The Kavli Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, so an organisation should not send it a cold application; it may occasionally issue an open call, and that is the moment to apply if the work fits its astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience, or science and society areas.
- Most of its grants are modest: about 8 in 10 of its 321 grants to organisations fall between $10,000 and $500,000, and half are about $72,000 or less, so a request in that region suits its usual scale better than a large one, though its largest grant was $9,000,000 and that band is not a ceiling.
- About 70% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded in the filing's earlier periods, so a new applicant should weigh how much existing links may matter.
- Its stated aims are new and impactful directions, innovation through strategic partnerships, and building the Kavli community, so a proposal should be framed around those.
- The filing states no geographic focus, so the places where it has given should not be read as a limit on who may apply.
Overview
The Kavli Foundation is a US private foundation based in Los Angeles, CA.
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 Kavli Foundation organises its funding around astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience, and science and society. It identifies potentially transformative ideas and catalyses opportunities to unlock the benefits of science for science and society. It has established long-term partnerships at universities and research centres to enable basic research in its scientific fields. Its strategic opportunities draw on staff expertise, expert advice, ideas from the community, and consultation with its Board. Its stated aims are to pursue new and impactful directions, promote innovation through strategic partnerships, and diversify and build the Kavli community.
Themes
- Astrophysics
- Nanoscience
- Neuroscience
- Science and society
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in California, New York, Maryland, Illinois, Massachusetts, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia.
How to apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. It may occasionally issue an open call; the site does not describe a general submission format.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 70% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 321 grants to organisations were about $72,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- It pursues new and impactful directions.
- It promotes innovation through strategic partnerships.
- It aims to diversify and build the Kavli community.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 4%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 28%
- The largest single recipient received 12% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 70% of grant dollars went to organisations The Kavli Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- 27% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (United Kingdom, Norway, The Netherlands, China).
- <1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 100 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $60,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford University · The via project: the milky way as a dark matter laboratory$2,000,0002024 tax year
- Kavli Institute For Brain And Mind At Ucsd · Kavli institute for brain and mind - phase iii$1,000,0002024 tax year
- Kavli Institute For Nanoscience At Delft University Of Technology · Kavli institute innovation award kind$853,8002024 tax year
- Kavli Neural Systems Institute (Rockefeller University) · Kavli nsi phase iii$833,3332024 tax year
- William Marsh Rice University · Kavli exploration award - carbon nanotubes 2023$632,5002024 tax year
- National Academy of Sciences · Kavli frontiers of science symposia$600,0002024 tax year
- Brandeis University · Nice sengupta 2024$550,0002024 tax year
- Kavli Institute For Astrophysics And Space Research At Mit · Kavli institute for astrophysics and space research phase iii$500,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Pauline Poompan — Controller
- Mark Chancellor — Chief Operating Officer
- Shirley Malcolm — Director
- Gunnar Nilsen — Director
- Mary Sue Coleman — Director
- Richard Meserve — Director
- Henry Yang — Director
- Douglas K Freeman — Secretary
- Rockell N Hankin — Chairman
- Alice Galstian — CFO / VP of Finance
- Cynthia Friend — President
- Emily Ann Carter — Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $25,451,459 | $48,988,361 | $588,327,587 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $37,453,293 | $18,506,915 | $595,602,528 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $41,925,144 | $17,416,683 | $604,090,789 | 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 The Kavli Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- digital@kavlifoundation.org
- Los Angeles, CA
- kavlifoundation.org
Applying to The Kavli Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- digital@kavlifoundation.org
- Los Angeles, CA
- kavlifoundation.org