About David H Koch Charitable Foundation
The David H. Koch Charitable Foundation concentrates its giving on science and STEM public institutions, with a dominant multi-million-dollar investment in a local science museum expansion. It also supports biomedical research and higher education, particularly pediatric inflammation research and university general operating funds. Grants are few but large and targeted, with a tendency to make repeat awards to signature beneficiaries.
Focus Areas
Science center/museum capital expansion (Cox Science Center and Aquarium)Pediatric inflammation / children's health researchUniversity general support (annual funds at major research universities)Cancer research funding (prostate cancer)
Who They Fund
general public / museum and aquarium visitorsschool-aged children and learners (informal education audiences)pediatric patients / children affected by inflammatory diseasesbiomedical researchers in pediatric inflammation
About David H Koch Charitable Foundation
David H Koch Charitable Foundation’s clearest recent pattern is a large, repeated commitment to Cox Science Center and Aquarium in West Palm Beach, including a $3,000,000 grant in 2023 for science center and aquarium expansion and a $2,000,000 grant in 2025 for general operating support. That pairing shows a mix of capital investment and ongoing institutional support rather than one-off project funding. The foundation also backs biomedical research and higher education with smaller but targeted awards, such as a $500,000 grant to the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health for a Pediatric Inflammation Research Fund. Its giving profile is institutional: grants go to museums, universities, health foundations, and research-oriented nonprofits, with a strong emphasis on science, medicine, and education. The recent record also includes support for Duke University and the Prostate Cancer Foundation, indicating that the foundation uses philanthropy to sustain both research infrastructure and specific research agendas. Grantmaking is selective, with relatively few awards and a concentration on organizations that can absorb sizable institutional funding.
What David H Koch Charitable Foundation Funds
Science center and aquarium work is a clear focus. The foundation gave $3,000,000 to Cox Science Center and Aquarium Inc for science center and aquarium expansion, then returned with $2,000,000 for general operating support. That combination suggests interest in both facilities and ongoing operations. In health research, the foundation supported pediatric inflammation through a $500,000 grant to the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health for a Pediatric Inflammation Research Fund. It also supported prostate cancer through a $100,000 grant to the Prostate Cancer Foundation for general operating support. Higher education appears as sustaining support rather than restricted program funding. Duke University received $100,000 for the Trinity Annual Fund for general operating purposes in 2024 and another $100,000 in 2023 for general support.
How David H Koch Charitable Foundation Gives
Typical grants are large: the 25th percentile is $100,000, the median is $300,000, and the 75th percentile is $1,125,000. The recent record shows a small number of substantial awards rather than many small ones. One recipient, Cox Science Center and Aquarium Inc, appears across multiple years with both capital and operating support, which points to repeat institutional funding. The foundation is a private charitable foundation and does not make program-related investments. It also does not accept unsolicited applications under the active grant programs listed.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$2.3M
Total Assets
$1.5M
Total Revenue
$154K
Total Expenses
$2.3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $100K and $1.1M, with a median of $300K.
25th Percentile
$100K
Median
$300K
75th Percentile
$1.1M
Geographic Reach
Regional3 states funded
About 0% of grants go to recipients in CA.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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