We are a small team working with focus and care to achieve our mission, contribute to, and benefit from meaningful collaboration.
R&S Kayne Foundation was started in 1987 by Ric & Suzanne Kayne to support education, arts, and social service non-profit organizations. The foundation was established to formalize the Kayne family's philanthropic efforts, embracing a combination of Suzanne's sentiment "when you have it, it's your obligation to share it" and Ric's belief that "the best thing that we can do for society is to invest in people." Together with their daughters, Saree, Jenni, and Maggie, they support numerous philanthropic efforts in the United States and New Zealand. R&S Kayne Foundation is led by a small team that upholds a spirit of inquiry and meaningful collaboration to advance opportunities for communities in Los Angeles and Aotearoa.
Saree Kayne is a cultural anthropologist and Executive Director of the R&S Kayne Foundation. She received her doctorate in anthropology from Stanford University in 2020. Prior to that, she graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Chicago. In addition to her work at the Foundation, she also serves as Vice-President of the board of the KCRW Foundation, a leading NPR affiliate in Los Angeles that serves as a hub of culture, news and music for the community. Saree is interested in medicine and volunteers at the Venice Family Clinic, and formerly at the Telluride Medical Center in Telluride, Co, where she lived with her family for years. Saree is deeply invested in collaborative efforts with the community to uplift and empower young people across Southern California and beyond.
Sarah Ali has a background in education and leadership with 22 years of experience as an educator, strategist and philanthropic advisor. She draws upon her experience in schools and communities to guide partners to merge theory and possibility into practice. Sarah serves as the Managing Director of R&S Kayne Foundation and previously developed the Kayne Scholars program, a career development scholarship for first-generation college students. Sarah is a two-time graduate of Loyola Marymount University ('01 & '09). Previous governance and leadership roles include: Board Chair and Interim Executive Director for Snap Foundation; Board Secretary for the SEED School of Los Angeles, a college-prep public boarding school; Advisory Committee, Los Angeles Postsecondary Funders Collaborative; and administrative roles at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy and Aspire Public Schools. She is an active member of the Board of Visitors in the School of Education at Loyola Marymount University and serves on the Board of Dreamhaus, a non-profit organization that provides arts & community programming in Los Angeles.
Ric Kayne is the Founder and Co-Chair of Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, a Los Angeles-based manager of alternative investment strategies. He also serves as General Partner of Propel Bio Partners. In addition to co-founding Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, Ric founded Kayne Anderson Rudnick, a traditional investment management firm. He grew that firm to over $10 billion in assets under management and sold it in 2001. Ric is an emeritus board member and the former chair of the Investment Committee of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Foundation. He is a Founding Board Member of the Fink Center for Finance, UCLA Anderson School of Management. He served as a trustee of and former co-chair of the Investment Committee of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles.
Suzanne is the current board chair and founding president of the R&S Kayne Foundation. As a reflection of her love for New Zealand, she proudly serves as a founding trustee of Tara Iti Whānau, a charitable trust supporting the Tara Iti community in New Zealand. She has served on the board of directors at The Garden Conservancy since 2011. Suzanne is a trustee of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and also served on the LACMA Gala Host Committee. Suzanne is also a member of The Colleagues, a nonprofit group supporting the work of Children's Institute Inc. in Los Angeles. She is an emeritus board member and former chair of the board at the Exceptional Children's Foundation-Kayne Eras Center.
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Auckland 1010, New Zealand