The David Koch Jr Foundation concentrates very large, targeted gifts to elite research universities and a small number of high-profile institutions, with a strong emphasis on kidney/medical research and support for elite private education. Grants fund named centers and major program initiatives rather than broad-based general operating support, and occasional gifts go to children's health and local anti-poverty work.
Very concentrated: handful of very large grants (multi‑million, single‑purpose gifts) to major institutions rather than many small awards; funding favors established universities and named-center philanthropy over general operating support.
A $12 million 2025 award to The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York for the David Koch Jr. Glomerular Kidney Center shows the foundation’s clearest priority: large, targeted support for kidney disease research at major institutions. The David Koch Jr Foundation follows that pattern with very large grants and a narrow set of recipients, pairing medical research with selective support for independent schools and children’s health organizations. Its recent grants include a $5 million general operating grant to The Allen-Stevenson School, a $1.5 million grant to Duke University, and a $500,000 grant to the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health. The grant list also includes a $25,000 award to the Robin Hood Foundation, indicating some place-based social services support alongside its larger institutional gifts. The foundation’s giving is highly concentrated rather than broad-based, and the recurring themes are named medical research centers, elite education, and targeted health-related philanthropy.
Kidney disease research is the most specific theme in the recent grants. The foundation gave $12 million to The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York for the David Koch Jr. Glomerular Kidney Center, and $1.5 million to Duke University for general operating support. Those gifts align with its focus on glomerular kidney disease, nephrology research, kidney disease treatment and clinical care, and renal diagnostics and patient services. Beyond medical research, the foundation also supports elite private education, illustrated by a $5 million general operating grant to The Allen-Stevenson School. Children’s health is another recurring area, reflected in a $500,000 grant to the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health. A smaller $25,000 grant to the Robin Hood Foundation shows a limited but present interest in New York City anti-poverty or social services work.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $5,000,000 at the 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile, which shows an unusually tight distribution around large commitments. Even with a small number of listed recent awards, the pattern is consistent: one major research gift, one major school gift, and a smaller set of additional institutional grants. The foundation is not a funder of individuals, and it does not make program-related investments. Its recent grants are all in the United States, and the data show a regional geographic scope rather than national breadth. The grants listed here are all from 2024 or 2025, so the recent record points to ongoing institutional support rather than one-off experimentation.
$14M
$9.7M
$610K
$14M
Most grants fall between $5M and $5M, with a median of $5M.
25th Percentile
$5M
Median
$5M
75th Percentile
$5M
About 0% of grants go to recipients in NY.
DAVID H KOCH JR
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Notable grantees: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York (David Koch Jr. Glomerular Kidney Center), Duke University, The Allen‑Stevenson School, Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health, Robin Hood Foundation
Recent grants land entirely in the United States. New York stands out as the top state by grant count, with recipients in New York, NY appearing more than once, including The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York and the Robin Hood Foundation. Other recipient cities in the list include Durham, NC, and Palo Alto, CA. The foundation’s Kansas headquarters does not appear in the recipient list, since 0% of grants went to recipients in KS. The distribution is regional, but the named grants show a strong pull toward New York institutions.
The typical grant size is $5,000,000 at the 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile. That narrow spread indicates the foundation usually writes grants at a very similar large scale rather than across a wide range of amounts.
Recent grants show a clear emphasis on kidney disease research, plus support for elite private education, children’s health, and a small amount of New York City anti-poverty work. The named medical research center grant is the clearest signal of the foundation’s core interests.
No. The foundation does not fund individuals, so its support is directed to organizations such as universities, schools, and nonprofit foundations.
By grant count, New York is the top state, with multiple recipients in New York, NY. Other recent grants go to Durham, NC, and Palo Alto, CA, while none of the listed grants go to recipients in Kansas.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $12,000,000 | 2025 | DAVID KOCH JR. GLOMERULAR KIDNEY CENTER |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $1,500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| LUCILE PACKARD FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN'S HEALTH | PALO ALTO, CA | $500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ROBIN HOOD FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE ALLEN-STEVENSON SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
DAVID KOCH JR. GLOMERULAR KIDNEY CENTER
GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT