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Foundations that fund nonprofits in Kentucky
In the IRS filings in CivicVane's data (tax years 2021–2025), 4,473 grantmakers listed 33,866 grants totaling $2.4 billion to 10,604 organizations in Kentucky. 4,071 of them are private foundations reporting on Form 990-PF and 402 are grantmaking public charities, such as community foundations, reporting on Form 990 Schedule I. 633 are based in Kentucky; the rest give in from other states.
The median grant to a Kentucky organization was $7,500. Jefferson County received the most grants (11,152, from 1,464 funders), followed by Fayette County (4,193) and Kenton County (1,938). Matching grant purposes and recipient names to cause areas, the most common were education & literacy (4,708 grants), children & youth (2,770 grants) and health & mental health (1,554 grants).
The Community Foundation of Louisville Inc (Louisville, KY) funded the most different Kentucky organizations: 566, through 928 grants with a typical size of $25,000.
The 15 grantmakers that funded the most Kentucky organizations
Ranked by the number of different Kentucky organizations each funded in its filings for tax years 2021–2025. Typical grant = median of those grants. Donor-advised fund sponsors, workplace-giving and matching-gift programs are left out.
| # | Funder | Grants to KY organizations | Organizations funded | Typical grant | Most recent tax year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Community Foundation of Louisville Inc Louisville, KY · EIN 31-0997017 | 928 | 566 | $25,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990 Schedule I |
| 2 | Blue Grass Community Foundation Inc Lexington, KY · EIN 61-6053466 | 717 | 495 | $18,956 | 2024 | IRS Form 990 Schedule I |
| 3 | Lg&e and Ku Foundation Inc Louisville, KY · EIN 61-1257368 | 877 | 392 | $2,500 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 4 | The Community Foundation of Louisville Depository Inc Louisville, KY · EIN 31-1140889 | 503 | 328 | $17,500 | 2024 | IRS Form 990 Schedule I |
| 5 | The Gheens Foundation Inc Louisville, KY · EIN 61-6031406 | 457 | 300 | $25,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 6 | Metro United Way Inc Louisville, KY · EIN 61-0444680 | 249 | 195 | $17,500 | 2024 | IRS Form 990 Schedule I |
| 7 | Republic Bank Foundation Inc Louisville, KY · EIN 27-2222303 Gives only to preselected organizations, per its 990-PF | 408 | 172 | $2,500 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 8 | Enterprise Holdings Foundation Saint Louis, MO · EIN 43-1262762 | 294 | 169 | $3,000 | 2023 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 9 | The Community Foundation of Louisville Corporate Depository Inc Louisville, KY · EIN 61-1100993 | 233 | 160 | $12,500 | 2024 | IRS Form 990 Schedule I |
| 10 | Cralle Foundation Inc Simpsonville, KY · EIN 61-1179672 | 177 | 150 | $5,800 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 11 | Snowy Owl Foundation Inc Louisville, KY · EIN 27-3594673 Gives only to preselected organizations, per its 990-PF | 179 | 148 | $3,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 12 | The R C Durr Foundation Inc 541 Buttermilk Pike Suite 500 Covington, KY · EIN 61-1249998 | 218 | 136 | $10,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 13 | Peoples Bank Foundation Marietta, OH · EIN 30-0222364 | 177 | 128 | $1,000 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 14 | V V Cooke Foundation Corporation Louisville, KY · EIN 61-6033714 | 250 | 126 | $3,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 15 | Carson-Myre Charitable Foundation Paducah, KY · EIN 36-4597768 | 282 | 117 | $25,000 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
Counties with the most grants
| County | Grants | Funders | Total listed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 11,152 | 1,464 | $551.1 million | Top 5 funders |
| Fayette County | 4,193 | 835 | $132.3 million | Top 5 funders |
| Kenton County | 1,938 | 592 | $1.0 billion | Top 5 funders |
| Daviess County | 769 | 102 | $13.9 million | Top 5 funders |
| Warren County | 716 | 187 | $30.8 million | Top 5 funders |
| Madison County | 666 | 283 | $70.0 million | Top 5 funders |
| Oldham County | 524 | 140 | $34.5 million | Top 5 funders |
| Campbell County | 508 | 194 | $10.0 million | Top 5 funders |
| Boone County | 460 | 168 | $17.5 million | Top 5 funders |
| Franklin County | 417 | 161 | $10.3 million | Top 5 funders |
County = where the recipient's ZIP code is.
Cause areas
Grants whose purpose or recipient name, as filed, contains keywords for each cause area. A grant can match more than one, and many grants (such as "general support") match none.
| Cause area | Grants matched | |
|---|---|---|
| Education & literacy | 4,708 | Top 5 funders |
| Children & youth | 2,770 | Top 5 funders |
| Health & mental health | 1,554 | Top 5 funders |
| Arts & culture | 1,425 | Top 5 funders |
| Environment & conservation | 946 | Top 5 funders |
| Basic needs & anti-poverty | 799 | Top 5 funders |
| Food & hunger | 797 | Top 5 funders |
| Housing & homelessness | 735 | Top 5 funders |
| Animal welfare | 639 | Top 5 funders |
| Disability | 245 | Top 5 funders |
| Jobs & workforce | 198 | Top 5 funders |
| Older adults | 168 | Top 5 funders |
| Immigrants & refugees | 56 | Top 5 funders |
Want the funders that fit your organization? Grant Prospect Report, $149
Tell us your mission, county and budget. You get at least 20 ranked funders that give in your service area, ranked by fit with your mission and budget, with each one's contact, deadlines and application rules as filed with the IRS, plus matching federal opportunities from Grants.gov. PDF by email within 2 business days of payment and a complete order form.
Order a Prospect Report for Kentucky ($149) See a full sampleSource: grant lists on IRS Form 990-PF (private foundations) and Form 990 Schedule I (grantmaking public charities) from the IRS e-file releases of 2024 to 2026, tax years 2021–2025, one filing per funder and tax year. Filings are often one to two years old, and a past grant doesn't mean a funder will accept your application or fund you. CivicVane is not affiliated with any funder listed.