Ric & Suzanne Kayne Foundation
ActiveMutual & Membership BenefitFunds Individuals
About Ric & Suzanne Kayne Foundation
The RIC & SUZANNE KAYNE FOUNDATION concentrates its giving in Los Angeles-area education and youth opportunity programs, with a particular emphasis on college access and scholarship pipelines. It also supports higher education endowments, civic initiatives, and local cultural/media institutions, often using a discretionary “Kayne Opportunity Fund” to seed or sustain programs. The foundation favors programmatic investments that connect underserved students to postsecondary pathways and strengthens local civic infrastructure and anti-hate efforts.
Focus Areas
K-12 to college pipeline / college access scholarship programs (Kayne Scholars network)Endowed academic leadership at local universities (chairs and higher-education grants, e.g., UCLA)Los Angeles civic and municipal capacity-building (Mayor's Fund and regional grantmakers)Youth-focused charter and community schools in Los Angeles (e.g., Camino Nuevo)Local public media and cultural organizations (e.g., KCRW) and anti-hate / community safety initiatives
Who They Fund
postsecondary students (college and graduate students)
About Ric & Suzanne Kayne Foundation
A defining feature of the Ric & Suzanne Kayne Foundation is its long-running support for the Kayne Scholars pipeline, including a $1,023,427 grant to Ready to Succeed in 2024 for recruiting affiliates and a $1,023,027 grant in 2023 for the prior grant period. That scholarship pathway sits alongside another major line of giving: higher-education support at UCLA, where the foundation gave $1,000,000 in 2024 for the Ric & Suzanne Kayne Chair at UCLA Anderson School of Management and $500,000 in 2023 for the Kayne Investment Management Specialization Program Fund. The foundation also uses discretionary funding to back local civic and community efforts through the Kayne Opportunity Fund. In 2025, that included grants to the Steinberg Institute, KCRW Foundation, Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, The Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles, and Imagine Los Angeles. Its recent grants show a mix of large, program-specific commitments and smaller community grants, with support directed to education, youth opportunity, arts and culture, and community resilience. It also funds individuals through scholarships and fellowships, extending its education focus beyond organizational grants.
What Ric & Suzanne Kayne Foundation Funds
Education and postsecondary access are central to the foundation’s giving. The Kayne Scholars line includes $1,023,427 to Ready to Succeed in 2024 for recruiting affiliates and $234,246 to the same organization in 2023 for a prior grant period, indicating sustained support for college access infrastructure. Higher education is another clear theme. The UCLA Foundation received $1,000,000 in 2024 for the Ric & Suzanne Kayne Chair at UCLA Anderson School of Management, following a $500,000 grant in 2023 for the Ric & Suzanne Kayne Investment Management Specialization Program Fund. That pattern points to support for academic leadership and business education. The foundation’s community-oriented grants also reach youth and civic organizations. Examples include $120,000 to Camino Nuevo Charter Academy and $100,000 to The Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles, both through the Kayne Opportunity Fund, which is oriented toward positive youth development and economic mobility.
How Ric & Suzanne Kayne Foundation Gives
Typical grant size is modest at the low end and much larger at the high end, with a p25 of $480, a median of $5,000, and a p75 of $79,580. The recent-gifts list shows both multi-year commitments and one-off discretionary awards: Ready to Succeed appears in multiple years, while many 2025 grants are single-year allocations. The foundation operates with distinct programs, including general grantmaking, scholarships, and the Kayne Opportunity Fund. It also funds individuals through scholarships and fellowships, alongside nonprofit grants. No unsolicited application process is indicated in the provided data.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$2.9M
Total Assets
$13.3M
Total Revenue
$2.7M
Total Expenses
$3.5M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $480 and $80K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$480
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$80K
Geographic Reach
Local7 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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