Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust
The Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2025 filing says it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust gave $220K across 46 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), top state Kentucky. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $220,099
- +3.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 46
- +4.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,785
- -1.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $3,214,101
- -1.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (7 of 46, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Kentucky (38% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The trust does not accept unsolicited requests. It makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 803878, Chicago, IL 60680
Phone: (312) 630-6000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Kentucky ($15K). Together the top 10 received $109K.
Grant Size Distribution
223 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 223 grants of 223 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Kentucky received 38% of grant dollars and Illinois received 30%. Other leading recipient states were New Jersey (6%), California (5%), and Colorado (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 46 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 46 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 78% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−11%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 134% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $195K (2023) to $248K (2022). In 2025 it made 46 grants totaling $220K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Kentucky Lexington, KY | K-FUND | $15,000 |
| Ephraim McDowell Markey Lexington, KY | General Support | $15,000 |
| Family Service Center Northfield, IL | General Support | $15,000 |
| University of Chicago Chicago, IL | Oriental Institute | $10,000 |
| Lawrenceville School Lawrenceville, NJ | General Support | $10,000 |
| Battle Grove Cynthiana, KY | Memorial Garden | $10,000 |
| Saint Andrews School Chicago, IL | General Support | $10,000 |
| University of Denver Denver, CO | General Support | $9,800 |
| Maysville Community Maysville, KY | General Support | $8,000 |
| Parkinson's Foundation Miami, FL | General Support | $6,299 |
Ready to take the next step with Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The trust files Form 990-PF. Its EIN is 956022085.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,214,101 | $256,560 | $308,245 | $220,099 | 46 | $293,710 | $242,025 | $219,846 |
| 2024 | $3,263,911 | $144,316 | $297,830 | $213,403 | 44 | $281,114 | $120,904 | $211,739 |
| 2023 | $3,418,260 | $297,824 | $275,643 | $195,000 | 41 | $261,148 | $287,222 | $194,717 |
| 2022 | $3,397,511 | $248,849 | $327,970 | $247,724 | 47 | $315,098 | $237,615 | $202,539 |
| 2021 | $3,476,625 | $156,593 | $311,664 | $228,290 | 45 | $297,973 | $140,089 | $232,407 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $220K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the trust is provided. The grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of organizations it supports: the University of Chicago says its mission includes communicating and creating knowledge and fostering a community of scholars and students; Family Service Center received a grant for general support; and the Keeling Curve Foundation says it promotes accurate long-term environmental observations and communicates their significance for climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust awarded 46 grants totaling $220,099. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $15,000, with a median of $3,000. Among the largest were $15,000 each to the University of Kentucky for K-FUND, Ephraim McDowell Markey for general support, and Family Service Center for general support. Other notable grants included $10,000 to the University of Chicago for the Oriental Institute, $10,000 to Lawrenceville School for general support, and $10,000 to Battle Grove for a memorial garden.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Northern Trust Company as trustee and Earl Robbins, Therese Hianik, and Frazer D Lebus Jr as directors.
Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; all 4 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Frazer D. Lebus Jr.
Director
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$15K (2022) → $15K (2025)
Northern Trust Company
Trustee
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$31K (2021) → $36K (2025)
Therese Hianik
Director
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$15K (2022) → $15K (2025)
Earl Robbins
Director
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$15K (2024) → $15K (2025)
Former officers (2)
- Former: Jessica Robbins (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Sally Ann Hagan (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 $36K, to Northern Trust Company (Trustee). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust
How much does Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust give each year?
Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust gave $220K across 46 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $213K across 44 grants.
What is Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $4,785, across 46 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust that year got $2K on average.
Where does Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust give grants?
Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust's top state is Kentucky, with 38% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Illinois (30%) and New Jersey (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Lexington, KY (9 grants), Chicago, IL (8 grants), Cynthiana, KY (4 grants) and Seacliff, NY (2 grants).
Does Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 85% of Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (39 of 46) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include University of Kentucky ($15,000), Ephraim McDowell Markey ($15,000) and Family Service Center ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust?
Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust reported $3.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $294K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $220K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust?
The trust does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust's EIN?
Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-6022085. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust accept unsolicited proposals?
No, 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-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 3, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 1, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 1, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bertha-lebus-charitable-trust-morg_c789899c2ee540e4904e1485ce4d8f71
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_956022085_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bertha-lebus-charitable-trust-morg_c789899c2ee540e4904e1485ce4d8f71},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Bertha Lebus Charitable Trust's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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