# Knight Foundation

Knight Foundation is an Endowment / Foundation based in Miami, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Miami, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** 2850 Tigertail Avenue, Suite 600, Miami, FL 33133, United States
- **Founded:** 1950
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** kf.org

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Knight Foundation is a social investment organization founded in 1950 in Miami, Florida. It operates in journalism, arts and culture, and media and democracy research. The organization has made 197 investments and 29 portfolio exits, with its latest investment in URL Media on December 03, 2025, and its latest exit in The Markup on April 18, 2024.

## Sectors

- Media & Entertainment
- Real Estate
- Education
- Enterprise Software

## People

- Maribel Perez Wadsworth — President and CEO
- Rebecca Carland — Chief Investment Officer

## Questions

### How did the Knight Foundation build its endowment?

The endowment originated from the estates of John S. and James L. Knight, who built one of the largest American newspaper companies. Knight Newspapers merged with Ridder Publications in 1974 to form Knight Ridder, which was sold to McClatchy in 2006 for roughly $4.5 billion. The foundation's assets were established long before that sale, however, through direct gifts from the brothers beginning at the foundation's creation in 1950.

### What is the Knight Enterprise Fund and how does it invest?

The Knight Enterprise Fund operates as the foundation's venture-investment arm, making early-stage equity investments in for-profit media technology, civic engagement, and journalism startups. Unlike the foundation's traditional grantmaking, the Enterprise Fund takes direct equity stakes. Past portfolio companies include NewsMatch, Civil, and the Solutions Journalism Network. The fund is run from the Miami headquarters alongside the foundation's core grantmaking operations.

### Who runs investment decisions at the Knight Foundation?

Rebecca Carland joined as Chief Investment Officer in 2025, bringing prior institutional asset-management experience to the role. Before Carland's hiring, investment oversight was handled through the foundation's finance committee and board of trustees. The board also includes venture investors Austin Clements of Slauson & Co. and Matthew Stepka of Machina Ventures, who bring direct investment-operating experience to governance decisions.

### What is the Knight First Amendment Institute and how is it separated from the foundation?

The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University is a litigation and research center defending free expression in the digital age, funded by a cornerstone grant from the Knight Foundation. It operates as an independent entity housed within Columbia University, not as a subsidiary of the foundation. Its work includes high-profile lawsuits involving government social-media conduct and surveillance law.

## Related profiles

- [Knauf](https://altss.com/profile/knauf)
- [Knight Frank Staff Pension Fund](https://altss.com/profile/knight-frank-staff-pension-fund)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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