Cless Family Foundation
Cless Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Northbrook, Illinois. It supports charitable organizations, with 2024 grants designated for purposes including medical research, education, and charitable activities.
Cless Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Cless Family Foundation gave $2.8M across 26 grants in 2024 (avg $108K), top state Illinois. 23% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,806,968
- -22.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 26
- -16.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $107,960
- -7.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $37,500
- Total assets
- $19,993,626
- -2.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (6 of 26, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (48% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Cless Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2110 Mallard Drive, Northbrook, IL 60062
Phone: (847) 498-6469
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Cless Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Schwab Charitable ($667K). Together the top 10 received $2.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
153 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 80 grants of 153 (52%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois (48%), Florida (24%), California (18%), North Carolina (9%), and Tennessee (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Cless Family Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 26 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $68K; repeat grants $120K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 65% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−4%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 91% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $2.5M (2020) to $4.9M (2022). In 2024 it made 26 grants totaling $2.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Schwab Charitable Orland, FL | Charitable | $667,176 |
| Stand up to Cancer Los Angeles, CA | Medical Research | $502,292 |
| Glenview Youth Services Glenview, IL | Education | $425,000 |
| Duke University Durham, NC | Medical Research | $250,000 |
| Northlight Theatre Skokie, IL | Charitable | $250,000 |
| Eths Education Foundation Evanston, IL | Education | $100,000 |
| Northshore Hospitals Foundation Evanston, IL | Medical Research | $100,000 |
| Books & Breakfast Evanston, IL | Education | $50,000 |
| Chicago Engineer's Foundation Chicago, IL | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Foundation 65 Evanston, IL | Education | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Cless Family Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $19,993,626 | $1,768,823 | $2,826,088 | $2,806,968 | 26 | $2,811,233 | $1,763,968 | $3,103,319 |
| 2023 | $20,557,725 | $1,523,240 | $3,679,676 | $3,629,676 | 31 | $3,633,676 | $1,519,240 | $2,819,750 |
| 2022 | $20,505,400 | $1,011,191 | $4,961,765 | $4,900,750 | 27 | $4,906,750 | $1,005,176 | $3,621,203 |
| 2021 | $22,980,763 | $2,989,680 | $2,952,698 | $2,928,742 | 36 | $2,928,742 | $2,985,724 | $4,908,451 |
| 2020 | $22,962,693 | $1,759,088 | $2,556,455 | $2,506,000 | 33 | — | $1,748,633 | $2,931,726 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cless Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.1M for 2024 — 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for medical research, education, and charitable activities. Examples include grants to Stand Up To Cancer, whose mission is to raise awareness and fund cancer research to detect and treat cancers, and the Provenance Precision Medicine Foundation, which says it works to expand access to innovative cancer treatments and support education and clinical research. Education grantees include Books & Breakfast and Foundation 65. Northlight Theatre describes its work as using theatrical experiences to entertain, enlighten, and encourage compassion.
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 26 grants totaling $2,806,968 in 2024. The median grant was $37,500; grants ranged from $7,500 to $667,176. Notable awards included $667,176 to Schwab Charitable, $502,292 to Stand Up To Cancer, $425,000 to Glenview Youth Services, $250,000 each to Duke University and Northlight Theatre, and $100,000 each to ETHS Education Foundation and Northshore Hospitals Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Ruth I Cless as president, treasurer, and director; Jennifer U Zehr as vice president, secretary, and director; and Martin Cless, Bryan C Cless, and Stephen G Cless as directors.
Cless Family Foundation is led by Ruth I. Cless, President, Treasurer & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ruth I. Cless
President, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Bryan C. Cless
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jennifer U. Zehr
Vice President, Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Martin Cless
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Stephen G. Cless
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Cless Family Foundation
How much does Cless Family Foundation give each year?
Cless Family Foundation gave $2.8M across 26 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $3.6M across 31 grants.
What is Cless Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Cless Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $37,500, and its average grant was $107,960, across 26 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Cless Family Foundation that year got $68K on average.
Where does Cless Family Foundation give grants?
Cless Family Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 48% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Florida (24%) and California (18%). The most frequent recipient cities were Evanston, IL (9 grants) and Chicago, IL (7 grants).
Does Cless Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 26 grants with a stated purpose on Cless Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (12 grants), "Education" (9 grants) and "Medical Research" (4 grants).
Who are Cless Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Cless Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Schwab Charitable ($667,176), Stand up to Cancer ($502,292) and Glenview Youth Services ($425,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Cless Family Foundation?
Cless Family Foundation reported $20.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Cless Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for medical research, education, and charitable activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cless Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
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.
Does Cless Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 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 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 21, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 23, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Cless Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cless-family-foundation-morg_4ddeff890ac44149afd9f69eec9be2f8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363796675_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Cless Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cless-family-foundation-morg_4ddeff890ac44149afd9f69eec9be2f8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Cless Family Foundation'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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