Kinsman Foundation

The Kinsman Foundation is a family-led private foundation based in Milwaukie, Oregon that has operated since at least the 1980s (IRS ruling date: June 1984) with a deliberately relationship-oriented, low-profile approach. The single most important characteristic for prospective applicants is that the foundation explicitly favors smaller organizations and, in larger urban markets, "secondary or alternate" organizations rather than flagship institutions. This is not merely a preference — it is codified in foundation policy and reflected throughout the grantee portfolio.

The foundation's three program areas are tightly defined: Historic Preservation (primarily architectural preservation of buildings, structures, and related sites); Native Wildlife Rehabilitation and Appreciation (almost exclusively limited to organizations with state and federal rehabilitation licenses providing urgent care to injured or orphaned native wildlife in Oregon and Washington); and the Betty Kinsman Fund for Arts, Culture and Humanities (emphasizing theater, photography, and literary arts).

Grant relationships at Kinsman typically progress through a structured, tiered model. Organizations begin with an online Letter of Inquiry — a concise one-to-two page overview submitted through the GrantInterface portal. Staff review precedes board review. The process takes six weeks or more. Applicants invited to the full proposal stage submit financial statements, a complete board roster, insurance documentation, and an updated project budget. Site visits may follow for larger requests; for performing arts grantees, an invitation to an unticketed rehearsal or performance may substitute.

First-time applicants face an explicitly stated constraint: the Small Grants Program rarely awards more than $5,000 in the first cycle. This is deliberate and reflects the foundation's philosophy of building relationships over time before increasing investment. Multi-year grantee data confirms this pattern — organizations like Portland Center Stage ($95,000 over 5 grants), Portland Audubon Society ($85,000 over 5 grants), and Profile Theatre Project ($66,500 over 6 grants) all built cumulative totals across multiple funding cycles.

The foundation's stated philosophy explicitly favors "informal sharing of information and development of ideas" over rigid data accumulation. Concise, narrative-driven applications aligned with this culture outperform exhaustive, data-heavy submissions. There are no reapplication limits, no matching fund requirements, and genuine openness to general operating support, though project support is given a stated preference.

Kinsman Foundation's annual grantmaking has been remarkably stable for more than a decade, ranging from $1,784,751 (2012) to $1,996,839 (2021) in total giving. In FY2023, the most recent available filing, the foundation paid $1,221,264 in direct grants against total giving of $1,907,734 — the gap reflects program-related expenses and administrative costs allocated to charitable purposes. Total assets stood at $19.8 million in 2023, modestly down from a peak of $22.8 million in 2013, suggesting the foundation is drawing on assets over time to sustain giving levels that slightly exceed net investment income.

The median grant size is $10,000, the average is $11,676, and the documented range runs from $500 (smallest) to $80,000 (largest single-year award). The February 2025 announcement of 104 grants totaling approximately $1.2 million in 2024 confirms this pattern: the per-award average works out to roughly $11,500, closely matching the historical database average. With 100+ grants annually and total giving around $1.9 million, Kinsman deliberately deploys capital across a wide portfolio of smaller awards rather than concentrating resources in a few large grants.

Geographic distribution is overwhelmingly Oregon-centric. Of 413 documented grants in the grantee database, 381 (92%) went to Oregon-based organizations, 17 to Washington State, and small numbers to D.C., New York, California, Colorado, and Utah. Out-of-state recipients appear to be nationally-scoped organizations with Oregon-relevant programs.

By program area (based on purpose codes in the grantee database): Artistic Performances, Media, and Humanities (Betty Kinsman Fund) account for approximately 40% of grants by count. Historic Preservation accounts for roughly 35%. Wildlife Rehabilitation and Appreciation accounts for approximately 20%. General Operating Support and organizational capacity grants comprise the remaining 5%.

Top cumulative grantee Oregon Health & Science University Foundation ($320,000 across 4 grants, averaging $80,000 per award) is an outlier; its average is nearly seven times the portfolio median. More representative long-term grantees average $15,000–$25,000 per cycle after multiple funding relationships, including Portland Center Stage ($19,000/grant average), Rowena Wildlife Clinic ($17,600 average), and Portland Audubon Society ($17,000 average). This suggests a realistic ceiling for established grantees in the $20,000–$25,000 range per cycle, with exceptional projects occasionally reaching $80,000.

Kinsman occupies a clearly defined niche among Oregon private funders: a focused three-program mandate, strong preference for smaller community-embedded organizations, and explicitly open applications with an LOI-first process. The Collins Foundation overlaps on arts and community giving but operates at nearly eight times Kinsman's giving volume and covers a broader programmatic range. The Schnitzer CARE Foundation is the closest peer by asset size, though it skews toward invited relationships and Jewish community priorities. MJ Murdock and Oregon Community Foundation are significantly larger and generally serve organizations at a different scale — nonprofits too small for those funders' priority tiers are often precisely Kinsman's target. For Oregon nonprofits in historic preservation, wildlife rehabilitation, or small-to-mid-size performing arts, Kinsman is frequently one of the few private foundations specifically structured for their funding scale and program focus.

The most significant recent development at the Kinsman Foundation was reported in February 2025: the foundation awarded 104 grants totaling approximately $1.2 million in 2024, maintaining its consistent decade-long annual pace. Alongside that announcement, two new board members were formally recognized — Jennifer Winter (listed in IRS Form 990 filings as Treasurer and Director) and Carrie Rausch (Director) — described on the foundation's website as bringing "fresh insight and plenty of humor" to board meetings. This represents the most meaningful governance development in recent years, as the foundation has operated as a tightly family-controlled entity since its founding.

The prior major leadership change occurred in February 2018, when Keith Kinsman — who had led the foundation since 2001 — transitioned to semi-retirement, retaining the title of Board President (and later CEO Emeritus per recent filings) while Sara Bailey was elevated to CEO and Vice President. Bailey, who had joined in May 2015 as Grants Associate, became the operational head of the foundation and remains so as of the most recent available IRS filings, with total FY2023 compensation of approximately $94,000.

In April 2020, the foundation confirmed it would remain fully operational during the COVID-19 pandemic, processing all grant programs remotely without establishing a standalone emergency fund. No new program initiatives, strategic pivots, or significant grant-size changes have been publicly announced since early 2025. Web research found no external press coverage of specific recent grant awards, which is consistent with the foundation's characteristically low public profile.

Timing is program-specific and non-negotiable. The Betty Kinsman Fund (theater, photography, literary arts) requires LOI submission by February 15, with board decisions made in April. Historic Preservation and Native Wildlife Rehabilitation grants over $5,000 require LOI submission by August 1, with board decisions in September. Small grants under $5,000 in the Historic Preservation and Wildlife programs are reviewed on a rolling basis year-round, typically within 6–8 weeks of submission. Missing either hard deadline means waiting a full year.

Calibrate your first ask to the small grants threshold. Foundation policy explicitly states that first-time Small Grants applicants "rarely receive more than $5,000." Open your relationship with a $3,000–$5,000 request aligned to a concrete, bounded project. Portland Playhouse accumulated $32,500 over 4 grants; Stumptown Stages accumulated $48,500 over 4 grants — both built their totals incrementally. Launching with an outsized first request signals poor research and typically results in a smaller award than requested anyway.

Write a concise, story-driven LOI. The foundation explicitly values "informal sharing of information and development of ideas rather than an inflexible accumulation of marginally relevant data." A tight 1–2 page LOI with a clear organizational narrative, specific project description, realistic budget with all other funding sources named, and honest sustainability plan outperforms a dense data package. Philanthropy Northwest common grant application formats are explicitly accepted if you already have one prepared.

Match your language to stated eligibility criteria. For wildlife grants, foreground "urgent care for injured and orphaned native wildlife" and disclose state and federal rehabilitator licensure credentials immediately. For historic preservation, lead with the architectural or structural significance of the target site. For the Betty Kinsman Fund, center theater, photography, or literary arts specifically — other art forms are not prioritized and the fund's scope is stated narrowly.

Avoid documented disqualifiers. The foundation states it does not fund programs primarily benefiting "specialized populations or groups" rather than the general public. Frame public-benefit language as the primary lens rather than population-specific service. Educational components "do not improve funding likelihood" per policy. Do not apply for projects outside Oregon and southern Washington.

Invest in the relationship before submission. CEO Sara Bailey (grants@kinsmanfoundation.org, 503-654-1668) is the primary staff contact. Given the foundation's stated informal culture, a brief pre-LOI phone call or email to confirm fit is appropriate — not a sales pitch, but a genuine inquiry. This approach aligns with how long-term grantees describe building their relationships with this funder.