Cless Family Foundation
The Cless Family Foundation is a private foundation established in 1992 and based in Northbrook, Illinois. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with tax-exempt status since January 1992.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$2.8M
-22.7% YoY
Grant Count
26
-16.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$108K
-7.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation supports a diverse range of charitable causes, with demonstrated funding interests in:
- Medical research
- Education
- Healthcare
- Arts and culture
- Community improvement and capacity building
Grantmaking
The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.
Grant Range
$50,000 to $905,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation has demonstrated funding activity in Illinois and nationally, with particular support for organizations in the Chicago metropolitan area and beyond.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2024):
- Total assets: $19,993,626 to $20,557,725
- Total revenues: $1,768,823
- Total expenses: $2,826,088
- Investment income and dividends: $503,602
Historical Giving Trends:
- 2024: $3.6 million in total giving
- 2023: $4.9 million in total giving
- 2022: $2.9 million in total giving
- 2021: $2.5 million in total giving
The foundation maintains zero employees and has no liabilities.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
153 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Schwab Charitable ($667,176), Stand up to Cancer ($502,292), Glenview Youth Services ($425,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| BOOKS & BREAKFAST EVANSTON, IL | EDUCATION | $50,000 |
| CHICAGO ENGINEER'S FOUNDATION CHICAGO, IL | CHARITABLE | $50,000 |
| CHILDCARE NETWORK OF EVANSTON EVANSTON, IL | CHARTIBALE | $10,000 |
| COUNTRYSIDE DAY SCHOOL NORTHBROOK, IL | EDUCATION | $10,000 |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY DURHAM, NC | MEDICAL RESEARCH | $250,000 |
| ETHS EDUCATION FOUNDATION EVANSTON, IL | EDUCATION | $100,000 |
| FOUNDATION 65 EVANSTON, IL | EDUCATION | $50,000 |
| FRIENDS OF LINCOLN PARK HIGH SCHOOL CHICAGO, IL | EDUCATION | $25,000 |
| GLENVIEW YOUTH SERVICES GLENVIEW, IL | EDUCATION | $425,000 |
| HONOR FLIGHT CHICAGO CORP ROSEMONT, IL | CHARITABLE | $25,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation is led by the following trustees and directors:
- Ruth I Cless (President/Treasurer/Director)
- Martin Cless (Director)
- Jennifer U Zehr (Vice President/Secretary/Director)
- Bryan C Cless (Director)
- Stephen G Cless (Director)
All listed leadership serve without compensation.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| RUTH I CLESS | PRES/TREAS/DIRECTOR | — | — |
| MARTIN CLESS | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| JENNIFER U ZEHR | VP/SECRETARY/DIRECTOR | — | — |
| BRYAN C CLESS | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| STEPHEN G CLESS | DIRECTOR | — | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Cless Family Foundation fund?
The foundation supports a diverse range of charitable causes, with demonstrated funding interests in: • Medical research • Education • Healthcare • Arts and culture • Community improvement and capacity building
How do I apply for a grant from Cless Family Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Made 31-33 grants in recent years • Total giving: $3.6 million (2024) • Grant range: $50,000 to $905,000 • Median grant size: $50,000 **Recent Grant Recipients (2023-2024):** • Northshore University Health System ($905,000 - charitable) • Stand Up To Cancer ($502,292 - medical research) • The Brain Tumor Research Charity ($586,000 - medical research) • Northlight Theatre ($250,000 - charitable) • Schwab Charitable ($554,000 - charitable) • Evanston Scholars ($200,000 - edu…
Where does Cless Family Foundation make grants?
The foundation has demonstrated funding activity in Illinois and nationally, with particular support for organizations in the Chicago metropolitan area and beyond.
What size grants does Cless Family Foundation award?
In 2024, Cless Family Foundation awarded 26 grants totaling $2.8M — an average of about $108K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Cless Family Foundation's EIN?
Cless Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3796675. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Cless Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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