Warren B. Kanders Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Warren B. Kanders Foundation and the Kanders Foundation are the philanthropic vehicles of Warren Kanders. These vehicles fund funds grantmaking related to the arts, Jewish causes, health and education.

IP TAKE: These foundations lacks transparency, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities. The Warren B. Kanders Foundation may be in spend down mode, as giving has dwindled over the past several years. Most grants, it appears, stem from the newer Kanders Foundation, which shares an address and phone number with its sister organizations. In either case, it will be hard to break in here without a connection to the Kander family. Grantmaking prioritizes New York.

PROFILE: Established in 1994, the Warren B. Kanders Foundation was established by businessman Warren Kanders, majority owner of Safariland LLC, a global defense manufacturer based in Jacksonville, Florida. The foundation lacks transparency, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities. According to tax filings, the Warren B. Kanders Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to the arts and Jewish causes. It also earmarks funds for other causes like education and health. Tax filings suggest a strong interest in the New York City area.

Grants for Arts and Culture

Warren Kanders and and his wife, Allison, are avid art collectors, owning work by contemporary artists like Jeff Koons, Christopher Wool, Rudolf Stingel and Ed Ruscha. The couple has provided ongoing support to New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art. Kanders served as vice chair of the board of the Whitney, but resigned after months of highly publicized criticism about how his company’s law enforcement supplies are used against people around the world. Other grantees from the world of visual arts include the Aspen Art Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Armory Art Center in Florida.

Grants for Jewish Causes

Neither the Warren B. Kanders Foundation nor the Kanders Foundation names specific goals for its Jewish giving, yet a significant portion of these funders’ grants support Jewish organizations. Grantees include New York City’s Central Synagogue, the Jewish Museum, Temple Shalom in Greenwich, Connecticut and and the National Yiddish Book Center.

Grants for Education

Kanders’ education grantmaking mainly supports higher education. The Kanders Foundations have given to Cornell University, Palm Beach State College, the Hebrew University in Israel and the University of Pennsylvania. K-12 grants, which tend to be smaller, have supported New York City’s Brearly School, the Chapin School and the Mountain School in Vershire, Vermont.

Grants for Public Health and Diseases

Health appears to be an interest for both of Kander’s foundations, although giving is limited to just a few grants each year. In recent years, grants have gone to the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, the Concussion Legacy Foundation and the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

Important Grant Details

According to recent tax filings for both foundations, the Kanders Foundation makes about $400,000 a year and the Warren B. Kanders Foundation makes around $20,000 in grants. Giving that stems from the Warren B. Kanders Foundation has declined significantly over the past several years, suggesting that this vehicle may be winding down its operations.

Neither Kanders foundation accepts unsolicited applications for funding. The foundations share a single address and phone number, which are provided below.

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CONTACT:

Warren B. Kanders Foundation/Kanders Foundation
2100 S. Ocean Blvd, Suite 302 North
Palm Beach, FL 33480

(561) 585-4726