International giving · Africa
Which US foundations give to Kenya?
US foundations sent $1.5B to organizations in Kenya across 4,503 grants, from 390 different funders. Read from IRS 990 filings.
The short version
- 390 US foundations have made grants to Kenya, totaling $1.5B across 4,503 grants on record.
- GATES FOUNDATION (WA) is the largest US funder of Kenya organizations, with $948M.
- That is about $26.02 per resident across all years on file, for a country the World Bank classes as lower middle income.
- SEEDS OF CHANGE FOUNDATION is the most Kenya-focused funder, directing 94% of its overseas giving here.
- US giving to Kenya has fallen over the filing years on record.
The biggest funders, year by year
Each top funder of Kenya with its total, and how that giving falls across the filing years — darker means more.
| '17 | '18 | '19 | '20 | '21 | '22 | '23 | '24 | '25* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GATES FOUNDATION$948M | |||||||||
| THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION$80M | |||||||||
| THE WILLIAM & FLORA HEWLETT FOUNDATION$69M | |||||||||
| THE FORD FOUNDATION$59M | |||||||||
| WELLSPRING PHILANTHROPIC FUND INC$48M | |||||||||
| CONRAD N HILTON FOUNDATION$39M | |||||||||
| THE SUSAN THOMPSON BUFFETT FOUNDATION$30M | |||||||||
| FOUNDATION TO PROMOTE OPEN SOCIETY$14M | |||||||||
| SEEDS OF CHANGE FOUNDATION$12M | |||||||||
| CARNEGIE CORPORATION OF NEW YORK$11M | |||||||||
| SEGAL FAMILY FOUNDATION INC$10M | |||||||||
| THE BLOOMBERG FAMILY FOUNDATION INC$8M |
* 2025 onward is still arriving — 990s lag 12–24 months, so the most recent years under-report.
Top US funders of Kenya
Kenya's dedicated funders
Foundations that send most of their overseas money to Kenya — the specialists, not just the biggest checks.
What the money funds
By the kind of organization receiving the money — universities, hospitals, research institutes, and so on.
92 recipients
47 recipients
21 recipients
114 recipients
75 recipients
26 recipients
41 recipients
36 recipients
Largest recipients in Kenya
Spelling, accent, abbreviation, and language variants of the same organization are merged into one recipient. Organizations abroad have no US EIN, so this resolution is best-effort.
2 US funders · 58 grants
1 US funder · 39 grants
4 US funders · 53 grants
2 US funders · 31 grants
9 US funders · 74 grants
1 US funder · 27 grants
A further $77k across 3 grants went to recipients the filings name only in the aggregate (“various”, “multiple organizations”, and the like), so they can’t be attributed to a single organization.
Who funds whom
The largest funder-to-recipient ties — which US foundation backs which organization in Kenya.
Where the funders are
The US states home to the foundations giving to Kenya, shaded by dollars granted. Click a state.
Notable grants
The largest individual grants to Kenya on record.
Questions and answers
- Which US foundation gives the most to Kenya?
- GATES FOUNDATION is the largest US funder of Kenya organizations on record, with $948M across 691 grants.
- How much do US foundations give to Kenya?
- 390 US foundations have granted a combined $1.5B to organizations in Kenya across 4,503 grants in the IRS filings on record, about $26.02 per resident.
- What do US foundations fund in Kenya?
- The largest areas are health & medicine, research & science, food, water & agriculture, by the kind of organization receiving the money.