Brothers Jon and Bob Kelly established the Kelly Foundation in December 1988 as the formal vehicle for making charitable contributions to the communities in which they lived for much of their lives and achieved tremendous success in business. In 2009 the River City Bank Foundation merged with the Kelly Foundation.

Jon Kelly passed away in July, 2020. He was one of the top entrepreneurs and philanthropists in the history of Sacramento. Jon and Bob Kelly took over the running of KCRA-TV, the NBC affiliate in Sacramento, in 1963 upon the sudden passing of their father at an early age. The brothers also started, owned, and operated KCPQ-TV, the Fox affiliate in Seattle. For many years they were highly respected figures in the broadcasting industry as these stations were recognized on a national level for their innovation, commitment to delivering high quality news, and ability to attract exceptional talent. Several years after Bob’s passing, Jon and his son Greg sold the TV stations in 1999.

Jon was proud that his legacy in Sacramento would include River City Bank, which he founded in 1973, as well as the Kelly Foundation, one of the largest charitable-giving foundations in the Sacramento region. His philanthropy included the donation of the land on which public television’s KVIE, Channel 6, now sits, in the South Natomas section of Sacramento.

Jon’s daughter, Shawn Devlin, has served as Chairman of the Board of River City Bank since 2009 and is the largest shareholder of the Bank. River City Bank is the largest bank based in Sacramento and amongst the top 10% of banks in the U.S. based on asset size. Shawn also serves as the Board President for the Kelly Foundation, and intends to build upon the legacy of her father and uncle. The Kelly Foundation is an expression of the importance the Kelly family places on being a good neighbor and citizen in all the regions where they do business.

How to Apply

In order to be considered for a grant from the Kelly Foundation you must review the guidelines that are posted on this site, and submit a completed online Application. Please use the link below to complete the application process. You will need to register by creating a new account and login. Use this link to Begin the Application process.

Guidelines

In order to be considered for a grant from the Kelly Foundation you must review the guidelines prior to submitting a completed application.

Please click on the Download Guidelines link to open in PDF format.

Please note: We no longer accept mailed correspondence.

If you received a grant from the Foundation and need to provide an update:

Login to your Kelly Foundation account via the “How to Apply” tab.

Select “Begin the Application process” link.

From the “Dashboard” page, click on the “edit” link under the Follow Up Form process.

Complete your update using the provided web form and submit.

If you have other correspondence that you would like to send to the Foundation, including letters, invitations, annual reports, etc.:

Login to your Kelly Foundation account via the “How to Apply” tab.

Select “Begin the Application process” link.

Select the “Fax to File” link under the tools column.

Follow the instructions provided.

If you need to send correspondence and do not have an account, please email



Additional questions? or 916-978-4892

FAQ's

Q. What is your average grant amount?
A. About $5,000

Q. What are your deadlines?
A. This information is in the Guidelines. The application deadlines are October 15, January 15, April 15, and July 15.

Q. Does your Application change?
A. Sometimes there are slight changes. Prior to submitting your application, please download the most current version just in case.

Q. Can I hand deliver my completed application?
A. No, please send to the post office address on the Contact Us page.

Q. Is there a particular format for giving program updates if I have been previously awarded a grant?
A. No, there is not.

Q. Who are the members of the Kelly Foundation?
A. The Kelly Foundation is comprised of members of the Kelly family, some executives and Board members of River City Bank and well-regarded members of the Greater Sacramento Community.

Q. What geographical area do organizations that receive grants from the Kelly Foundation serve?
A. Although there are exceptions, usually the organizations that receive grants from the Kelly Foundation serve the Greater Sacramento Region.

Past Recipients

Here is a sampling of some of the past Kelly Foundation grant recipients: Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northern California Rotary Club of Sacramento VSA Arts of Sacramento River Oaks Center for Children Sierra Forever Families Volunteers of America Food Bank of Yolo County Stanford Home for Children Food for Families Sacramento Opera This chart illustrates how the Foundation has distributed grant funds in the past, shown by category: