John S and James L Knight Foundation

EIN 650464177

Chicago, IL 60606 |(305) 908-2600

https://WWW.KF.ORG
Total Given 2016–2024
$1.9B
6,366 grants · $205.8M avg/year
based on 9 yrs of IRS 990-PF records on file
$100M+/yr
mega funder
capacity
$75K
typical mid grants · $25K–$225K
grant size
40%
supporter · 644/1,611 multi-year
repeat
$2.5B
Assets (2024)
1,611
Distinct Recipients

Focus Areas

Education Health Arts & Culture Environment Human Services

Application Information

Accepts Unsolicited Proposals Unknown
Contact Person WEBSITE WWWKFORG
Phone (305) 908-2600
Deadlines WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SPECIAL INITIATIVES AND CONTESTS, THE FOUNDATION DOES NOT HAVE DEADLINES.
How to Apply APPLICATIONS FOR FUNDING ARE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY VIA THE FOUNDATION WEBSITE. PLEASE GO TO WWW.KF.ORG TO APPLY FOR A GRANT. FOR JOURNALISM, COMMUNITIES, NATIONAL AND ARTS PROGRAMS, PLEASE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IN OUR ONLINE FORM: TELL US ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED BY YOUR IDEA/PROJECT, WHAT IT WILL TRANSFORM, AND THE IMPACT IT WILL HAVE. HOW WILL IT CREATE LASTING, VISIBLE CHANGE? TELL US HOW YOU INDENTIFIED THIS OPPORTUNITY AND WHY THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR IT. WHAT OTHER PARTNERS OR FUNDERS ARE INVOLVED IN THE IDEA/PROJECT? HOW WILL YOU MEASURE SUCCESS? HOW ARE YOU UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO IMPLEMENT YOUR IDEA/PROJECT? PLEASE DESCRIBE ORGANIZATIONAL AND FINANCIAL CAPACITY TO IMPLEMENT YOUR IDEA/PROJECT INCLUDING ANY BUSINESS PLAN. HOW WILL YOUR IDEA/PROJECT BE SUSTAINED BEYOND KNIGHT FOUNDATION'S FUNDING?
Restrictions ANY RESTRICTIONS OR LIMITATIONS ON AWARDS, SUCH AS BY GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS, CHARITABLE FIELDS, KIND OF INSTITUTIONS OR OTHER FACTORS: -MEDICAL RESEARCH, ORGANIZATIONS OR PROJECTS WHOSE MISSION IS TO PREVENT, ERADICATE AND/OR ALLEVIATE THE EFFECTS OF A SPECIFIC DISEASE -POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS AND LEGISLATIVE LOBBYING EFFORTS -PROJECTS THAT EXCLUSIVELY SERVE RELIGIOUS PURPOSES -DIRECT SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUALS

Financial Trends

Giving Over Time

Total Assets Over Time

View financial data as table
YearTotal GivingTotal AssetsRevenueGrants
2016 $210.6M $2.1B $93.7M 1166
2017 $200.9M $2.3B $186.7M 1143
2018 $251.5M $2.1B $166.6M 980
2019 $1.2M $2.3B $170.2M 14
2020 $191.2M $2.5B $183.1M 815
2022 $236.8M $2.5B $66.9M 654
2023 $324.5M $2.5B $86.9M 704
2024 $435.6M $2.5B $139.9M 890

Grant Size Distribution

Based on 6366 grants on record

Minimum
$250
25th Pctl
$25K
Median
$75K
Average
$291K
75th Pctl
$225K
Maximum
$25.0M

Geographic Distribution

Texas Counties Served

1.3% of US grants · Rank #13 of 48 states $45.0M across 83 grants 7 of 254 counties

Top 7 counties

  1. 1 Travis 52 grants · $41.4M
  2. 2 Dallas 20 grants · $2.9M
  3. 3 Hays 5 grants · $375K
  4. 4 Brazos 2 grants · $130K
  5. 5 Tarrant 1 grant · $100K
  6. 6 Harris 1 grant · $58K
  7. 7 Cameron 2 grants · $20K

Officers & Directors

Grants Awarded (6,366 total)

Purpose
American Journalism Project Washington, DC $25,000,000 TO SUPPORT AJP'S GOAL OF ENSURING THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF AN INDEPENDENT, RESILIENT CIVIC PRESS THAT... 2024
American Journalism Project Austin, TX $20,000,000 TO PROVIDE THE LEAD INVESTMENT IN THE AMERICAN JOURNALISM PROJECT, (AJP) A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND VENTURE PHILANTHROPY... 2018
University of Akron Foundation Akron, OH $20,000,000 TO SUPPORT THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRONS POLSKY BUILDING SO THAT IT WILL BECOME A GATEWAY... 2022
Groundtruth Project Inc Boston, MA $20,000,000 TO RECRUIT, HIRE, TRAIN AND PLACE REPORTERS FROM VARIOUS EXPERIENCES AND BACKGROUNDS INTO LOCAL NEWSROOMS, AND BUILD... 2024
The Miami Foundation Miami, FL $15,000,000 SUPPORT THE GROWTH, ADAPTATION AND DIVERSIFICATION OF NEWSMATCH IN THE PRESS FORWARD ERA, TO INCREASE THE COMPETENCY... 2024
University of Akron Foundation Akron, OH $12,000,000 TO SUPPORT THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE POLSKY BUILDING INTO A CENTER OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP, COMMUNITY COLLABORATION,... 2023
Arizona State University Foundation for a New American University Tempe, AZ $10,569,238 TO LAUNCH THE KNIGHT CENTER FOR THE FUTURE OF NEWS, WHICH WILL EXPAND ON ASUS TEACHING HOSPITAL MODEL BY CREATING... 2024
Knight-Lenfest Local News Accelerator Philadelphia, PA $10,000,000 TO BUILD A FUTURE FOR LOCAL NEWS BY PREPARING NEWS LEADERS AND ENTERPRISES WITH THE SKILLS, STRATEGIES AND TOOLS TO... 2018
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Washington, DC $10,000,000 TO PROTECT LOCAL PRESS FREEDOM AND IMPROVE ACCESS TO INFORMATION BY EXPANDING DIRECT LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL NEWS... 2018
Florida International University Miami, FL $10,000,000 TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF THE SCHOOL OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SCIENCES (SCIS) AT FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY... 2020
Georgetown University Washington, DC $10,000,000 TO SUSTAIN THE INSTITUTE, WHICH WILL CONVENE, SUPPORT AND PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE, ACTIONABLE, NONPARTISAN INSIGHTS TO... 2023
The Miami Foundation Miami, FL $10,000,000 TO PROVIDE UP TO $10,000,000 TOWARDS THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS OF PRESS FORWARD TO ENSURE THAT THE ENTIRE PRESS... 2023
The Pew Charitable Trusts Philadelphia, PA $10,000,000 TO SUPPORT A FIVE-YEAR, CO-BRANDED PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN KNIGHT AND GRANTEES SUBSIDIARY, THE PEW RESEARCH CENTER TO... 2023
Various - Temporary Differences Miami, FL $7,652,011 OTHER DESCRIPTION 2023
The Lenfest Institute for Journalism Special Assets Fund of Tpf Philadelphia, PA $7,250,000 CREATE AN ACCELERATOR SUPPORTING TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS ESSENTIAL FOR PUBLISHERS AND JOURNALISTS TO ACHIEVE THEIR... 2023
Local Initiatives Support Corporation New York, NY $6,000,000 TO SUPPORT THE CONSTRUCTION AND INITIAL OPERATIONS OF THE HISTORIC WEST END FOOD CO-OP MARKET. 2024
The Lenfest Institute for Journalism Special Assets Fund of Tpf Philadelphia, PA $5,500,000 TO INVEST IN SUSTAINABLE, HIGH-QUALITY LOCAL NEWS AND INFORMATION IN PHILADELPHIA AND SUPPORT OTHER KNIGHT... 2024
The Miami Foundation Miami, FL $5,406,000 TO HELP LOCAL NEWS ORGANIZATIONS POISED FOR STATEWIDE GROWTH EXPAND INTO NEW MARKETS. 2024
The Miami Foundation Miami, FL $5,000,000 TO SUPPLEMENT THE KNIGHT FOUNDATION ADVISED FUND FOCUSING ON COMMUNITIES, JOURNALISM, AND ARTS AS A MEANS OF... 2018
International Center for Journalists Washington, DC $5,000,000 TO PROMOTE THE GLOBAL EXCHANGE OF BEST PRACTICES IN JOURNALISM THROUGH THE KNIGHT FELLOWSHIPS PROGRAM AT THE... 2018
News Literacy Project Bethesda, MD $5,000,000 TO PROMOTE NEWS LITERACY AND CRITICAL THINKING AMONG THE NEXT GENERATION BY OFFERING QUALITY TOOLS AND VIRTUAL AND... 2018
Propublica New York, NY $5,000,000 TO SUPPORT HIGH-QUALITY INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING AND DATA JOURNALISM IN LOCAL NEWSROOMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. 2018
Solutions Journalism Network New York, NY $5,000,000 TO SUPPORT COLLABORATIVE REPORTING PROJECTS AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT THAT FOCUS ON PROVIDING REPORTING ABOUT SOLUTIONS... 2018
The Ground Truth Projectreport for America Boston, MA $5,000,000 TO SUPPORT THE NEXT GENERATION OF JOURNALISTS TO DELIVER PUBLIC SERVICE JOURNALISM IN CITIES AND SMALL TOWNS ACROSS... 2018
The Miami Foundation Miami, FL $5,000,000 TO CREATE THE KNIGHT PHILADELPHIA ART AND TECHNOLOGY FUND TO ENABLE THE PHILADELPHIA ART MUSEUM AND THE BARNES... 2018