Penner Family Foundation Inc

BENTONVILLE, AR EIN: 81-0831228

The Penner Family Foundation Inc is a private grantmaking foundation located in Bentonville, Arkansas. Established in 2015, it is a 501(c)(3) organization that has grown into a significant philanthropic entity with substantial financial resources. The foundation does not maintain a public website and operates with limited public disclosure of its specific funding priorities.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$97.3M

-18.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$31.3M

+8.5% YoY

Grant Count

82

+6.5% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$382K

+1.9% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation supports a diverse range of causes without a formally specified focus area. However, recent grantmaking activity indicates support for higher education and education-related initiatives, as evidenced by major grants to universities and educational organizations.

Grantmaking

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and operates on an invite-only basis.

Grant Range

$1,000 to $9,000,000

Average Grant

Varies by year

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation funds organizations across multiple states, including California, Colorado, New York, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin. It has supported both major urban centers and smaller communities.

Grant Distribution by State

17states
+9 more states

Cities

AlexandriaAlpharettaArlingtonArlington VaAspenAthertonBelmontBerkeleyBoulderBrooklynByfieldCamp PendletonColorado SpringsConcordDallasDeerfieldDenverGlenwood SpringsHillsboroughHonolulu

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets:

  • $97,278,509 (as of December 2024)
  • $118.7 million to $144.8 million (varies by reporting source and fiscal year)

Annual Activity:

  • Total giving (2024): $31,313,738
  • Total expenses (2024): $32,329,858
  • Revenue (2024): $10,886,348
  • Giving rate: Approximately 22.6% of assets

Tax Status:

  • Tax-exempt since January 2017
  • EIN: 81-0831228
  • Form 990-PF filer
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$9M$18M$27M$36M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$97,278,509$118,722,019$144,796,399
Revenue$10,886,348$3,892,554$15,459,133
Expenses$32,329,858$29,966,934$16,770,556
Qualifying Distributions$31,657,575$29,005,368$15,702,720
Net Investment Income$10,214,119$3,956,177$14,515,842
Distributable Amount$6,505,918$7,344,840$7,302,246

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$8M$16M$23M$31M73 grants202078 grants202176 grants202277 grants202382 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Brown University$9.0MKIPP Foundation$5.0MBrown University$2.0MBrown University$2.0MMeadows Mental Health Po…$1.0MBorn This Way Foundation$600Kjust keep livin Foundation$500KMonterey Peninsula Found…$450KEntitlements How Inc$250KAfrican American Communi…$50K

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

188<$50K16$50–100K5$100–250K10$250–500K11$500K–1M16$1–5M4$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

  • Carrie W Penner – Director, President
  • Gregory B Penner – Director, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer
  • Erron Smith – Assistant Secretary
  • Luke Mitchell – Assistant Treasurer (as of December 15, 2023)
  • Robert A Smith – Assistant Treasurer (until December 15, 2023)

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

No officer/director data available.

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The foundation has made significant commitments to higher education institutions in recent years, including major pledges to Brown University, Stanford University, Georgetown University, and Howard University. The foundation's grantmaking demonstrates a focus on educational access, athletic facilities, and educational leadership programs.

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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