About Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation
The Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation concentrates substantial, targeted gifts to a small set of organizations focused on children’s health, rare disease support, and adaptive sports, with a strong local San Diego emphasis alongside a few faith-based/international commitments. They favor general operating support to repeat grantees and organizations that provide medical care, specialized education, or disability services. Large, multi-grant investments in a handful of organizations distinguish their portfolio from broad, small-dollar giving.
Focus Areas
Alport Syndrome research and patient support / rare kidney disease advocacyAdaptive sports and rehabilitation programs for athletes with disabilitiesPediatric healthcare and hospital support in San DiegoK-12 specialized education for vulnerable children (e.g., Monarch School for homeless youth)Faith-based women’s ministry / international Christian programming (Captivating International)
Who They Fund
pediatric patients and familiespeople with rare kidney diseases / Alport Syndrome patients
About Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation
A defining feature of the Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation’s giving is its concentration on a small set of organizations working in children’s health, rare disease support, and adaptive sports. In 2024 and 2025, it made repeated six-figure general-support grants to Challenged Athletes Foundation, Alport Syndrome Foundation Inc, and Rady’s Children’s Hospital, showing a pattern of multi-year backing rather than one-off gifts. Those grants sit alongside support for San Diego-based institutions and selected education and community organizations, including The Monarch School and the Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition. The foundation’s portfolio also includes specialized medical and disability-related organizations such as Curebound, City of Hope, and Burn Institute. Its grantmaking is clearly relationship-driven: several recipients appear more than once, often at large amounts, and the awards are consistently framed as general support. The result is a compact grantmaking profile centered on a few high-priority causes rather than a broad array of small grants. Across the recent grants listed, the foundation’s funding pattern points to sustained commitments to organizations serving children, patients with complex health needs, and people with disabilities.
What Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation Funds
In adaptive sports and rehabilitation, the foundation gave $600,000 to Challenged Athletes Foundation in 2024 and another $400,000 in 2025, both as general support. In rare disease advocacy, it awarded $500,000 and $400,000 to Alport Syndrome Foundation Inc, reinforcing a repeated commitment to Alport Syndrome research and patient support. Pediatric healthcare is another clear thread: Rady’s Children’s Hospital received $310,000 in 2024 and $300,000 in 2025. The foundation also supports specialized education and vulnerable youth through The Monarch School, with grants of $200,000 in 2024 and $60,000 in 2025. Beyond those areas, its recent grants include faith-based international programming through Captivating International and community-serving work through Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition.
How Kenneth Whalen Family Foundation Gives
Typical grants are sizable: the recent distribution shows a p25 of $55,000, a median of $101,000, and a p75 of $300,000. The foundation gives through a concentrated model, with repeat awards to the same organizations across 2024 and 2025 rather than many one-time relationships. Recent grants are almost entirely listed as general support. The foundation is not structured as a donor-advised fund in the supplied data, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.6M
Total Assets
$38.9M
Total Revenue
$1.5M
Total Expenses
$1.8M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $55K and $300K, with a median of $101K.
25th Percentile
$55K
Median
$101K
75th Percentile
$300K
Geographic Reach
Regional3 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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