Kettering Family Foundation

The Kettering Family Foundation is, at its core, a relationship-first philanthropic vehicle where personal connections to trustees are not merely advantageous — they are effectively the primary selection criterion. With over 90% of grants awarded to trustee-endorsed organizations, this foundation functions less like a competitive open-grant program and more like a family philanthropic circle that occasionally extends to new partners through personal introductions.

Founded in 1956 by Eugene W. Kettering (son of inventor Charles F. Kettering) and his wife Virginia W. Kettering, the foundation operates today under co-presidents Charles F. Kettering III and Linda H. Hanauer. The full board — including Vice President Debra L. Williamson, Secretary/Treasurer Karen W. Cushnie, and trustees Lisa S. Kettering, Shalyn R. Kettering, Susan S. Kettering, Linda K. Danneberg, Kyle W. Kim, Albert W. Leland, Jane K. Lombard, Richard J. Lombard, Douglas E. Williamson, and Peter A. Williamson — is composed exclusively of family members and close associates. None receive compensation, reinforcing that this is personal philanthropy, not institutional grant management.

Geography follows family residency: Colorado leads the historical grant database with 175 grants, followed by Ohio (144) and New York (99). Michigan, Vermont, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Washington also appear, reflecting dispersed family presence. Organizations based in or serving these areas — particularly the Dayton, Ohio metro, the Colorado Front Range, and the New York City area — are best positioned.

The typical relationship progression: (1) identify a trustee connection, (2) contact foundation staff at info@ketteringfamilyphilanthropies.org for a mandatory pre-application conversation, (3) submit a concise Request Summary by January 31 or July 31, (4) if invited, submit a Full Proposal by March 15 or September 15, (5) receive a decision in May or November, with payment within 45 days.

Reviewing top grantees reveals deeply rooted multi-grant partnerships: YWCA Dayton (8 grants, $820,427), CEC ArtsLink (8 grants, $696,000), Kettering University (8 grants, $670,000), and University of Dayton (7 grants, $1M) all demonstrate years of sustained engagement. First-time applicants should approach this as a relationship investment, not a single-cycle transaction — an initial $15,000–$30,000 grant is a realistic entry point, with potential for escalation as trustees develop familiarity with your organization's work.

The Kettering Family Foundation's grantmaking has grown consistently over the past decade, from $4.89M total giving in 2015 to $5.54M in 2019, $6.77M in 2021, $8.11M in 2022, and $8.01M in 2023 — a 64% increase over eight years. The foundation paid $7.1M in grants during 2024. Total assets have held steady in the $88–97M range, with $90.57M reported at fiscal year-end 2024, yielding a payout rate well above the 5% federal minimum.

Typical grant sizes span a wide range: median $15,000, average $38,172, minimum $1,000, maximum $500,000 across 150 measured grants. This dispersion reflects two distinct giving modes: routine operating gifts of $10,000–$30,000 to organizations with established trustee relationships, and major capital or endowment commitments of $200,000–$500,000+ to anchor institutions. The historical database of 622 grants totals $23.95M with an average of $38,510 per grant.

By program category (2022–2024 combined data): Human Services received 24% of giving ($4.75M), Arts/Culture/Humanities 23% ($4.44M), Education 21% ($4.04M), Health/Medical 19% ($3.69M), Environment 11% ($2.23M), and Public/Society Benefit 3% ($541,500). No single category commands a dominant share, consistent with the trustee-driven rather than programmatic nature of grantmaking.

Geographically, the Dayton, Ohio metro area is the historic anchor. Top Ohio grantees include The Dayton Foundation ($1.175M), University of Dayton ($1M), YWCA Dayton ($820,427), Victoria Theatre Association ($440,000), Dayton Society of Natural History ($500,000), Dayton Performing Arts Alliance ($170,000), Dayton Art Institute ($275,000), and Dayton Live ($200,000). In New York, CEC ArtsLink ($696,000), The Hope Program ($215,000), and The New School ($250,000) anchor giving. In Colorado, Old Town Hot Springs ($200,000) and Yampa Valley Sustainability Council ($120,000) appear among notable recipients.

The top 10 grantees account for roughly $7.8M — nearly one-third — of the $23.95M historical total, underscoring the loyalty to repeat partners. New entrants should plan for an initial gift in the $15,000–$50,000 range, with growth potential through relationship deepening.

The following table compares the Kettering Family Foundation to its closest relatives within the Kettering Family Philanthropies umbrella and to the separately governed Charles F. Kettering Foundation. No external peer data was included in the foundation's data bundle; the Kettering-affiliated entities provide the most meaningful comparison given shared governance structure, application processes, and grantee overlap.

The Kettering Family Foundation is the largest and most geographically flexible of the Kettering philanthropic entities. The Virginia W. Kettering Foundation offers a parallel pathway for organizations serving the greater Dayton area, but applicants may apply to only one entity per twelve-month period — a critical constraint that forces strategic choice. The Kettering Fund, now a sub-fund of KFF, maintains an Ohio emphasis with a STEM and social research orientation, making it a more targeted channel for Ohio-based science and education organizations. The Charles F. Kettering Foundation (kettering.org) is a distinct non-grantmaking research institution — commonly confused with the grantmaking entities — and has no open grant program.

The Kettering Family Foundation maintains a deliberately low public profile. No press releases, major leadership transitions, or new programmatic announcements were found in web research covering 2025–2026. The foundation does not operate a news feed or social media presence.

The most recent confirmed activity is the January 2026 grant cycle: Request Summaries were accepted January 1–31, 2026. Invited Full Proposals are due March 15, 2026. Funding decisions will be announced in May 2026, with grants paid by June 2026. The next cycle opens July 1, 2026, with Request Summaries due July 31.

In fiscal year 2024, the foundation contributed $7,104,500 in total grants. Over the three-year period 2022–2024, total grantmaking reached $19,695,642 — roughly $6.6M per year on average, or approximately $7.3M when weighted by the higher recent years. This pace reflects consistent and growing philanthropic output from a stable $90M+ asset base.

The most significant recent structural event was the 2014 integration of The Kettering Fund (established 1958 by inventor Charles F. Kettering) into the Kettering Family Foundation as a sub-fund. This consolidation expanded KFF's Ohio scientific and educational grantmaking footprint and added legacy grantees to the active portfolio.

Leadership has remained stable within the Kettering family across recent years, with Co-President Charles F. Kettering III representing third-generation family philanthropic leadership. No officer or trustee receives compensation, consistent with the foundation's long-standing family-governance model and IRS filings through FY2023.

Secure a trustee connection before anything else. With over 90% of grants going to trustee-endorsed organizations, the most valuable pre-application activity is mapping your organization's network against the full trustee list: Co-Presidents Charles F. Kettering III and Linda H. Hanauer; Vice President Debra L. Williamson; Secretary/Treasurer Karen W. Cushnie; and trustees Lisa S. Kettering, Shalyn R. Kettering, Susan S. Kettering, Linda K. Danneberg, Kyle W. Kim, Albert W. Leland, Jane K. Lombard, Richard J. Lombard, Douglas E. Williamson, and Peter A. Williamson. Check alumni networks, board overlaps, geographic ties, and philanthropic circles in Colorado, Ohio, and New York.

Mandatory pre-application contact is not a formality. Email info@ketteringfamilyphilanthropies.org to discuss your proposal before submitting. Record the name of the staff member you speak with and the exact date — this is required on the Request Summary form and submissions without it are not processed. Use this conversation to ask directly about current trustee interests and whether your program area resonates with the current board.

Timing: submit early, not at the deadline. Request Summaries are due January 31 or July 31 — hard deadlines. Submit at least one week early to accommodate portal issues. Full Proposals, if invited, are due March 15 or September 15. Begin your process at least 6–8 weeks before the Request Summary deadline to allow for the mandatory pre-application conversation and proposal drafting.

Keep the Request Summary brief and specific. It is a screening tool, not a full narrative. Lead with your organization's track record, state the specific need in one or two sentences, name the project concisely, and give a clear dollar figure. Avoid jargon and policy-advocacy framing — the foundation responds to community impact, capital investment, educational access, arts programming, and conservation.

Common disqualifiers to avoid: applying as a local chapter of a national organization; submitting without prior staff contact; applying to both KFF and the Virginia W. Kettering Foundation in the same 12-month period; requesting individual grants, fundraising event sponsorships, lobbying support, or grants to 509(a)(3) Type III Supporting Organizations.

Think long-term. The top grantees have 4–8 grant histories with the foundation. A first grant is an entry point, not an end goal. After receiving any award, maintain the relationship — acknowledge outcomes, report back proactively, and re-engage for the following cycle.