Carney’s Kids Foundation, through community events, fundraising activities, and media exposure, provides financial support and creates positive publicity for non-profit organizations whose primary goal is to improve the lives of children and young adults. We support organizations seeking to enhance the quality of children’s lives by improving their physical, emotional and mental health, provide educational assistance, improve environments for children living outside a family home, support families in need, and provide disadvantaged children with pathways to their own potential.
Carneys Kids Foundation centers its giving on organizations that improve the lives of children and young adults, with support flowing through annual partner grant programs and board-reviewed applications. The foundation’s own program language points to a broad child-focused mandate: physical, emotional and mental health, educational assistance, support for children living outside a family home, family assistance, and pathways for disadvantaged children. Recent grants show that this mission is translated into direct support for local youth-serving nonprofits. Among the larger awards, the foundation gave $10,000 to Pathways to Independence in Saint Louis and $10,000 to St Louis Crisis Nursery. It also backed KOZ for Kids in Saint Louis with $10,000, reinforcing a pattern of funding organizations that work with children and young adults in the St. Louis area. The grant list includes both unrestricted and project-based support in the foundation’s annual cycle, suggesting a mix of general operating help and targeted program funding. Across recent awards, the foundation appears to favor practical, mission-specific support for nonprofits serving children, families in need, and young people facing health, educational, or housing-related challenges.
Children’s health is a clear thread in the foundation’s grantmaking. It gave $5,000 to Kids Vision for Life in Saint Louis and $5,000 to Eye Thrive in Saint Louis, both of which align with child health support. Educational assistance also appears in the grant list: the foundation awarded $5,180 to STL Black Authors of Childrens Lit in Saint Louis and $5,000 to KIPP Academy in Chicago. For services tied to children living outside a family home, it provided $7,500 to St Louis ARC in Saint Louis and $10,000 to Sleep Heavenly Peace in Alton. Family support shows up as well, including $5,000 to Assistance League of St Louis in Chesterfield and $6,000 to The Bennett Project in Florissant. The pattern is consistent with a grantmaker that backs direct-service organizations serving children, youth, and families.
Typical grants cluster tightly around a small-dollar format: the p25, median, and p75 are $5,000, $5,000, and $6,000. Recent awards also show a recurring-relationship pattern, with several recipients appearing in more than one year, including St Louis ARC, Gateway to Great Outdoors, Assistance League of St Louis, and Joshuas Great Things Foundation. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a donor-advised fund, and it also accepts unsolicited applications through its annual grant cycle. Grant language indicates both unrestricted and project-based funding, reviewed by the Board of Directors at scheduled meetings.
$125K
$52K
$145K
$158K
Most grants fall between $5K and $6K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$6K
John Carney
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Grantmaking is concentrated in Missouri, with 84% of grants going to recipients in the state. Saint Louis appears frequently, including awards to Pathways to Independence, KOZ for Kids, St Louis Crisis Nursery, and St Louis ARC. Other Missouri recipients include Fenton, Maryland Heights, Florissant, Ballwin, Chesterfield, Rolla, and Lake Ozark. Outside Missouri, the foundation has also funded organizations in Illinois, including Alton, Chicago, and O Fallon. All listed recent grants went to U.S. recipients.
It supports nonprofit organizations whose primary goal is to improve the lives of children and young adults. The focus areas include children’s physical, emotional and mental health, educational assistance, support for children living outside a family home, family assistance, and pathways for disadvantaged children.
The foundation uses annual grant programs and a board-reviewed application process. Its grant language says organizations submit a grant application outlining a specific need, which is reviewed by the Board of Directors at scheduled meetings. The programs also accept unsolicited applications.
The typical grant size is tightly centered around $5,000. The p25 is $5,000, the median is $5,000, and the p75 is $6,000.
Yes. While 84% of grants go to recipients in Missouri, the recent grant list also includes recipients in Illinois, including Alton, Chicago, and O Fallon.
Yes. Several recipients received grants in multiple years, including St Louis ARC in 2024 and 2025, Gateway to Great Outdoors in 2024 and 2025, Assistance League of St Louis in 2024 and 2025, and Joshuas Great Things Foundation in 2024 and 2025.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Carneys Kids Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Organizations must be not-for-profit entities whose primary goal is to improve the lives of children and young adults. No more than one application per organization is allowed per calendar year.
Deadline: Applications are accepted each year between March 1 and October 1.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOZ for Kids | Saint Louis, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | Donation |
| St Louis Crisis Nursery | Saint Louis, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | donation |
| Pathways to Independence | Saint Louis, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | Donation |
| St Louis ARC | Saint Louis, MO | $7,500 | 2025 | Donation |
| Gateway to Great Outdoors | Chicago, IL | $6,000 | 2025 | Donation |
| The Bennett Project | Florissant, MO | $6,000 | 2025 | Donation |
| Coltons Cause | Ballwin, MO | $5,000 | 2025 | Donation |
| Kids in the Middle | Saint Louis, MO | $5,000 | 2025 | Donation |
| The Buddy Fund | Saint Louis, MO | $5,000 | 2025 | Donation |
| Hope Creates | Rolla, MO | $5,000 | 2025 | Donation |
| Boys Hope Girls Hope St Louis | Saint Louis, MO | $5,000 | 2025 | Donation |
| Assistance League of St Louis | Chesterfield, MO | $5,000 | 2025 | Donation |
| Lollys Place | Saint Louis, MO | $5,000 | 2025 | Donation |
| Stages St Louis | Chesterfield, MO | $5,000 | 2025 | Donation |
| Joshuas Great Things Foundation | O Fallon, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | Donation |
| Kids Vision for Life | Saint Louis, MO | $5,000 | 2025 | Donation |
| Giving is a Family Tradition | Saint Louis, MO | $5,000 | 2025 | Donation |
| Lifewise STL | Saint Louis, MO | $5,000 | 2025 | Donation |
| Eagles Wings | Saint Louis, MO | $5,000 | 2025 | Donation |
| Sherwood Forest | Saint Louis, MO | $5,000 | 2025 | Donation |
| Wonderland Camp Foundation | Lake Ozark, MO | $5,000 | 2025 | Donation |
| Sleep Heavenly Peace | Alton, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | Donation |
| Disabled Althetic Sports Assn | Saint Peters, MO | $10,000 | 2024 | donation |
| TASK | Fenton, MO | $10,000 | 2024 | Donation |
| Gateway to Great Outdoors | Chicago, IL | $8,000 | 2024 | Donation |
| Eagles Wings | Saint Louis, MO | $7,500 | 2024 | Donation |
| Kidsmart | Maryland Heights, MO | $7,500 | 2024 | Donation |
| St Louis ARC | Saint Louis, MO | $7,500 | 2024 | Donation |
| Different Dynamics | Saint Louis, MO | $5,518 | 2024 | Donation |
| STL Black Authors of Childrens Lit | Saint Louis, MO | $5,180 | 2024 | Donation |
| Erin Eickmeier Foundation | Valles Mines, MO | $5,088 | 2024 | Donation |
| Eye Thrive | Saint Louis, MO | $5,000 | 2024 | Donation |
| Sherwood Forest | Saint Louis, MO | $5,000 | 2024 | Donation |
| Whole Kids Outreach | Ellington, MO | $5,000 | 2024 | Donation |
| The Bennett Project | Florissant, MO | $5,000 | 2024 | Donation |
| Boys Hope Girls Hope St Louis | Saint Louis, MO | $5,000 | 2024 | Donation |
| Books for Newborns | Saint Louis, MO | $5,000 | 2024 | Donation |
| Crisis Aid International | Saint Louis, MO | $5,000 | 2024 | Donation |
| Assistance League of St Louis | Chesterfield, MO | $5,000 | 2024 | Donation |
| Helmets First | Columbia, IL | $5,000 | 2024 | Donation |
| Gateway Tykes on Trykes | Maryland Heights, MO | $5,000 | 2024 | Donation |
| Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition | Saint Louis, MO | $5,000 | 2024 | Donation |
| KIPP Academy | Chicago, IL | $5,000 | 2024 | Donation |
| Joshuas Great Things Foundation | O Fallon, IL | $5,000 | 2024 | Donation |
| Delta Gamma Center | Saint Louis, MO | $5,000 | 2024 | Donation |
KOZ for Kids
$10,000Donation
Gateway to Great Outdoors
$6,000Donation
The Bennett Project
$6,000Donation
Coltons Cause
$5,000Donation
Kids in the Middle
$5,000Donation
The Buddy Fund
$5,000Donation
Hope Creates
$5,000Donation
Boys Hope Girls Hope St Louis
$5,000Donation
Assistance League of St Louis
$5,000Donation
Lollys Place
$5,000Donation
Joshuas Great Things Foundation
$5,000Donation
Kids Vision for Life
$5,000Donation
Giving is a Family Tradition
$5,000Donation
Lifewise STL
$5,000Donation
Eagles Wings
$5,000Donation
Wonderland Camp Foundation
$5,000Donation
Sleep Heavenly Peace
$10,000Donation
Disabled Althetic Sports Assn
$10,000donation
TASK
$10,000Donation
Gateway to Great Outdoors
$8,000Donation
Eagles Wings
$7,500Donation
Kidsmart
$7,500Donation
Different Dynamics
$5,518Donation
STL Black Authors of Childrens Lit
$5,180Donation
Erin Eickmeier Foundation
$5,088Donation
Whole Kids Outreach
$5,000Donation
The Bennett Project
$5,000Donation
Boys Hope Girls Hope St Louis
$5,000Donation
Books for Newborns
$5,000Donation
Crisis Aid International
$5,000Donation
Assistance League of St Louis
$5,000Donation
Helmets First
$5,000Donation
Gateway Tykes on Trykes
$5,000Donation
KIPP Academy
$5,000Donation
Joshuas Great Things Foundation
$5,000Donation
