Open Foundations · Florida

John S and James L Knight Foundation Inc

Miami, Florida · EIN 650464177. Its Form 990-PF says giving is not restricted to organizations picked in advance, which is how a private foundation files that it accepts unsolicited requests. It paid $144.5M across 500 grants in 2024, a median of $80K each.

All Florida foundations · All states

$144.5M
paid in 2024
500
grants paid
$80K
median grant
18%
to first-time recipients
$2.5B
assets on file

How to apply, as filed

Straight off Part XV of the return. Where the foundation left a line blank, this says so rather than guessing.

Send requests to
WEBSITE WWWKFORG
Address
2850 TIGERTAIL AVENUE STE 600, MIAMI, FL, 33131
Phone
3059082600
Email
Not stated in the filing
Form the request should take
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, KNIGHT FOUNDATION ISSUES OPEN CHALLENGES OR CALLS FOR PROPOSALS FOCUSED ON SPECIFIC FUNDING PRIORITIES. YOU CAN RECEIVE UPDATES AND NOTIFICATIONS ABOUT UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES BY GOING TO OUR WEBSITE, WWW.KF.ORG, AND SUBSCRIBING TO OUR NEWSLETTER.
Submission deadline
EACH FUNDING OPPORTUNITY WILL HAVE ITS OWN APPLICATION CRITERIA AND DEADLINES.
Restrictions on awards
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

As filed on the Form 990-PF for tax year 2024, IRS filing object id 202523109349100927. Printed word for word, including the entries that only say to see a website or an attachment.

What it funds, in its own words

The words that come up most often across the purposes it wrote on its 2024 grants. These are the foundation's own words, not a category we assigned.

florida communitiescommunities fiscalorganizations floridalocal newsdigitalviacommunityresearch

Biggest grants in 2024

The 15 largest of the 500 grants paid in 2024, with the purpose the foundation wrote for each.

#RecipientStateAmountPurpose as filed
1The Associated PressNY$5,000,000TO SUPPORT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS TO ENSURE STATE-BASED, PUBLIC-SERVICE JOURNALISM IS AVAILABLE IN 50 STATES WHILE AP DEVISES A NEW LOCAL NEWS BUSINESS STRATEGY TO BETTER POSITION IT FOR LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY.
2Georgetown UniversityDC$4,000,000TO SUSTAIN THE INSTITUTE, WHICH WILL CONVENE, SUPPORT AND PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE, ACTIONABLE, NONPARTISAN INSIGHTS TO THE STAKEHOLDERS AND INSTITUTIONS THAT DESIGN, OPERATE, STUDY AND GOVERN THE DIGITAL INFORMATION ENVIRONMENT.
3Groundtruth Project IncMA$3,000,000TO RECRUIT, HIRE, TRAIN AND PLACE REPORTERS FROM A VARIETY OF EXPERIENCES AND BACKGROUNDS INTO LOCAL NEWSROOMS, AND BUILD DURABLE LOCAL REVENUE STREAMS ATOP THOSE POSITIONS TO ASSURE LONG-TERM SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY JOURNALISM.
4The Miami FoundationFL$2,859,554SUPPORT THE GROWTH, ADAPTATION AND DIVERSIFICATION OF NEWSMATCH IN THE PRESS FORWARD ERA, TO INCREASE THE COMPETENCY OF NON-PROFIT PUBLISHERS SEEKING EARNED READER REVENUE.
5The Miami FoundationFL$2,800,000TO FOSTER HEALTHY COMMUNITIES BY AIDING LOCAL NEWS PUBLISHERS IN THE PRODUCTION OF FACT-BASED STATE AND LOCAL ELECTION REPORTING, WITH A FOCUS ON SWING STATES IN WHICH THIS COVERAGE WILL BE PARTICULARLY RELEVANT AND USEFUL.
6The Miami FoundationFL$2,703,000TO HELP LOCAL NEWS ORGANIZATIONS POISED FOR STATEWIDE GROWTH EXPAND INTO NEW MARKETS.
7The Pew Charitable TrustsPA$2,500,000TO SUPPORT A FIVE-YEAR, CO-BRANDED PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN KNIGHT AND GRANTEES SUBSIDIARY, THE PEW RESEARCH CENTER TO STUDY AND WIDELY SHARE RESEARCH ON HOW AMERICANS ABSORB CIVIC INFORMATION; FORM BELIEFS, IDENTITIES AND COMMUNITY; AND ENGAGE IN CIVIC ACTION.
8The Lenfest Institute for Journalism Special Assets Fund of TpfPA$2,249,500CREATE AN ACCELERATOR SUPPORTING TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS ESSENTIAL FOR PUBLISHERS AND JOURNALISTS TO ACHIEVE THEIR EDUCATIONAL MISSION AND HELP DEMONSTRATE THE VIABILITY OF SOLUTIONS SUPPORTING LOCAL PUBLISHERS' MISSIONS BY ACCELERATING THE MARKET.
9The Miami FoundationFL$2,100,000TO SUPPLEMENT THE ELECTIONS INTEGRITY FUND AT THE MIAMI FOUNDATION, WHICH FOSTERS HEALTHY COMMUNITIES BY AIDING LOCAL NEWS PUBLISHERS IN THE PRODUCTION OF FACT-BASED STATE AND LOCAL ELECTION REPORTING, WITH A FOCUS ON SWING STATES.
10American Journalism ProjectWA$2,000,000TO PROVIDE THE LEAD INVESTMENT IN THE AMERICAN JOURNALISM PROJECT, (AJP) A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND VENTURE PHILANTHROPY ORGANIZATION FOCUSED ON GROWING AND SUSTAINING INDEPENDENT, NONPARTISAN, LOCAL CIVIC NEWS ORGANIZATIONS.
11Civic News CompanyNY$2,000,000TO STRENGTHEN CIVIC NEWS COMPANY'S BUSINESS INFRASTRUCTURE, LONG-TERM ORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY AND THE CONTENT AVAILABLE TO LOCAL PUBLISHERS.
12National Trust for Local NewsCO$1,794,500TO SUPPORT HIGH-QUALITY LOCAL NEWS IN MACON, ADVANCE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE GEORGIA TRUST FOR LOCAL NEWS IN MIDDLE GEORGIA, AND STRENGTHEN THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR LOCAL NEWS.
13New World Symphony IncFL$1,666,667TO SUPPORT THE USE OF EVOLVING TECHNOLOGIES TO REIMAGINE THE CONCERT EXPERIENCE, EXPAND THE SYMPHONY'S EDUCATIONAL NETWORK, AND BUILD LARGER AUDIENCES WHO HAVE A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF CLASSICAL MUSIC.
14Institute for Nonprofit NewsCA$1,636,380TO SUPPORT THE INSTITUTE FOR NONPROFIT NEWS AND ITS PROGRAMS TO STRENGTHEN THE HIGH-QUALITY LOCAL NEWS ECOSYSTEM IN THE U.S. BY FOCUSING ON THE FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY OF NONPROFIT NEWSROOMS.
15Foundation for Detroit's FutureMI$1,500,000AS PART OF A GROUP OF FUNDERS SUPPORTING DETROIT'S PLAN OF ADJUSTMENT TO ALLOW DETROIT TO EMERGE FROM BANKRUPTCY (A) A FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY THAT CAN BETTER ENGAGE AND SERVE ITS CITIZENS AND (B) SECURING THE ASSETS OF THE DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS AS A RESOURCE FOR THE CITY AND THE REGIO

Giving by year, and who received it

Grants paid by year

Every year of this foundation's grants that Civly holds
Tax yearGrantsPaid
2020491$107.7M
2022406$101.3M
2023403$117.6M
2024500$144.5M

Where the money went

Share of 2024 grant dollars by recipient state
Florida35%
New York10%
California8%
North Carolina7%
District of Columbia6%

Who decides

Officers, directors and trustees as filed, with the year of the return they appeared on.

Adriana M CisnerosTRUSTEE · 2024
Alejandro De OnisVP/COMMS. & DIGITAL STRAT. · 2024
Ana-marie CodinaTRUSTEE · 2024
Anna Spangler NelsonTRUSTEE · 2024
Ashley ZohnVP/LEARNING & IMPACT · 2024
Austin ClementsTRUSTEE · 2024
Charles Frank OlsonTRUSTEE · 2024
Christine Amer MayerTRUSTEE · 2024
Christopher M AustenCHAIRMAN AND TRUSTEE EFFECTIVE 3/2024 · 2024
Frank BorgesCHAIRMAN AND TRUSTEE THROUGH 3/2024 · 2024
James M BradyVP/JOURNALISM · 2024
Jorge MartinezVP/CTO · 2024
Juan J MartinezVP/CFO & TREASURER · 2024
Kelly JinVP/COMMUNITIES & NAT'L · 2024
Maribel Perez WadsworthPRESIDENT & CEO · 2024
Martin BaronTRUSTEE · 2024
Matthew Stephen StepkaTRUSTEE · 2024
Michael MarsicanoTRUSTEE · 2024
Ramona HoodTRUSTEE · 2024
Roshell RinkinsVP/GRANT ADMIN & CDEIO THROUGH 10/2024 · 2024

Every figure on this page is that foundation's own latest filed year, which is 2022 or later. This foundation is listed because its Form 990-PF says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and it paid at least 5 grants totaling $100K or more that year. Latest-year grants and terms per foundation from IRS 990-PF e-file returns; the newest tax year is partial until the IRS finishes releasing it. Grants are de-duplicated on funder, year, recipient and amount, so identical repeat grants collapse into one and totals can run low. Full method.

Source: IRS Form 990-PF e-file releases (public domain). Analysis: Civly.

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