Grant funders / Kentucky / Higher Education
Higher Education Grant Funders in Kentucky
639 foundations with a documented higher education focus have made grants to Kentucky nonprofits in recent years, together directing $439.5M to organizations across the state. Below are the most active — every funder links to a full giving profile, and Bespoke Grants will match all 639 against your nonprofit's specific mission, for free.
639
Higher education funders
$439.5M
Given to Kentucky nonprofits
7,270
Grants on record
2025
Most recent giving
Most active higher education funders in Kentucky
| # | Funder | Based in | Total Kentucky giving | Grants | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Kentucky Research Foundation | Kentucky | $181.7M | 5 | 2023 |
| 2 | Murray State University Foundation Inc | Kentucky | $27.0M | 6 | 2025 |
| 3 | Trinity High School Foundation | Kentucky | $23.1M | 7 | 2025 |
| 4 | Eastern Kentucky University Foundation | Kentucky | $19.8M | 5 | 2023 |
| 5 | Morehead State University Foundation | Kentucky | $17.4M | 6 | 2025 |
| 6 | U of L Health - Louisville Inc | Kentucky | $10.2M | 3 | 2024 |
| 7 | University of Kentucky Markey | Kentucky | $9.7M | 7 | 2024 |
| 8 | Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence Inc | Kentucky | $9.2M | 15 | 2024 |
| 9 | The Mustard Seed Foundation | Kentucky | $8.4M | 5 | 2024 |
| 10 | Jefferson Community Technical College | Kentucky | $6.2M | 12 | 2025 |
| 11 | The Community Foundation of Louisville | Kentucky | $5.7M | 56 | 2024 |
| 12 | University of Louisville Trust | Pennsylvania | $5.2M | 4 | 2025 |
| 13 | C E and S Foundation Inc | Kentucky | $4.5M | 14 | 2024 |
| 14 | J Rogers Badgett Sr Foundation Inc | Kentucky | $4.1M | 50 | 2024 |
| 15 | The Rogers Foundation | Nevada | $4.0M | 8 | 2024 |
This list is ranked by size. Yours should be ranked by fit.
The funders above are the biggest higher education funders in Kentucky — not necessarily the right ones for you. Bespoke Grants ranks all 639 against your nonprofit's actual mission, service area, and budget, and shows you why each one matches. Free, no credit card.
Rank these funders for my nonprofit →Higher Education funders in other states
Other causes funded in Kentucky
How this list is built. Bespoke Grants indexes 13M+ grants from public IRS Form 990 filings. This page shows foundations whose giving carries a documented higher education focus and that have funded Kentucky nonprofits. Giving figures reflect each funder's total recent grants to Kentucky recipients. IRS data publishes on a 1–2 year lag; figures are current through the most recent available filings.