholarships (Public Application Process):

Apply online through the JKCF website during specified application windows
Each program has distinct eligibility criteria and application periods
Requires demonstration of academic excellence and financial need
Average recipient profile: 3.98 GPA, 93% held leadership roles, 89% engaged in community service

For Organizational Grants (Limited Public Process):

The foundation states: "We rarely, if ever, fund unsolicited proposals"
Most grants are awarded by invitation or through existing relationships
Organizations can contact grants@jkcf.org to express interest
Grants are typically one-time and project-based

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation actively identifies organizations that complement their mission
Focus on demonstrating direct impact on high-achieving, low-income students
Build relationships through their existing scholar network
Partner with organizations already in their portfolio
Demonstrate innovative approaches to educational access and success

Decision Timeline

Scholarship decisions: 3-4 months after application deadline
Grant decisions: Variable, typically invitation-based
Notification via email for all programs

Success Rates

Scholarships described as "highly competitive"
College Scholarship recipients average 3.98 unweighted GPA
Approximately 85 transfer scholarships awarded annually from thousands of applications
Organizational grants limited to strategic partners

Reapplication Policy

Unsuccessful scholarship applicants can reapply in subsequent years if still eligible
No specific waiting period mentioned for scholarships
Organizational grant reapplication not typically applicable due to invitation-based process

Application Success Factors

For Student Applicants:

Demonstrate exceptional academic achievement (near 4.0 GPA typical)
Show significant leadership experience (93% of recipients held leadership roles)
Document extensive community service involvement (89% of recipients)
Clearly articulate financial need (family income typically under $95,000)
Present compelling personal narrative of overcoming obstacles

For Organizations:

Align closely with foundation's focus on high-achieving, low-income students
Demonstrate measurable impact on educational outcomes
Show innovative approaches to addressing educational inequity
Have existing track record of success with target population
Propose specific, time-limited projects rather than general support

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

The foundation primarily awards grants by invitation only - unsolicited proposals are rarely funded
Focus on building relationships and getting on their radar through existing partners
Student scholarship programs are highly competitive but have open application processes
Average about $39.5 million in total annual giving across all programs
Emphasis on "last dollar" funding - maximizing impact after other aid sources
Strong preference for comprehensive support beyond just financial assistance
Contact grants@jkcf.org to express organizational interest, but expect limited response to unsolicited requests

References

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Official Website (www.jkcf.org) - Accessed December 2024
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Form 990 Data - Accessed December 2024
GuideStar Profile for Jack Kent Cooke Foundation (EIN: 54-1896244) - Accessed December 2024
Foundation scholarship program pages and application guidelines - Accessed December 2024
Foundation grants overview and contact information - Accessed December 2024