The Kanas Family Foundation concentrates its giving on a small number of large institutional gifts serving Long Island and nearby New York communities, primarily in private education and regional health care. Most dollars go to independent schools and higher education, with a significant single commitment to a local medical center. The foundation makes a few substantial grants each cycle and shows willingness to repeat funding to favored institutions.
Highly concentrated giving: very few grants but large dollar amounts, including repeated awards to the same grantee(s); regionally focused on Long Island/New York institutions.
John & Elaine Kanas Family Foundation C/o Kanas Companies LLC centers its giving on a small set of larger institutional grants, with a 2024 award of $1,202,500 to Stony Brook School and $660,000 to Long Island University. A third major grant that year went to Peconic Bay Medical Center Foundation for $611,800, showing that the foundation’s largest commitments are split between private education and regional health care. The pattern is consistent with earlier gifts: Stony Brook School received $300,000 in 2023, Long Island University received $180,000, and Peconic Bay Medical Center Foundation received $115,000. Those repeated awards suggest a preference for continuing support to selected institutions rather than one-time gifts. Beyond the largest checks, the foundation also funds community-serving organizations on Long Island, including East Hampton, Riverhead, Westhampton Beach, and Middle Island groups. Its public grant record shows a mix of schools, hospitals, legal education, libraries, community centers, and other exempt-purpose organizations, with most activity concentrated in New York recipients.
Independent and private education appears to be a core theme. The foundation gave $1,202,500 to Stony Brook School in 2024 and $300,000 in 2023, both for the donee’s exempt purpose. Higher education also receives sustained support: Long Island University was awarded $660,000 in 2024 and $180,000 in 2023. Health care is another clear lane, with Peconic Bay Medical Center Foundation receiving $611,800 in 2024 and $115,000 in 2023. Smaller grants show additional community interests, including $80,000 to Family Service League in East Hampton and $42,000 to East End Hospice in West Hampton Beach in 2023. The foundation also backed East End Hospice again with $30,500 in 2024.
Typical grants are modest relative to the foundation’s biggest awards: the p25 size is $738, the median is $2,750, and the p75 is $9,750. That spread sits alongside a handful of much larger institutional grants, indicating a two-tier pattern of many smaller awards and a few substantial commitments. The same organizations recur across years, including Stony Brook School, Long Island University, Peconic Bay Medical Center Foundation, Family Service League, East End Hospice, New Beginnings Community Center, and Rico Memorial Fund. The foundation does not fund individuals and makes no program-related investments. Grants in the record are listed as for the donee’s exempt purpose, consistent with flexible, mission-aligned support.
$2.7M
$31.6M
$1.6M
$2.8M
Most grants fall between $738 and $10K, with a median of $3K.
25th Percentile
$738
Median
$3K
75th Percentile
$10K
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Notable grantees: Stony Brook School, Long Island University, Peconic Bay Medical Center Foundation
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly New York-based: 77% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s top state by grant count, and all listed grants in the recent sample are in the United States. The strongest clusters are on Long Island, especially Stony Brook, Brookville, Riverhead, East Hampton, West Hampton Beach, Middle Island, East Moriches, and Southampton. New York City also appears through recipients in Brooklyn and New York, NY. Outside New York, the sample includes one grant to Boone, North Carolina and one to Westminster, Colorado.
The largest grants in the record go to independent education, higher education, and regional health care. Stony Brook School, Long Island University, and Peconic Bay Medical Center Foundation account for the biggest recent awards, while smaller gifts also reach libraries, community centers, hospice, legal education, and service organizations.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Stony Brook School, Long Island University, Peconic Bay Medical Center Foundation, Family Service League, East End Hospice, New Beginnings Community Center, and Rico Memorial Fund. That pattern suggests repeat funding for selected institutions.
The reported grant-size distribution is p25 $738, median $2,750, and p75 $9,750. The foundation also makes occasional much larger awards, including six-figure grants to education and health-care institutions.
New York is the top state by grant count, and 77% of grants go to recipients in New York. The recent record is concentrated on Long Island communities such as Stony Brook, Riverhead, East Hampton, West Hampton Beach, and Middle Island.
No. The foundation’s profile indicates it does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STONY BROOK SCHOOL | STONY BROOK, NY | $1,202,500 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY | BROOKVILLE, NY | $660,000 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| PECONIC BAY MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION | RIVERHEAD, NY | $611,800 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| CITY ON THE HILL COMMUNITY CHEST | MIDDLE ISLAND, NY | $75,500 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| FAMILY SERVICE LEAGUE | EAST HAMPTON, NY | $40,000 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| EAST END HOSPICE | WEST HAMPTON BEACH, NY | $30,500 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| RICO MEMORIAL FUND | EAST MORICHES, NY | $5,500 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| WESTHAMPTON FREE LIBRARY | WEST HAMPTON BEACH, NY | $5,100 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| 9-11 MEMORIAL MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| NEW BEGINNINGS COMMUNITY CENTER | RIVERHEAD, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| ALS FOUNDATION GREATER NY | NEW YORK, NY | $3,600 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| MORICHES BAY PROJECT | WEST HAMPTON BEACH, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| SOUNDVIEW PREGNANCY SERVICES | CENTEREACH, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| HOLY TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH | NEW YORK, NY | $2,000 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| VFW POST 5350 | WEST HAMPTON BEACH, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| FOUNDATION FOR WILDLIFE SUSTAINABILITY | MANORVILLE, NY | $750 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| WESTHAMPTON PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | WEST HAMPTON BEACH, NY | $500 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| LONGWOOD ATHLETIC CLUB | SARASOTA, FL | $500 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| SEATUCK COVE ROTARY | SEATUCK COVE, NY | $500 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| KIND KEEPER ANIMAL RESCUE | NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC | $500 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| COMMUNITY FAMILY LITERACY PROJECT | SHIRLEY, NY | $500 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| STONY BROOK SCHOOL | STONY BROOK, NY | $300,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY | BROOKLYN, NY | $180,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| PECONIC BAY MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION | RIVERHEAD, NY | $115,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| FAMILY SERVICE LEAGUE | EAST HAMPTON, NY | $80,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| CITY ON THE HILL | MIDDLE ISLAND, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| EAST END HOSPICE | WEST HAMPTON BEACH, NY | $42,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| FIRST TEE NEW YORK | BRONX, NY | $15,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| FRIENDS OF WEST HAMPTON FREE LIBRARY | WEST HAMPTON BEACH, NY | $8,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| RICO MEMORIAL FUND | EAST MORICHES, NY | $5,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| EASTERN LONG ISLAND HOSPITAL | GREENPORT, NY | $5,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| MAURICE A DEANE SCHOOL OF LAW | HEMPSTEAD, NY | $5,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| NEW BEGINNINGS COMMUNITY CENTER | RIVERHEAD, NY | $5,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH | EAST MORICHES, NY | $4,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| ALS ASSOCIATION CHAPTER | WESTMINSTER, CO | $3,400 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| HONORS FLIGHT LONG ISLAND | SOUTHAMPTON, NY | $3,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| MORICHES BAY PROJECTS | WEST HAMPTON BEACH, NY | $2,500 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| SAMARITAN'S PURSE | BOONE, NC | $2,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| MORICHES COMMUNITY CENTER | CENTER MORICHES, NY | $1,500 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| RAPHAEL MEDICAL CENTER | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $1,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION | DENVER, CO | $1,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| LISA FOUNDATION | FRANKENMUTH, MI | $1,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| FRIENDS ACADEMY | LOCUST VALLEY, NY | $1,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| VFW POST 6249 | ROCKY POINT, NY | $1,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| PRISON FELLOWSHIP | LANSDOWNE, VA | $700 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| BOOMER ESIASON FOUNDATION | BETHESDA, MD | $600 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| COMMUNITY FAMILY LITERACY | DENVER, CO | $500 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| VFW POST 5350 | WEST HAMPTON BEACH, NY | $500 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| SEATUCK COVE ROTARY | SEATUCK COVE, NY | $500 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| LONGWOOD ATHLETIC BOOSTER CLUB | SARASOTA, FL | $500 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY
$660,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
PECONIC BAY MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION
$611,800FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
CITY ON THE HILL COMMUNITY CHEST
$75,500FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
FAMILY SERVICE LEAGUE
$40,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
RICO MEMORIAL FUND
$5,500FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
WESTHAMPTON FREE LIBRARY
$5,100FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
9-11 MEMORIAL MUSEUM
$5,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
NEW BEGINNINGS COMMUNITY CENTER
$5,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
ALS FOUNDATION GREATER NY
$3,600FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
MORICHES BAY PROJECT
$2,500FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
SOUNDVIEW PREGNANCY SERVICES
$2,500FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
HOLY TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH
$2,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
VFW POST 5350
$1,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
FOUNDATION FOR WILDLIFE SUSTAINABILITY
$750FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
WESTHAMPTON PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
$500FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
LONGWOOD ATHLETIC CLUB
$500FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
SEATUCK COVE ROTARY
$500FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
KIND KEEPER ANIMAL RESCUE
$500FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
COMMUNITY FAMILY LITERACY PROJECT
$500FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY
$180,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
PECONIC BAY MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION
$115,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
FAMILY SERVICE LEAGUE
$80,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
CITY ON THE HILL
$50,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
FRIENDS OF WEST HAMPTON FREE LIBRARY
$8,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
RICO MEMORIAL FUND
$5,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
EASTERN LONG ISLAND HOSPITAL
$5,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
NEW BEGINNINGS COMMUNITY CENTER
$5,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH
$4,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
ALS ASSOCIATION CHAPTER
$3,400FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
HONORS FLIGHT LONG ISLAND
$3,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
MORICHES BAY PROJECTS
$2,500FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
MORICHES COMMUNITY CENTER
$1,500FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
RAPHAEL MEDICAL CENTER
$1,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
LISA FOUNDATION
$1,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
VFW POST 6249
$1,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
PRISON FELLOWSHIP
$700FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
COMMUNITY FAMILY LITERACY
$500FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
VFW POST 5350
$500FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
SEATUCK COVE ROTARY
$500FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
LONGWOOD ATHLETIC BOOSTER CLUB
$500FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE