John Krakauer Charitable Trust

Mission

To support programs of 501(c)(3) public charities that have a measurable impact on people's lives, with a focus on education, health, and human services in the Southern Nevada region or the San Diego area.

Annual application deadlines

February 28

Program areas

Education
Health
Human services

States served

California
Nevada

Geographic limitations

Grants are limited to organizations that serve the Southern Nevada region or the San Diego area.

Types of support

Program support, capacity building, and scholarships that support higher education for children of low-income families.

Trustees

Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

Grants from the John Krakauer Charitable Trust are guided by the donor’s philanthropic vision to support programs that have a measurable impact on people’s lives, with a focus on education, health, and human services in the Southern Nevada region and/or the San Diego area. Charitable organizations that are mission-centered, innovative, entrepreneurial, impactful, passionate, and collaborative exemplify the core values of the donor’s philanthropy.

Requirements

• To be eligible, organizations must qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Limitations

The foundation does not fund:

• General operating support
• Multi-year grants

Grantmaking priorities

• Programs or capacity building for programs/nonprofits, that support the needs of single mothers in the southern Nevada region and/or the San Diego area, in which the single mothers are demonstrating clear efforts to support themselves and reach self-sufficiency;
• Programs or scholarships that support higher education of children whose families would otherwise not be able to financially support their higher education (K-12 schools do not qualify);
• Programs or capacity building for programs/nonprofits, that help non-English speaking immigrants in the southern Nevada region and/or the San Diego area who need assistance in developing a profession in the United States; and
• Programs or capacity building for programs/nonprofits, that provide healthcare services to indigents in the southern Nevada region and/or the San Diego area with chronic disease. 

Capacity building is not general operating support. Capacity building is defined as the ability of nonprofits to fulfill their missions in an effective manner. Capacity building grants may include but are not limited to technology or equipment purchases, professional development, technical assistance, etc.

Average giving

Average grant size for the first time grantee: $10,000
Larger grants may be awarded to repeat grantees based on the impact made by the prior funding.

Annual application period and deadlines

Applications are accepted year-round. Applications must be submitted by February 28 to be reviewed at the grant meeting that will occur late April each year.

Communications

Applicants will receive an automated email confirming their submission. Grant decisions are generally communicated by May for applications received by the deadline.

Required agreements and reports

Except as otherwise specified when a grant is awarded, a progress report must be submitted within 9 months after receiving funds.

About the Foundation

John L. Krakauer was born on June 26, 1941 in Boston, Erie County, New York. He earned a BA in Economics from Cornell University in 1962. After graduation, he served two years in the US Army Quartermaster Corps in Germany. He had a successful career in the field of medical insurance coverage, including becoming CEO of HealthCare Compare in Downers Grove, IL. After retirement, he moved to Summit County, CO. In 2001, he moved to Las Vegas, NV, to be closer to his wife’s family. He became active in the Las Vegas community, and a number of organizations benefited from his philanthropic outreach. He moved to La Jolla, California, in 2012, and he died on March 4, 2013.

The John Krakauer Charitable Trust was established in 2012 to fulfill the donor’s philanthropic vision of supporting programs that have a measurable impact on people’s lives. His philanthropy was guided by charitable organizations that exemplify one or more of the following core values:

• Mission-Centered - Nonprofits that live their mission daily, visibly and consistently. The mission is more than a statement on a piece of paper, rather it is visible everywhere in the organization.
• Innovation - Nonprofits that think boldly and look beyond how things have always been done to imagine effective solutions to the unique challenges of those they serve.
• Entrepreneurial Spirit - A nonprofit's spirit of taking informed, responsible risk to identify or create an opportunity and take action aimed at realizing it.
• Impact - Nonprofits that achieve ambitious, measurable results in pursuit of their vision.
• Passion - Nonprofits with board and staff leadership that have a passion and unwavering commitment for their mission.
• Collaboration - Nonprofits that embrace sharing knowledge and taking collective action to strengthen all parties and effectively leverage resources to achieve common objectives and amplify desired impact.