↑ parent cluster · ·
research dossier →

HENRY J KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION

SAN FRANCISCO, CA · EIN 946064808 · Form 990 · FY2020 · NTEE T22 · Philanthropy & Grantmaking · Very Large (>$50M) · www.kff.org
revenue
$123.0M
expenses
$58.6M
net assets
$723.1M
employees
184
volunteers
4
program ratio
76%
filing since
2020
mission · from form 990

TO FILL THE NEED FOR TRUSTED, INDEPENDENT INFORMATION ON NATIONAL HEALTH ISSUES.

profile · synthesized from sources

Nonpartisan research organization focused on national health issues, particularly the Affordable Care Act, health costs, and public opinion on health policy. Produces surveys, data analyses, and policy briefs used by policymakers, media, and the public. Provides insights on health care affordability, coverage trends, and the impact of policy changes on enrollees.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2020

what they reported doing

Program narrative the organization filed with the IRS. Ordered by program spending.

  1. #1 primary $17.08M
    JOURNALISM - KHN, OUR CREDENTIALED, NONPROFIT, EDITORIALLY-INDEPENDENT NEWS SERVICE, IS COMMITTED TO IN-DEPTH COVERAGE OF HEALTH CARE POLICY AND POLITICS. KHN PROVIDES THE HIGHEST QUALITY NEWS COVERAGE OF HEALTH POLICY ISSUES AND DEVELOPMENTS AT THE FEDERAL AND STATE LEVELS, IN THE MARKETPLACE AND HOW THEY AFFECT PEOPLE. KHN SERVES AS THE PREMIER SOURCE OF HEALTH POLICY JOURNALISM DISTRIBUTING OUR CONTENT THROUGH DOZENS OF PARTNER NEWS ORGANIZATIONS WHO RUN KHN STORIES, AMONG THEM THE WASHINGTON POST, NPR, NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER AND A BROAD RANGE OF BROADCAST PARTNERS.
  2. #2 $4.27M
    PUBLIC OPINION & SURVEY RESEARCH PROGRAM CONDUCTS AND ANALYZES ORIGINAL RESEARCH ON AMERICANS' ATTITUDES, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCES WITH THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM WITH THE GOAL OF AMPLIFYING THE PUBLIC'S VOICE IN MAJOR NATIONAL DEBATES, PARTICULARLY THE VOICE OF OFTEN-DISENFRANCHISED GROUPS SUCH AS THE LOW INCOME AND UNINSURED. KFF CONDUCTS POLLS ITSELF AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MAJOR NEWS ORGANIZATIONS.
named programs · 6 · from sources

what they call their work

ACA Marketplace Enrollee Survey
National survey of individuals enrolled in ACA Marketplace plans, assessing affordability, coverage changes, and health care utilization.
ACA Marketplace Enrollees Survey
Survey research tracking cost concerns, coverage changes, and enrollment decisions among ACA Marketplace enrollees
Health System Tracker
Interactive tool providing data on U.S. health spending, access to care, and health outcomes compared to other countries
Health Tracking Poll
Ongoing public opinion polling on health care issues including the Affordable Care Act, health costs, and access to care
KFF Health News
News reporting and analysis on health care topics, including policy changes and their impact on Americans
State Health Facts
Comprehensive data and indicators on health policy, including marketplace enrollment, coverage, and health spending by state
activities · 5

what they do

direct service · 1
  • Provides conference facilities for health policy stakeholders Free Meeting Space for Nonprofits
    Offers free access to conference centers in San Francisco (capacity: 100) and Washington, DC (Barbara Jordan Conference Center, capacity: 190) for nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and select private sector groups focused on health policy discussions.
research · 4
  • Conducts health policy research and polling Healthcare Data & Policy Analysis
    Produces research, polling, and policy analysis on a wide range of health topics including Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, health care costs, global health, HIV, mental health, racial equity, and women’s health. Findings are used to inform public understanding and policy debates.
  • Develops and maintains health data dashboards and trackers Health Innovation & Technology Development
    Operates interactive tools including the U.S. Global Health Budget Tracker, a dashboard monitoring HIV/AIDS progress in PEPFAR countries, a malaria progress dashboard for PMI partner countries, and a public trust dashboard tracking use of AI, social media, and news sources for health information.
  • Produces newsletters summarizing health policy research and news Science & Health Communications
    Issues a suite of newsletters including a weekly research roundup, state-specific briefings (California, Colorado, Georgia, Montana), rural health reporting, and topic-based alerts about new reports, polls, and events.
  • Provides health policy news coverage through KFF Health News Science & Health Communications
    Produces in-depth journalism and timely reporting on national and state-level health policy developments, including breaking news and feature stories. Content is distributed through daily and weekly newsletters and morning briefings.
strategies · 8

how they think

Theories of action extracted from this org's own source material. Click any approach shared with other orgs to see the full field.

  • Consumer-centered and politically contextualized health policy analysis consumer-centered_health_policy_analysis unique to this org
    Analyzes health policy by centering consumer experiences and frustrations while also examining the influence of political dynamics and election outcomes on health policy direction.
  • Data visualization, transparency, and interactive tracking tools data_visualization_and_tracking unique to this org
    Develops and maintains interactive dashboards and funding trackers that make complex health policy data accessible and transparent to policymakers, journalists, and the public.
  • Expansion into emerging health policy issues and equity issue_expansion unique to this org
    Proactively broadens research and journalism to address emerging challenges such as health misinformation, racial equity, regional health disparities, and the impact of new technologies on health information.
  • Expert interpretation and dissemination of health policy data data_interpretation_and_commentary unique to this org
    Enhances public and policy understanding by providing expert commentary and organizing research outputs around key health policy topics for greater accessibility and relevance.
  • Facilitation of policy dialogue and collaborative analysis facilitation_of_policy_dialogue unique to this org
    Advances health policy discourse by providing neutral convening space and engaging in collaborative research with external organizations to produce joint, credible policy analysis.
  • Independent, evidence-based health policy research and analysis evidence-based_policy_analysis unique to this org
    The organization conducts and disseminates nonpartisan research, data analysis, and fact-based reporting to inform public understanding and policy decision-making on U.S. and global health issues.
  • International comparative analysis of health systems and spending international_health_spending_comparisons unique to this org
    Uses cross-national comparisons with other high-income countries to contextualize U.S. health spending and system performance, informing policy debates with global benchmarks.
  • Public opinion polling and longitudinal tracking with demographic and political analysis public_opinion_tracking_with_demographic_analysis unique to this org
    Uses regular, in-depth public opinion polling and interactive tracking tools to analyze public attitudes on health policy, with breakdowns by demographic and political variables to understand equity and electoral implications.
financials · form 990 · fy2020

the money

revenue
Total revenue$123.04M
Contributions & grants$12.62M10%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$109.82M89%
Other revenue$598K
expenses
Total expenses$58.64M
Program expenses76%
Admin / overhead24%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$33.95M
Grants paid out$661K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$892.16M
Cash$15.00M
Investments$806.69M
Liabilities$169.10M
Net assets$723.06M
Liquid reserves168.1 mo
1 years on record · 2020–2020
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2020

who runs it

paid leadership · 17
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
DREW ALTMAN TRUSTEE, PRESIDENT & CEO 38 $1.00M
MOLLYANN BRODIE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT 38 $531K
LAWRENCE LEVITT EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT 38 $522K
DAVID ROUSSEAU PUBLISHER KHN 38 $425K
DEAN DUCHAK CO-CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER 38 $425K
ELEANOR HSU CO-CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER 38 $424K
ELIZABETH CAIN CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER 38 $406K
ELISABETH ROSENTHAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF KHN 38 $395K
KRISTINA HOFF SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT 38 $342K
JAMES E DOYLE TRUSTEE CHAIR 4 $35K
KATHLEEN SEBELIUS TRUSTEE 4 $30K
KATHRYN B KAISER TRUSTEE 4 $23K
KEVIN MERIDA TRUSTEE 4 $23K
SUSAN SIEGEL TRUSTEE 4 $23K
OLYMPIA SNOWE TRUSTEE 4 $22K
VIVEK MURTHY TRUSTEE THROUGH DEC 2020 4 $22K
BRIAN SANDOVAL TRUSTEE THROUGH SEP 2020 4 $8K
board members · 4
  • BEVERLY MALONE — TRUSTEE
  • CHARLES GIBSON — TRUSTEE THROUGH JUN 2020
  • JAMES E CANALES — TRUSTEE
  • PETER TAYLOR — TRUSTEE
relationships · 13

who they work with

  • Barbara Jordan Conference Center Partner — Operates as a conference center in Washington, DC in partnership with KFF.
  • CMS Government — Uses federal transparency data published by CMS for analysis of claims denials and appeals in ACA Marketplace plans.
  • Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Government — References CMS efforts to expand access and lower costs for GLP-1 medications through demonstration programs like the BALANCE Model.
  • KFF Health News Network — Editorially independent news service producing in-depth health policy news coverage under KFF.
  • PEPFAR Government — Monitors and reports on progress of PEPFAR's HIV/AIDS programs in partner countries.
  • PEPFAR Government — Produces policy resources and fact sheets on the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
  • Peterson Center on Healthcare Partner — Co-publishes policy explainers on health care cost trends with KFF.
  • President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) Government — Develops dashboards to monitor progress toward malaria targets in PMI partner countries.
  • Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Government — Conducts research and analysis on the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, including state-level AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs).
  • The New York Times Partner — Collaborated on the 2025 Survey of Immigrants.
  • Trump administration Government — Referenced in KFF polling and analysis regarding changes to federal vaccine recommendations.
  • U.S. Government Government — Produces research and data on U.S. government global health policy, funding, and engagement.
  • World Health Organization (WHO) Government — Produces fact sheets on U.S. government funding and engagement with the World Health Organization.