Penner Family Foundation Inc
Bentonville, AR · EIN 81-0831228. Reported 394 grants totalling $118.3M to 98 recipients across tax years 2021-2025. This foundation told the IRS it does not accept unsolicited requests: it contributes only to organizations it selects itself.
Does this foundation accept applications?
No -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation to check a box if it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds". Penner Family Foundation Inc checked it on its most recent filing, as 78% of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered did. An unsolicited request is unlikely to go anywhere.
Organizations it funds that make grants of their own
6 of the organizations Penner Family Foundation Inc funded make grants themselves, and it reported 18 grants totalling $5,385,000 to them. That is 7% of the $72.6M of its giving we could match to a registered organization. Each is classified by the IRS as a philanthropy or grantmaking organization, reported grants to at least 25 organizations of its own, and has at least 10 funders behind it.
All of them file Form 990, which never asks whether an organization funds only groups it picks, so there is no answer on record either way.
What that does not mean. It does not mean an application to any of them reaches this foundation's money. A private foundation's grant to a community foundation or a federated campaign is often a donor-advised fund or a gift designated for a purpose the foundation chose, and has nothing to do with any open programme the receiving organization runs. Its return's purpose text sometimes names a family fund or a designated purpose, which is the plainest case of money no applicant can reach; where it names none, neither return says which. The list is who this foundation paid that also makes grants. Whether any of them would fund you is a question for its own page.
| Grantmaker | Kind | State | Received | Grants | Years | Last | Only funds organizations it picks? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redf | grantmaking organization | California | $2,800,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 | Its form does not ask |
| Monterey Peninsula Foundation | grantmaking organization | California | $1,450,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 | Its form does not ask |
| Born This Way Foundation | grantmaking organization | New York | $600,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 | Its form does not ask |
| Just Keep Livin Foundation | grantmaking organization | California | $500,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 | Its form does not ask |
| Pebble Beach Company Foundation | grantmaking organization | California | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 | Its form does not ask |
| The Fuller Foundation | grantmaking organization | California | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 | Its form does not ask |
A floor, not a full list. A grantmaker appears here only where this foundation's return named it clearly enough for us to match the name to an EIN, which we manage for about two thirds of 990-PF grant rows, and only where that grantmaker has a page on this site. There may be more. Dollars here are summed by EIN across every spelling on its returns, so a figure can differ from the matching row in the full list below, which groups names as written. And the IRS classification cannot tell a grantmaker from a funders' association or a donor-advised fund sponsor, so a payment to one of these may be dues or an account rather than support for a grants programme.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $22,500. Half of everything it gave fell between $5,000 and $50,000; the smallest was $1,000 and the largest $9,000,000.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown University | Providence, RI | $43.3M | 24 | 5 | 2025 |
| The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University | Stanford, CA | $20.8M | 30 | 5 | 2025 |
| KIPP Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $15.6M | 7 | 4 | 2025 |
| The Aspen Institute Inc | Washington, DC | $4,717,500 | 9 | 5 | 2025 |
| Teach for All Inc | New York, NY | $4,000,000 | 6 | 5 | 2025 |
| Redf | San Francisco, CA | $2,800,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| The Opportunity Trust | St Louis, MO | $2,250,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Georgetown University | Washington, DC | $2,225,000 | 15 | 5 | 2025 |
| The Kennedy Forum | Island Heights, NJ | $2,100,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Western Stock Show Association | Denver, CO | $1,510,000 | 4 | 3 | 2025 |
| Monterey Peninsula Foundation | Monterey, CA | $1,450,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association Inc | Arlington Va, VA | $1,350,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| USA Water Polo Inc | Irvine, CA | $1,250,000 | 6 | 5 | 2025 |
| Rock Health Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $1,200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute | Dallas, TX | $1,000,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Asian American Foundation | Katy, TX | $1,000,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Jed Foundation | Brooklyn, NY | $1,000,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| West Palm Golf Community Trust | West Palm Beach, FL | $1,000,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Aspen Center for Environmental Studies | Aspen, CO | $875,000 | 8 | 5 | 2025 |
| Entitlements How Inc | Alexandria, VA | $750,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Born This Way Foundation | New York, NY | $600,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| USA Cycling Inc | Colorado Springs, CO | $542,736 | 7 | 4 | 2025 |
| Aspen Education Foundation | Aspen, CO | $500,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| One Mind | Rutherford, CA | $500,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Just Keep Livin Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $500,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $448,173 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| National Governors Association Center for Best Practices | Washington DC, DC | $350,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| University of California Berkeley Foundation | Berkeley, CA | $300,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Democracy Found | Middleton, WI | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| History Colorado | Denver, CO | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Sacred Heart Schools Atherton | Atherton, CA | $250,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| St Paul's School | Concord, NH | $250,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Trustees of Deerfield Academy | Deerfield, MA | $250,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| African American Community Service Agency | San Jose, CA | $150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| California Academy of Sciences | San Francisco, CA | $150,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Heartland Forward | Bentonville, AR | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Teach for America Inc | New York, NY | $150,000 | 5 | 3 | 2025 |
| Teach for America Inc | San Francisco, CA | $150,000 | 3 | 2 | 2022 |
| Lone Rock Foundation | Bailey, CO | $125,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Edvoice Institute for Research and Education | Sacramento, CA | $115,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Honored Foundation | Washington, DC | $110,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Aspen Country Day School Inc | Aspen, CO | $100,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Governor Dummer Academy | Byfield, MA | $100,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Star Rock Ministries | San Clemente, CA | $100,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Teach for America New York City Region | New York, NY | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Village of Wellington | Wellington, FL | $95,238 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Child Mind Institute Inc | New York, NY | $75,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| FOXG1 Research Foundation | Sands Point, NY | $75,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association | Aspen, CO | $60,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Aspen Valley Land Trust | Carbondale, CO | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Colorado Mountain College Foundation Inc | Glenwood Springs, CO | $50,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | $50,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| International Mountain Bicycling Association | Boulder, CO | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health | Palo Alto, CA | $50,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation | Monterey, CA | $50,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| National Christian Foundation Inc | Alpharetta, GA | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| New York Road Runners Inc | New York, NY | $50,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Protect Our Winters | Boulder, CO | $50,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| The Nueva School | Hillsborough, CA | $50,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| USA Cycling Foundation | Colorado Springs, CO | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Aspen Public Radio | Aspen, CO | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Denver Police Foundation | Denver, CO | $40,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Fuller Theological Seminary | Pasadena, CA | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Menlo School | Atherton, CA | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Children's Health Council Inc | Palo Alto, CA | $30,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Jim Saunders Fund | Kailua Kona, HI | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Aspen Journalism | Aspen, CO | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Aspencountrydayschoolinc | Aspen, CO | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Child Advocates of Silicon Valley Inc | Milpitas, CA | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Governor Dummer Academy Dba the Governor's Academy | Byfield, MA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Kqed Inc | San Francisco, CA | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District | Los Altos, CA | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Montana Academy Foundation | Marion, MT | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Pebble Beach Company Foundation | Pebble Beach, CA | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Phillips Brooks School | Menlo Park, CA | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Positive Coaching Alliance | Mountain View, CA | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| The Nature Conservancy - California | San Francisco, CA | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Charles Armstrong School | Belmont, CA | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Coaching Corps | Oakland, CA | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Young Life Foundation | Colorado Springs, CO | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Hawaii Community Foundation | Honolulu, HI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Jim Saundersfund | Kailua Kona, HI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Menloschool | Atherton, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Roaring Fork Public Radio Inc (dba Aspen Public Radio) | Aspen, CO | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Exploratorium | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| The Fuller Foundation | Pasadena, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Charlesarmstrongschool | Belmont, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Church of the Pioneers Foundation | Menlo Park, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Edgewood Center for Children and Families | San Francisco, CA | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Environmental Working Group | Washington, DC | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo | Palo Alto, CA | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Kki'o Ho'omana Fund | Kailua Kona, HI | $5,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Peninsula Open Space Trust | Palo Alto, CA | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| San Jose Children's Discovery Museum | San Jose, CA | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Semper Fi & America's Fund | Oceanside, CA | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| The Tech Interactive | San Jose, CA | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| The Trust for Hidden Villa | Los Altos, CA | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Ecoflight | Aspen, CO | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
70 of 98 (71%) received money in more than one year over the 5 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 86%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is unusually consistent. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one, and this foundation told the IRS it does not.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- Brown University
To build, equip, and maintain the turf field house - KIPP Foundation
Community Development - 2025 Campaign and Leadership Priorities - The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
The Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation Pledge - The Aspen Institute Inc
Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies - Georgetown University
Penner Family Endowed Scholarship and Experiences Funds - Teach for All Inc
Education - General Fundraising Support
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 288 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 78 | $17.1M | $25,000 |
| 2022 | 76 | $15.6M | $17,500 |
| 2023 | 77 | $28.9M | $25,000 |
| 2024 | 82 | $31.3M | $20,000 |
| 2025 | 81 | $25.3M | $25,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
39% of its giving went to organizations in California.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more. Unlike this foundation, none of them is on record as funding only organizations it picks, and each page says what its filings show.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Penner Family Foundation Inc's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2021-2025). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: Po Box 1860, Bentonville, AR, 72712. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS.
EIN 81-0831228 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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