Jerry and Terri Kohl Foundation
/OVERVIEW: This funder prioritizes grantmaking in Los Angeles and its suburbs, particularly Pasadena and the Greater San Gabriel Valley. The arts is a primary funding area.
IP TAKE: The foundation does not have much of a web presence, and does not accept unsolicited proposals. Networking is key for getting on the radar of this funder.
PROFILE: The Jerry and Terri Kohl Foundation was established in 2007 by Jerry and Terri Kohl, founders of Brighton Collectibles, an accessories manufacturer and retailer headquartered in the Los Angeles area. Jerry and Terri Kohl opened Brighton Collectibles in 1991. The company is headquartered in the City of Industry. The Kohls have been involved in philanthropy for a while, but they used to practice what they described to the Los Angeles Times as "friends of and family philanthropy." This changed when the Kohls launched a family foundation with $10 million. They are especially passionate about the arts and this is reflected in their giving through their family foundation.
Grants for Arts and Culture and Arts Education
In past years, the couple made a $1 million challenge grant to Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Recent grantees via their foundation include American Contemporary Ballet, Hammer Museum, Colony Theatre Company in Burbank, Festival of Arts Laguna Beach, LAXART, Los Angeles Opera Company, Pasadena Music Conservatory, MOCA, and Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, which recently received a $180,000 grant. Kohl also gave the Los Angeles Opera a $5 million challenge gift in 2021 to help offset some of the impact from the coronavirus pandemic.
Another important arts grantee here is MUSE/IQUE, a nonprofit "counter-conventional orchestra founded in 2011 by community leaders to create newly imagined avenues of access to classical and live music performance for everybody in our community." The couple also funded a benefit concert with MUSE/IQUE which supported Union Station Homeless Services, a social services agency in San Gabriel Valley.
The Kohls strong interest in the arts is also reflected in their education philanthropy in Los Angeles. They have recently supported organizations like ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, Otis College of Art & Design in Westchester, Pasadena Conservatory of Music, Pasadena City College Foundation, where a recent grant supported the purchase of band uniforms, and Pasadena Educational Foundation, where a recent grant supported arts programs.
Grants for Public Health and Access
The couple's health philanthropy in Los Angeles prioritizes cancer organizations. Recent grantees include Cancer Support Community Redondo Beach, cancer hospital City of Hope, and Concern Foundation for Cancer Research. The Kohls have been involved in this work for a while now and Brighton Collectibles supports breast cancer research, too. The couple has also recently supported Pasadena Hospital Association, the recipient of a recent $125,000 grant from the couple via their foundation for a robotics project. The foundation gave $7,000,000 to Huntington Hospital in 2019.
Grants for Jewish Causes
The Kohls have been a steady supporters of Jewish causes in Los Angeles, too. They have supported organizations like Jewish Federation of the Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys, and Jewish Vocational Service (JVS). A recent grant to JVS supported the organization's WoMentoring program, a provider of career counseling, workshops, computer classes, and job related resources.
Important Grant Details
Grant amounts range from $500 to $250,000, but most grants average around $25,000. The foundation does not have much of a web presence and does not accept unsolicited proposals or requests for funding.
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CONTACT:
The Jerry and Terri Kohl Foundation does not provide a clear avenue for getting in touch with the couple but below is an address:
Jerry and Terri Kohl Family Foundation
501 Silverside Rd., Ste. 123
Wilmington, DE 19809
