American Bar Endowment
The American Bar Endowment (ABE) is a public charity based in Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1942. It supports law-related research, education, public service, and community programs intended to strengthen the justice system and benefit the public and legal profession.
Key facts about American Bar Endowment
In short: American Bar Endowment gave $9.3M across 31 grants in 2025 (avg $300K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 36-2384321
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $9,289,311
- Grants made (2025)
- 31
- Average grant
- $299,655
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $224,017,305
- Primary geography
- Illinois (85% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to apply
- ABE accepts unsolicited requests through its Opportunity Grant Program; applicants may apply directly and should follow the program’s application instructions. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- The website lists the 2026 application period as September 1 through October 31, 2026.
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$224.0M
+8.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$9.3M
+15.9% YoY
Grant Count
31
+72.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$300K
-32.7% YoY
How American Bar Endowment gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
ABE’s stated mission is to advance legal study and research and promote the administration of justice and uniformity of judicial decision throughout the United States. Its stated focus areas include expanding access to justice for vulnerable and underserved populations; improving fairness and equal treatment in the justice system; helping the public understand legal rights and responsibilities; and supporting education, research, and public service initiatives.
ABE’s filing describes two strands of grantmaking: unrestricted grants to the American Bar Foundation and the ABA Fund for Justice and Education for research, public service, and educational projects and programs, and Opportunity Grants to primarily community-based legal service providers. The American Bar Foundation describes its own mission as expanding knowledge and advancing justice through empirical research on law and legal institutions. The Government Accountability Project, a 2025 grantee, describes its work as promoting government and corporate accountability, defending whistleblowers, and empowering citizen activists. The Economic Justice Institute describes itself as housing five civil, anti-poverty clinical programs at UW Law School.
Grantmaking
ABE reported 31 grants totaling $9,289,311 in filing year 2025. The median grant was $25,000; amounts ranged from $5,577 to $3,940,342. Its largest awards were $3,940,342 to the American Bar Foundation and $3,937,076 to the ABA Fund for Justice and Education, both for general support. Other large grants included $322,609 to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley and $231,830 to the Government Accountability Project, each for general support.
Review Cycle
The website lists the 2026 application period as September 1 through October 31, 2026.
How to Apply
; the website also allows applicants to apply directly.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from American Bar Endowment
Ready to take the next step with American Bar Endowment?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Opportunity Grant Program is described as having a United States scope. In filing year 2025, 85% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 5% to Pennsylvania, 3% to the District of Columbia, 2% to Massachusetts, and 1% to Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $7.0M (2021) to $9.3M (2025). In 2025 it made 31 grants totaling $9.3M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was American Bar Foundation ($3.9M). Together the top 10 received $8.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
73 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 57 grants of 73 (78%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Bar Foundation Chicago, IL | General Support | $3,940,342 |
| ABA Fund for Justice & Education Chicago, IL | General Support | $3,937,076 |
| Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley Allentown, PA | General Support | $322,609 |
| Government Accountability Project Washington, DC | General Support | $231,830 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund Boston, MA | General Support | $155,407 |
| Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union Mount Vernon, VA | General Support | $100,000 |
| Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA | General Support | $84,451 |
| Chabad Lubavitch of the Lehigh Valley Inc Allentown, PA | General Support | $54,000 |
| American Immigration Council Washington, DC | General Support | $25,000 |
| Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (Asap) New York, NY | General Support | $25,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant total | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $224,017,305 | $30,399,177 | $14,258,354 | $9,289,311 | 31 |
| 2024 | $207,097,319 | $16,632,847 | $12,381,629 | $8,012,000 | 18 |
| 2023 | $190,147,745 | $24,271,588 | $11,495,333 | $7,569,927 | 14 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $224,017,305 | $207,097,319 | $190,147,745 |
| Revenue | $30,399,177 | $16,632,847 | $24,271,588 |
| Expenses | $14,258,354 | $12,381,629 | $11,495,333 |
| Net Investment Income | $18,913,895 | $6,916,958 | $15,630,898 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 27, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 16, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Hon. Lora J. Livingston as president, Hilarie Bass as vice president, Kevin L. Shepherd as treasurer, and Tommy D. Preston Jr. as secretary. It also lists Robert M. Carlson, Deborah Enix-Ross, Michelle M. Gallardo, and Tracy A. Giles as directors. Howard H. Vogel is listed as president until August 2024, and Michelle A. Behnke as director until August 2024.
American Bar Endowment is led by Dana Hill, Chief Executive Officer on the 2025 filing; 2 of 18 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Dana Hill
Chief Executive Officer
New on the 2025 filing
37.5 hrs/week
$263K (2025)
Howard H. Vogel
President
Vice President → President, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lora J. Livingston
President
Vice President → President, 2025
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michelle A. Behnke
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert M. Carlson
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patricia Lee Refo
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Randall D. Noel
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Roberta B. Liebenberg
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tracy A. Giles
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Deborah Enix-Ross
Director
Executive Officio → Director, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Betty B. Torres
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michelle M. Gallardo
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Daniel Wolterink
Data Processing Manager
On filings since 2024
37.5 hrs/week
$110K (2024) → $109K (2025)
Hilarie Bass
Vice President
Director → Treasurer, 2023
Treasurer → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Cole
Executive Officio
Director → Executive Officio, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kevin L. Shepherd
Treasurer
Executive Officio → Director, 2024
Director → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tommy D. Preston Jr.
Secretary
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Frank H. Langrock
Executive Officio
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (14)
- Former: Michael E. Flowers (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Joanne Martin Exec Dir (2024) — Consultant · Filing note: Until
- Former: Carolyn B. Lamm (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Gary Karlowicz (2021–2023) — Accounting Manager
- Former: Joanne Martin (2021–2023) — Executive Director
- Former: Palmer Gene Vance II (2021–2023) — Executive Officio
- Former: Dan Wolterink (2023) — It Manager
- Former: Jackie Casey (2021–2022) — Assistant Executive Director
- Former: Judge Lora J. Livingston (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Judy Perry Martinez (2021–2022) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Lucian T. Pera (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Stephen N. Zack (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: James A. Wynn Jr. (2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Pamela A. Bresnahan (2021) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $263K, to Dana Hill (Chief Executive Officer). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 321 N Clark Street 1400, Chicago, IL 60654-7648
Phone: (312) 988-6400
Website: https://abendowment.org
Frequently asked questions about American Bar Endowment
How much does American Bar Endowment give each year?
American Bar Endowment gave $9.3M across 31 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $8.0M across 18 grants.
What is American Bar Endowment's typical grant size?
American Bar Endowment's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $299,655, across 31 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does American Bar Endowment give grants?
American Bar Endowment gives mostly in Illinois: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Pennsylvania (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (3 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants), Allentown, PA (2 grants) and Pittsburgh, PA (2 grants).
Does American Bar Endowment give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of American Bar Endowment's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (31 of 31) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are American Bar Endowment's largest grantees?
American Bar Endowment's largest 2025 grantees include American Bar Foundation ($3,940,342), ABA Fund for Justice & Education ($3,937,076) and Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley ($322,609), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 88% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is American Bar Endowment?
American Bar Endowment reported $224.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $30.4M.
What does American Bar Endowment fund?
ABE’s stated mission is to advance legal study and research and promote the administration of justice and uniformity of judicial decision throughout the United States. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from American Bar Endowment?
ABE accepts unsolicited requests through its Opportunity Grant Program; applicants may apply directly and should follow the program’s application instructions. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is American Bar Endowment's EIN?
American Bar Endowment's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-2384321. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does American Bar Endowment accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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