Kentucky · Grantmakers

Foundations That Fund Community Improvement in Kentucky

Imperigo has identified 228 funders that made 941 grants totaling $1.8B to 138 community improvement organizations in Kentucky, with a median grant of $25K. Every figure below is drawn from IRS Form 990 filings through 2025.

Community Improvement Funding in Kentucky

Total granted $1.8B
Funders 228
Grants 941
Organizations funded 138

Top Funders — page 1 of 4

1. Silver Valley Research Foundation C/O Sterling Foundation Management LLC
2 grants to 1 organization · largest $10.1M · through 2023 · 65.9% of their giving
$20.1M
2. Greater Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau Inc
4 grants to 1 organization · largest $2.8M · through 2024 · 86.7% of their giving
$7.5M
3. The Jockey Club
3 grants to 2 organizations · largest $1.9M · through 2022 · 23.3% of their giving
$1.9M
4. United Way of Southern Kentucky Inc
8 grants to 1 organization · largest $1.2M · through 2024 · 18.3% of their giving
$1.7M
5. The Bessemer Giving Fund C/O Bessemer Trust Company Trustee
2 grants to 1 organization · largest $8.1M · through 2024 · 2.3% of their giving
$13.2M
6. Santa Barbara Foundation
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $6.3M · through 2024 · 4.5% of their giving
$6.3M
7. Comerica Charitable Trust
2 grants to 1 organization · largest $1.8M · through 2020 · 4.4% of their giving
$3.0M
8. Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners
2 grants to 1 organization · largest $490K · through 2020 · 100.0% of their giving
$582K
9. Guild Giving Foundation
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $566K · through 2024 · 25.2% of their giving
$566K
10. Lexington Strides Ahead Foundation Inc
6 grants to 1 organization · largest $166K · through 2024 · 16.2% of their giving
$686K
11. Lions Club International Lexington Lions Club Inc
5 grants to 1 organization · largest $128K · through 2024 · 71.7% of their giving
$545K
12. American Board of Opticianry and National Contact Lens Examiners Inc
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $505K · through 2024 · 31.9% of their giving
$505K
13. Felix E Martin Jr Foundation Inc
4 grants to 2 organizations · largest $932K · through 2024 · 9.2% of their giving
$1.1M
14. Blue Grass Community Foundation Inc
45 grants to 18 organizations · largest $759K · through 2024 · 3.1% of their giving
$3.1M
15. Horizon Community Funds of Northern Kentucky
13 grants to 6 organizations · largest $806K · through 2024 · 5.1% of their giving
$1.6M
16. The Met Development Inc
3 grants to 1 organization · largest $139K · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$366K
17. Mayfield Graves County Tornado Relief Fund Inc
3 grants to 1 organization · largest $283K · through 2025 · 19.4% of their giving
$348K
18. Lexington Industrial Foundation Inc
5 grants to 1 organization · largest $60K · through 2025 · 100.0% of their giving
$280K
19. Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky Inc
8 grants to 4 organizations · largest $260K · through 2024 · 9.6% of their giving
$530K
20. Appalachian Community Capital Corporation
3 grants to 3 organizations · largest $135K · through 2020 · 11.0% of their giving
$380K
21. Natl Christian Charitable Fdn Inc
16 grants to 5 organizations · largest $20.4M · through 2024
$20.9M
22. Eky Heritage Foundation Inc
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $184K · through 2023 · 79.4% of their giving
$184K
23. Amg Charitable Gift Foundation
7 grants to 2 organizations · largest $842K · through 2024 · 2.1% of their giving
$1.6M
24. Rotary District 671 Foundation Inc
2 grants to 1 organization · largest $110K · through 2022 · 23.4% of their giving
$165K
25. Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence Inc
2 grants to 2 organizations · largest $1.0M · through 2022 · 2.3% of their giving
$1.3M

Funders are ordered by how much of their overall giving goes to community improvement work in Kentucky, not by dollar totals alone — a foundation that concentrates its giving here is usually a better prospect than a larger one for which this is a rounding error. 11 of the funders counted here are donor-advised fund sponsors, which grant on behalf of individual donors and accept no applications; they are marked and ranked last.

Other Causes Funded in Kentucky

About This Data

A grant appears here when a funder reported it on its IRS Form 990 and the recipient organization is classified under the NTEE group covering community improvement work, with an address in Kentucky. Grants are counted from the 2025 filing year backward.

Some 990 grant schedules list a recipient by name and address without an EIN, and those grants cannot be matched to a classification — so the totals above represent identifiable community improvement funding in Kentucky, not every dollar that reached the sector. Figures are a floor, not a ceiling.

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Full grant histories, recipient lists, officer compensation, multi-year financials, and exports for every foundation Imperigo tracks.