Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family
Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family is a private foundation based in Glencoe, Illinois. In its 2025 filing, it reported 42 grants totaling $507,900 to charitable organizations, including organizations serving Jewish communities, supporting substance-abuse facilities, and providing education, social services, and food assistance.
Key facts about Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family
In short: Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family gave $508K across 42 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), mostly in Illinois. 24% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 36-4157608
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $507,900
- Grants made (2025)
- 42
- Average grant
- $12,093
- Median grant
- $2,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (10 of 42, 2025)
- Total assets
- $7,826,946
- Primary geography
- Illinois (73% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). 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-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$7.8M
+27.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$508K
+21.3% YoY
Grant Count
42
+20.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$12K
+1.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family reported a distributable amount of $417K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 42 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $15K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 69% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 45% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 123% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, The Ark says its mission is to help Chicagoland Jews facing adversity navigate toward self-reliance, while Providence Farm Community Foundation says it raises funds for substance-abuse facilities. Tutoring Chicago describes its work as delivering one-to-one tutoring, and the Greater Chicago Food Depository says its mission is to end hunger.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 42 grants totaling $507,900. Grant amounts ranged from $150 to $125,000, with a median grant of $2,500. Its largest reported grants included $125,000 to Jewish United Fund, $70,000 to CJE Senior Life, $60,000 to American Friends-Magen David, and $50,000 to The Ark. Other notable grants included $30,200 to Am Shalom and $18,000 each to Israel Dogs for the Blind and Providence Farm Community Foundation. The listed grant purposes were support for general operations.
How to Apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois (73%), Louisiana (14%), California (6%), Pennsylvania (4%), and Florida (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 42 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $350K (2022) to $564K (2021). In 2025 it made 42 grants totaling $508K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Jewish United Fund ($125K). Together the top 10 received $415K.
Grant Size Distribution
136 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 123 grants of 136 (90%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish United Fund Chicago, IL | Support General Operations | $125,000 |
| CJE Senior Life Chicago, LA | Support General Operations | $70,000 |
| American Friends-Magen David Northbrook, IL | Support General Operations | $60,000 |
| The Ark Chicago, IL | Support General Operations | $50,000 |
| Am Shalom Glencoe, IL | Support General Operations | $30,200 |
| Israel Dogs for the Blind Warrington, PA | Support General Operations | $18,000 |
| Providence Farm Community Foundation Northbrook, IL | Support General Operations | $18,000 |
| Israel Tennis & Education Center Deerfield Beach, FL | Support General Operations | $15,000 |
| Paws for Peoria Peoria, IL | Support General Operations | $15,000 |
| Jewish Federation of Palm Springs and Desert Area Rancho Mirage, CA | Support General Operations | $13,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $7,826,946 | $3,342,801 | $558,485 | $507,900 |
| 2024 | $6,154,019 | $1,489,368 | $451,607 | $418,840 |
| 2023 | $5,690,086 | $859,377 | $388,466 | $360,925 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $7,826,946 | $6,154,019 | $5,690,086 |
| Revenue | $3,342,801 | $1,489,368 | $859,377 |
| Expenses | $558,485 | $451,607 | $388,466 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $510,900 | $421,880 | $363,685 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,092,913 | $748,086 | $383,201 |
| Distributable Amount | $416,685 | $381,834 | $331,116 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 19, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 31, 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 August 22, 2024)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 11, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 24, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2023
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Karen K Lee as president, Sarna L Goldenberg as vice president/treasurer, and Jessica L Guten as secretary.
Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family is led by Karen K. Lee, President since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Karen K. Lee
President
President & Director → President, 2023
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jessica L. Guten
Secretary
Secretary & Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Sarna L. Goldenberg
Vice President & Treasurer
Vice President, Treasurer & Director → Vice President & Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Daniel R. Lee (2020) — President · Filing note: Deceased 122020
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: 164 Timber Lane, Glencoe, IL 60022
Phone: (847) 989-0055
Frequently asked questions about Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family
How much does Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family give each year?
Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family gave $508K across 42 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $419K across 35 grants.
What is Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family's typical grant size?
Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $12,093, across 42 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family that year got $3K on average.
Where does Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family give grants?
Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family gives mostly in Illinois: 73% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Louisiana (14%) and California (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (15 grants), Glencoe, IL (5 grants), Rancho Mirage, CA (4 grants) and Northbrook, IL (3 grants).
Does Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (42 of 42) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family's largest grantees?
Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family's largest 2025 grantees include Jewish United Fund ($125,000), CJE Senior Life ($70,000) and American Friends-Magen David ($60,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family?
Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family reported $7.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $511K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $417K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations with varied purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family's EIN?
Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4157608. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Daniel R and Karen Kales Lee Family 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.
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