Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc
Foundation II of the American College is a public charity based in Newport Beach, California. Formed in 2001, it supports charitable, educational, scientific, literary, and cultural purposes, including research and education related to the administration of justice, trial practice, legal services, and the professionalism and ethics of the legal profession.
Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc at a glance
In short: Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc gave $779K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $60K), top state Illinois. 77% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $779,240
- +5.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +18.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $59,942
- -11.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $8,128,165
- +5.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 77% first-time grantees (10 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (26% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 4041 Macarthur Blvd 140, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Phone: (949) 752-1801
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Illinois Prison Project ($150K). Together the top 10 received $713K.
Grant Size Distribution
56 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 31 grants of 56 (55%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states and the District of Columbia. The largest stated shares were Illinois (26%), California (19%), Georgia (17%), Missouri (11%), and the District of Columbia (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc open to new grantees?
77%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 13 grantees (77%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $69K; repeat grants $30K. How we count
Medians: $63K first-time, $35K repeat.
- 23% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+13%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $501K (2021) to $779K (2025). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $779K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois Prison Project Chicago, IL | GRANT | $150,000 |
| The Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO | GRANT | $88,240 |
| Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County Glendale, CA | GRANT | $75,000 |
| Public Counsel Los Angeles, CA | GRANT | $75,000 |
| Georgia Resource Center Atlanta, GA | GRANT | $75,000 |
| DC Volunteer Lawyers Project Washington, DC | GRANT | $50,000 |
| Project One Vet at a Time Parrish, FL | GRANT | $50,000 |
| Suzerain Capital Defense Lexington, SC | GRANT | $50,000 |
| Just the Beginning Chicago, IL | GRANT | $50,000 |
| University of Colorado Foundation Denver, CO | GRANT | $50,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $8,128,165 | $1,097,022 | $901,232 | $779,240 | 13 | $728,394 |
| 2024 | $7,728,894 | $604,233 | $839,723 | $741,400 | 11 | $216,460 |
| 2023 | $6,838,109 | $636,679 | $635,221 | $555,500 | 10 | $242,989 |
| 2022 | $6,162,600 | $532,499 | $781,755 | $690,500 | 13 | $118,937 |
| 2021 | $7,250,547 | $595,626 | $597,791 | $500,500 | 9 | $196,416 |
| 2020 | $5,840,250 | $485,348 | $683,957 | $518,925 | 16 | $138,707 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission includes improving the administration of justice, trial practice, and the delivery and quality of legal services in the United States and Canada, as well as studying and enhancing professionalism and ethics in the practice of law.
Its 2025 grants included organizations whose missions describe work in areas such as advocacy and direct representation for incarcerated people, civil rights and legal advocacy, and criminal defense trial-skills training. For example, Illinois Prison Project describes its work as advocacy, public education, and direct representation for incarcerated people and their loved ones. National Criminal Defense College describes its mission as delivering trial-skills training to criminal defense attorneys and preparing counsel to confront racism and bias in the criminal legal system. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 13 grants totaling $779,240. Grant amounts ranged from $6,000 to $150,000, with a median of $50,000.
Notable 2025 grants included $150,000 to Illinois Prison Project; $88,240 to the Curators of the University of Missouri; $75,000 each to Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County, Public Counsel, and Georgia Resource Center; and $50,000 each to DC Volunteer Lawyers Project, Project One Vet at a Time, Suzerain Capital Defense, Just the Beginning, and the University of Colorado Foundation. The National Criminal Defense College received $35,000, designated for advocacy training.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists David J. Hensler as president; Susan J. Harriman as secretary; Francis M. Wikstrom as treasurer; and David P. Ackerman, Elizabeth N. Mulvey, Rodney Acker, Lynn K. Neuner, Samuel H. Franklin, Jeffery S. Leon, and Patricia A. Lynn-Ford as trustees.
Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc is led by David J. Hensler, President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 15 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
David J. Hensler
President
Trustee → Treasuer, 2021
Treasuer → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dennis Maggi
Actl Executive Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth N. Mulvey
Trustee
Trustee → Secretary, 2021
Secretary → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joseph Arellano
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patricia A. Lynn-Ford
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David P. Ackerman
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeffery S. Leon
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Samuel H. Franklin
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Henry E. Klingeman
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joe R. Caldwell Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lynn K. Neuner
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rodney Acker
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Francis M. Wikstrom
Treasuer
Trustee → Treasuer, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan J. Harriman
Secretary
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy Mrugalski
Senior Strategic Initiatives
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (11)
- Former: Bartholomew J. Dalton (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Joan A. Lukey (2020–2023) — President
- Former: Kathleen M. Trafford (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Kathleen Flynn Peterson (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: David R. Kott (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Patricia D. S. Trisha Jackson Lsm (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Robert L. Byman (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: William P. Keane (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Cheryl A. Bush (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Eugene K. Pettis (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: James L. Eisenbrandt (2020) — Secretary
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.
Frequently asked questions about Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc
How much does Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc give each year?
Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc gave $779K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $741K across 11 grants.
What is Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc's typical grant size?
Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $59,942, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc that year got $69K on average.
Where does Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc give grants?
Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc's top state is Illinois, with 26% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were California (19%) and Georgia (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (2 grants) and Atlanta, GA (2 grants).
Does Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Grant" (11 grants).
Who are Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc's largest grantees?
Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Illinois Prison Project ($150,000), The Curators of the University of Missouri ($88,240) and Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County ($75,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc?
Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc reported $8.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.1M.
What does Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc fund?
The foundation’s stated mission includes improving the administration of justice, trial practice, and the delivery and quality of legal services in the United States and Canada, as well as studying and enhancing professionalism and ethics in the practice of law. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc?
Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc's EIN?
Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1450222. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/foundation-ii-of-the-american-college-of-trial-lawyers-inc-morg_4727c3e48cda4c45a096f7338d3a9c0d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_311450222_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/foundation-ii-of-the-american-college-of-trial-lawyers-inc-morg_4727c3e48cda4c45a096f7338d3a9c0d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Foundation II of the American College of Trial Lawyers Inc'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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