KBIH Foundation directs most of its funding to education and place-based community organizations, with a notable secondary emphasis on environmental and watershed protection. The foundation makes repeated, mid-to-large-sized grants to a small set of recurring grantees (including public university foundations and regional nonprofits), and shows a particular interest in Hawaiian community groups and alternative K–12 education models.
Concentrated, mid-size giving with repeat multi-grant relationships: a small number of organizations receive multiple sizeable awards rather than many one-off small grants. Grants split between higher education foundations and place-based nonprofits across several states, with both unrestricted program support and institutional giving.
Kbih Foundation Inc (f/k/a Kranberg-harris Foundation Inc) shows a clear pattern of repeated support for a small group of organizations, with grants often landing at the same $40,000 level and occasionally rising to larger awards. Its recent giving includes a $90,000 grant to State University of Iowa Foundation to further the recipient’s exempt purpose, alongside continued support for University of Illinois Foundation in multiple years. The foundation also backs place-based organizations tied to environmental and community work, such as Superior Watershed Partnership in Marquette and Maui Tomorrow Foundation in Wailuku. A second thread in the record is support for alternative education, reflected in a grant to Sacramento Waldorf School Association Inc. The recurring appearances of several recipients suggest a relationship-driven grantmaking pattern rather than one-off awards. Across the recent grants list, the foundation’s portfolio combines public higher-education support, watershed and conservation work, and community organizations in Hawaii, with most grants made to U.S.-based recipients.
In higher education, the foundation funded State University of Iowa Foundation with $90,000 to further the recipient’s exempt purpose, and it also gave $40,000 grants to University of Illinois Foundation and University of Illinois. Environmental and watershed protection is another clear theme: Superior Watershed Partnership received $50,000 in 2025 and $40,000 in 2023 and 2024. The foundation also supported Hawaii-based community advocacy and services through Maui Tomorrow Foundation, with grants of $50,000 in 2025, $40,000 in 2024, and $40,000 in 2023, plus a $40,000 grant to Na Keiki O Emalia in Wailuku. Education outside the public-university setting appears in a $40,000 grant to Sacramento Waldorf School Association Inc.
Typical grants cluster tightly at $40,000, with the 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile all at $40,000. One larger outlier in the recent record is the $90,000 grant to a university foundation. The grant list shows repeat awards to the same recipients across 2023, 2024, and 2025, which points to ongoing relationships rather than isolated gifts. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Available data indicates a national giving scope, with grants concentrated among a recurring set of organizations.
$185K
$2.6M
$199K
$237K
Most grants fall between $40K and $40K, with a median of $40K.
25th Percentile
$40K
Median
$40K
75th Percentile
$40K
About 21% of grants go to recipients in HI.
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Notable grantees: Superior Watershed Partnership, Maui Tomorrow Foundation, State University of Iowa Foundation, University of Illinois Foundation, Sacramento Waldorf School Association
All recent grants in the dataset went to U.S. recipients. Giving is spread across several states, with Michigan appearing most often by grant count. Illinois accounts for 20% of grants to recipients in the HQ state, while Iowa, Hawaii, Virginia, and California also appear in the recent list. Specific recipient cities include Marquette, Wailuku, Urbana, Iowa City, Alexandria, and Fair Oaks, showing a mix of Midwest, West Coast, and Hawaii-based grant destinations.
The recent record centers on education and place-based community organizations, especially public university support, watershed and environmental conservation, Hawaii community advocacy and cultural or children’s services, and alternative K–12 education. The named recipients tied to those themes recur across multiple years, which suggests sustained support in a few core areas.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years. Superior Watershed Partnership, Maui Tomorrow Foundation, and University of Illinois Foundation each received more than one grant in the recent data, with some organizations appearing in 2023, 2024, and 2025. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is very tight: the 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile are all $40,000. The recent record also includes a larger $90,000 award, but most listed grants sit at the same $40,000 level.
By grant count, Michigan is the top state, even though the foundation’s headquarters are in Chicago, Illinois. The recent grants list includes multiple Michigan recipients, especially in Marquette, and the overall country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
No. The provided foundation data indicates that it does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The recent grants record instead shows organizational grants to universities, environmental nonprofits, and community groups.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUPERIOR WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP | MARQUETTE, MI | $40,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT |
| STATE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA FOUNDATION | IOWA CITY, IA | $40,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT |
| UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS FOUNDATION | URBANA, IL | $40,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT |
| MAUI TOMORROW FOUNDATION | WAILUKU, HI | $40,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT |
| MATTER OF TRUST | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT |
| SUPERIOR WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP | MARQUETTE, MI | $50,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT |
| MAUI TOMORROW FOUNDATION | WAILUKU, HI | $50,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT |
| SACRAMENTO WALDORF SCHOOL ASSOCIATION INC | FAIR OAKS, CA | $40,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT |
| UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS FOUNDATION | URBANA, IL | $40,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT |
| STATE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA FOUNDATION | IOWA CITY, IA | $90,000 | 2024 | TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT |
| CHARITIES AID FOUNDATION | ALEXANDRIA, VA | $43,478 | 2024 | TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT |
| NA KEIKI O EMALIA | WAILUKU, HI | $40,000 | 2024 | TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT |
| MAUI TOMORROW FOUNDATION | WAILUKU, HI | $40,000 | 2024 | TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT |
| SUPERIOR WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP | MARQUETTE, MI | $40,000 | 2024 | TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT |
| UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS FOUNDATION | URBANA, IL | $40,000 | 2024 | TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT |
| SUPERIOR WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP | MARQUETTE, MI | $40,000 | 2023 | TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT |
| MAUI TOMORROW FOUNDATION | WAILUKU, HI | $40,000 | 2023 | TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT |
| CHARITIES AID FOUNDATION | ALEXANDRIA, VA | $40,000 | 2023 | TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT |
| UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS | URBANA, IL | $40,000 | 2023 | TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT |
MAUI TOMORROW FOUNDATION
$40,000TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT
MATTER OF TRUST
$25,000TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT
TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT
MAUI TOMORROW FOUNDATION
$50,000TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT
SACRAMENTO WALDORF SCHOOL ASSOCIATION INC
$40,000TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT
NA KEIKI O EMALIA
$40,000TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT
MAUI TOMORROW FOUNDATION
$40,000TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT
MAUI TOMORROW FOUNDATION
$40,000TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
$40,000TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE OF RECIPIENT