The Anderson Family Charitable Foundation concentrates its giving on higher education and youth-focused programs, combining one very large institutional commitment with a series of smaller community grants. The foundation made a transformative gift to KU Endowment while also supporting youth mentoring, athletics/athlete development, faith-based youth ministries, and reentry or social services organizations — with geographic ties to Lawrence, KS and connections to Los Angeles-area programs. Recipients range from major endowments to local schools, faith communities, and youth-serving nonprofits.
A single $2,499,000 commitment to KU Endowment for college education careers defines the Anderson Family Charitable Foundation C/o Dana K Anderson’s recent giving. Around that anchor, the foundation makes much smaller grants that reach schools, youth mentoring groups, faith communities, and reentry services. The pattern shows a mix of major institutional support and direct community grants, with awards ranging from $500 to $100,000 in the recent list. Higher education is central, but the foundation also backs youth development in practical settings: a high school Rock Chalk Roundball Classic, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles, and Team First Foundation all received support for educational or sport-related activity opportunities. Faith-based programs appear as well, including Corpus Christi Catholic Parish and Faithworks of the Inner City. The grant list also includes Homeboy Industries, which received support for training and services for formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated men and women. The foundation’s recent portfolio ties Lawrence, Kansas, to Los Angeles-area and other national programs, while keeping a clear emphasis on children, students, and people in transition. Its giving mixes one large endowment-style gift with a series of targeted, smaller awards to organizations delivering direct services.
Higher education receives the largest share of attention through the $2,499,000 grant to KU Endowment for advances for college education careers. That award stands apart from the foundation’s smaller community grants, which are usually aimed at direct programs rather than capital campaigns. Youth mentoring is another clear theme. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles received $500 for a youth mentoring program, and a second $500 grant supported one-to-one mentoring relationships that “ignite the power and promise of youth.” The foundation also funds faith-based youth development and student-athlete programming. The Camp Exposure received $1,500 for a faith-based holistic youth development program centered around student-athletes, while Lawrence Free State High School’s Annual Rock Chalk Roundball Classic received $10,000 for unrestricted educational purposes. Reentry support appears in the grant to Homeboy Industries for training and support to formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated men and women.
$0
$3.6M
$280K
$50K
Most grants fall between $875 and $6K, with a median of $3K.
25th Percentile
$875
Median
$3K
75th Percentile
$6K
About 33% of grants go to recipients in CA.
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Highly concentrated: one very large, likely strategic gift to a university endowment alongside multiple small, targeted community grants. Mix of one-time transformational giving and modest recurring/supportive grants to local schools, faith groups, and youth services.
Notable grantees: KU Endowment, Team First Foundation, Homeboy Industries, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles, Lawrence Free State High School / Rock Chalk Roun dball Classic
Recent grants show a wide size spread, with the middle of the portfolio centered on small awards: p25 is $875, median is $3,025, and p75 is $6,250. The distribution is highly skewed by one large institutional grant, while most gifts stay in the low thousands or hundreds. The foundation appears to make both recurring and one-off grants. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles appears in both 2023 and 2024, and Rock Chalk Roundball Classic also shows up in multiple years. The structure is a private family foundation, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. No application process is stated in the data.
Giving is national, and every recent grant listed went to a U.S. recipient. Kansas is the most common recipient state by count, with Lawrence appearing multiple times and Topeka also showing up in the recent list. Other recipient cities include Los Angeles and Encino in California, Cincinnati in Ohio, Austin in Texas, Kansas City in Missouri, and Edmond in Oklahoma. The foundation gives in a broad spread of places, but the recent list still shows a strong Kansas connection.
Recent grants show support for higher education, youth mentoring, student-athlete and sports-related activities, faith-based youth development, and reentry services. Examples include KU Endowment for college education careers, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles for mentoring, The Camp Exposure for student-athlete-centered youth development, and Homeboy Industries for training and support services.
Yes. The recent list includes a $2,499,000 grant to KU Endowment, plus much smaller awards such as $500 grants to Faithworks of the Inner City and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles. The overall grant-size pattern centers on small gifts, with a median of $3,025.
Yes. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles appears in both 2023 and 2024, and Rock Chalk Roundball Classic appears in multiple years as well. That suggests the foundation makes at least some repeat awards rather than only one-time grants.
Oklahoma is the top state by grant count, while 33% of grants go to recipients in Kansas. The recent recipient list includes Kansas cities such as Lawrence and Topeka, along with Los Angeles, Encino, Cincinnati, Austin, Kansas City, and Edmond.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROCK CHALK ROUNDBALL CLASSIC | TOPEKA, KS | $2,000 | 2024 | YOUTH MENTORING PROGRAM |
| BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF GREATER LOS ANGELES | LOS ANGELES, CA | $500 | 2024 | YOUTH MENTORING PROGRAM |
| KU ENDOWMENT | LAWRENCE, KS | $2,499,000 | 2023 | ADVANCES FOR COLLEGE EDUCATION CAREERS |
| TEAM FIRST FOUNDATION | CINCINNATI, OH | $100,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND SPORT-RELATED ACTIVITY OPPORTUNITIES FOR AREA COMMUNITY MEMBERS |
| LAWRENCE FREE STATE HIGH SCHOOL - ANNUAL ROCK CHALK ROUNDBALL CLASSIC | LAWRENCE, KS | $10,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| CRESPI CARMELITE HIGH SCHOOL - CRESPI TAIKO | ENCINO, CA | $5,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| HOMEBOY INDUSTRIES | LOS ANGELES, CA | $5,000 | 2023 | TRAINING AND SUPPORT TO FORMERLY GANG-INVOLVED AND PREVIOUSLY INCARCERATED MEN AND WOMAN |
| CORPUS CHRISTI CATHOLIC CATHOLIC PARISH | LAWRENCE, KS | $4,050 | 2023 | RELIGIOUS MINISTRY |
| THE CAMP EXPOSURE | AUSTIN, TX | $1,500 | 2023 | FAITH-BASED HOLISTIC YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM CENTERED AROUND STUDENT-ATHLETES |
| FISHTANK THEATRE INC | KANSAS CITY, MO | $1,000 | 2023 | INSPIRE THEATRICAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP |
| FAITHWORKS OF THE INNER CITY INC | EDMOND, OK | $500 | 2023 | THE MINISTRY SERVES FAMILIES OF SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA CITY THROUGH EDUCATIONAL AND AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS |
| BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF GREATER LOS ANGELES | LOS ANGELES, CA | $500 | 2023 | CREATE AND SUPPORT ONE-TO-ONE MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS THAT IGNITE THE POWER AND PROMISE OF YOUTH |
ROCK CHALK ROUNDBALL CLASSIC
$2,000YOUTH MENTORING PROGRAM
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND SPORT-RELATED ACTIVITY OPPORTUNITIES FOR AREA COMMUNITY MEMBERS
LAWRENCE FREE STATE HIGH SCHOOL - ANNUAL ROCK CHALK ROUNDBALL CLASSIC
$10,000UNRESTRICTED EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
CRESPI CARMELITE HIGH SCHOOL - CRESPI TAIKO
$5,000UNRESTRICTED EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
TRAINING AND SUPPORT TO FORMERLY GANG-INVOLVED AND PREVIOUSLY INCARCERATED MEN AND WOMAN
CORPUS CHRISTI CATHOLIC CATHOLIC PARISH
$4,050RELIGIOUS MINISTRY
THE CAMP EXPOSURE
$1,500FAITH-BASED HOLISTIC YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM CENTERED AROUND STUDENT-ATHLETES
FISHTANK THEATRE INC
$1,000INSPIRE THEATRICAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
FAITHWORKS OF THE INNER CITY INC
$500THE MINISTRY SERVES FAMILIES OF SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA CITY THROUGH EDUCATIONAL AND AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS
CREATE AND SUPPORT ONE-TO-ONE MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS THAT IGNITE THE POWER AND PROMISE OF YOUTH