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 medical student, cultural anthropologist and CEO of the R&S Kayne Foundation. She attends the University of Colorado School of Medicine. 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 on 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 has volunteered at the Venice Family Clinic and the Telluride Medical Center in Telluride, CO, where she lived with her family for years. Saree is deeply invested in collaborative efforts to uplift community health and empower young people across Southern California, Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.
Sarah Ali is a leader in philanthropy, impact strategy, and education and serves as Chief Operating Officer of the R&S Kayne Foundation. Working across Los Angeles and Aotearoa New Zealand, she leads investments in economic empowerment, community well-being, and postsecondary opportunity. Her work is grounded in deep experience in schools and communities, guiding partners to translate theory and possibility into practice. A two-time graduate of Loyola Marymount University, Sarah has served on the School of Education's Board of Visitors. Her governance and leadership experience includes roles with the Snap Foundation, the SEED School of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Postsecondary Funders Collaborative, and administrative leadership at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy and Aspire Public Schools. Sarah serves on the board of SoCal Grantmakers and is an advisory council member of Crenshaw Dairy Mart. She is also the co-founder of CAP.LA (Community Action Project Los Angeles), an initiative supporting households and businesses in fire-affected areas by providing high-quality, evidence-based environmental and public health data and translating that information to inform a smarter, safer recovery.
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 90025
Auckland 1010, New Zealand