Knight Foundation (Philip H. Knight Charitable Foundation)

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $191,400,000 (2023)
Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation-only)
Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
Grant Range: $100,000 - $100,000,000
Geographic Focus: Primarily Oregon, California, and New York; some national giving

Contact Details

Foundation Address: 1 SW Bowerman Drive, Beaverton, OR 97005

Contact: Lisa McKillips (Assistant Secretary/Treasurer)

Note: The foundation does not have a website, office staff beyond family members, or public contact information. It operates with zero employees and maintains a highly private approach to philanthropy.

Overview

The Knight Foundation (formally known as the Philip H. Knight Charitable Foundation) was established in 1997 by Philip H. Knight, co-founder and former Chairman of Nike, Inc., and his wife Penelope "Penny" Knight. With assets exceeding $5 billion (as of 2023), the foundation is Oregon's top grantmaker. The foundation operates with extraordinary discretion—maintaining no website, no office space, and no employees—and has been described as one of the quietest major philanthropic operations in the United States. The Knights have personally donated more than $3.6 billion to charity throughout their lifetime, with $370 million gifted in 2024 alone. In August 2025, they announced a historic $2 billion commitment to OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, marking the largest single donation ever made to a U.S. academic institution. The foundation focuses primarily on education, medical research (particularly cancer and neuroscience), and select community development initiatives in Oregon.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates on a by-invitation-only basis without formal grant programs or application cycles. All grants are made to preselected organizations chosen at the discretion of the board.

Major Institutional Partners (with typical grant ranges):

Higher Education: $3,000,000 - $100,000,000 (University of Oregon, Stanford University)
Medical Research & Healthcare: $7,500,000 - $2,000,000,000 (OHSU, Providence St. Vincent Medical Foundation)
Community Organizations: $100,000 - $5,000,000 (local Oregon nonprofits, national organizations)

Recent Grants (2023 Tax Year):

University of Oregon Foundation: $100,000,000 (Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact)
Stanford University: $40,000,000 (Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program)
Stanford University: $20,500,000 (Phil and Penny Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience)
Providence St Vincent Medical Foundation: $7,500,000 (Cardiology Program)
Albina Head Start: $5,000,000 (General operating support)
SEI Inc: $5,000,000 (General operating support)
Barack Obama Foundation: $5,000,000 (General operating support)
Stanford University: $3,333,333 (Stegner Creative Writing Program)
The Brookings Institution: $2,000,000 (Foreign Policy Program)
Blue Meridian Partners: $1,921,000 (General operating support)
Fanconi Anemia Research Fund: $1,000,000 (General operating support)
St Mary's Home for Boys: $100,000 (General operating support)

Priority Areas

Primary Focus:

Scientific research and innovation (cancer research, bioengineering, neuroscience)
Higher education infrastructure and programs (campus development, graduate scholarships)
Healthcare and medical institutions
Community development in Oregon
Arts and athletics at educational institutions

Geographic Preferences:

Strong preference for Oregon-based institutions
Significant national giving to Stanford University
Select support for national policy organizations and social impact initiatives

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the foundation's giving pattern suggests they do not fund:

Organizations without established track records
General operating appeals from organizations outside their existing network
Small-scale community projects (unless locally connected)
International organizations (focus is domestic U.S.)

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors:

Philip H. Knight - President/Treasurer (Co-founder of Nike, Inc.)
Penelope P. Knight - Director/Vice President (Phil's wife and philanthropic partner)
Travis A. Knight - Vice President/Secretary/Director (Son of Phil and Penny Knight; CEO of Laika animation studio)
Lisa McKillips - Assistant Secretary/Treasurer (Long-time administrative liaison)

The foundation maintains an extremely small governance structure with decision-making concentrated within the Knight family. Phil Knight is known for his hands-on approach to major gifts, personally vetting opportunities and maintaining direct relationships with institutional leaders.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation explicitly states that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

All grants are made through:

Direct trustee initiative and discretion
Long-standing relationships with major institutions
Strategic partnerships developed over time
Personal connections and networks of the Knight family

There is no online portal, no letter of inquiry process, and no application forms.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation does not operate on grant cycles or fixed decision timelines. Major gifts appear to be negotiated directly between the Knights and institutional leaders over extended periods.

Success Rates

Not applicable for unsolicited applications (none accepted).

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

This section is not applicable as the foundation does not accept applications. However, organizations that have received Knight Foundation support share the following characteristics:

Common Traits of Knight Foundation Grantees:

Established institutional relationships: Nearly all recipients are major universities or well-established nonprofits with existing connections to the Knight family
Oregon connections: Strong preference for Oregon-based institutions, particularly those in the Portland metro area and University of Oregon
Stanford ties: Phil Knight's MBA alma mater receives substantial ongoing support
Scientific innovation focus: Grants emphasize cutting-edge research and transformative scientific programs
Transformational scale: The Knights favor large, catalytic gifts that enable significant institutional change rather than incremental support
Matching challenges: Phil Knight has historically structured major gifts as matching challenges (e.g., the $500 million OHSU match requirement)
Named recognition: Many major gifts result in naming opportunities (Knight Cancer Institute, Knight Campus, Knight-Hennessy Scholars)

Direct Quote from Chronicle of Philanthropy: The foundation has "no website, no office space, zero employees and doesn't do any press," emphasizing the Knights' preference for private, relationship-based philanthropy over institutional grantmaking.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

This foundation is not accessible through traditional grant seeking. Do not spend time crafting applications or letters of inquiry—they will not be considered.
The foundation operates through pre-existing relationships and trustee discretion only. All major grants stem from personal connections between the Knights and institutional leadership.
If your organization has no existing connection to the Knight family, Nike, the University of Oregon, or Stanford University, securing funding is extremely unlikely.
The foundation favors transformational gifts over programmatic grants. Recent giving shows a preference for gifts that enable major institutional initiatives rather than supporting ongoing operations.
Oregon-based organizations, particularly in healthcare and education, represent the foundation's geographic sweet spot, though national organizations with clear strategic alignment have also received support.
The foundation's giving is highly concentrated: The top three recipients in 2023 received 84% of total grants ($160.5M of $191.4M).
This is a family foundation in the truest sense: All decision-making rests with Phil Knight, Penny Knight, and their son Travis Knight, making it one of the most privately operated major foundations in the United States.

References

Research conducted December 16, 2025