Gilbert & J Dorothy Palay Family

Foundation · Grantmaker MADISON, WI EIN: 39-1287503

The Gilbert & J Dorothy Palay Family Foundation Ltd. is a private foundation based in Madison, Wisconsin. The foundation maintains a focused approach to philanthropic giving across select regions and issue areas.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

Annual Giving

$147K

-42.5% YoY

Grant Count

19

-5.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$8K

-39.5% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's grant-making priorities include:

  • Education
  • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
  • Human Services

Grantmaking

No specific application procedures or deadlines are documented in available sources.

Grant Range

& Activity:**

Review Cycle

are documented in available sources.

How to Apply

**

Your AI grants department

Ready to take the next step with Gilbert & J Dorothy Palay Family?

Fully replaces Grant database subscriptions Instrumentl · Foundation Directory · GrantStation & similar

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily directs grants to organizations in:

  • Wisconsin
  • Illinois
  • New York

Grant Distribution by State

10states
+2 more states

Cities

AMENIAATLANTAAVONBOSTONBROOKLYNCAMBRIDGECHICAGODEERFIELDGLENCOEGLENDALEMADISONMILWAUKEENEW YORKPALM DESERTPHILADELPHIARANCHO MIRAGEURBANAWASHINGTONWEST PALM BEACH

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of Most Recent Filing (2025):

  • Total assets: $1,092,846
  • Total giving: $146,800
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$0.275$0.55$0.8250000000000001$1.120212022202320242025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
Distributable Amount

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$64K$128K$192K$255K17 grants202114 grants202221 grants202320 grants202419 grants2025

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

JEWISH FEDERATION OF MAD…$43KJEWISH UNITED FUND$20KUNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN …$17KTHE COUNCIL ON STRATEGIC…$10KUW FOUNDATION$10KGEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY LO…$10KNICOLET HIGH SCHOOL (JAM…$10KNORTON MUSEUM OF ART INC$5KHARVARD HILLEL (HILLEL F…$4KBROOKLYN HEIGHTS SYNAGOGUE$4K

Grant Size Distribution

91 grants across all recorded years

89<$50K1$50–100K1$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include Jewish Federation of Madison ($43,000), Jewish United Fund ($20,000), University of Wisconsin Hillel Foundation ($17,200).

RecipientPurposeAmount
AMERICAN BRAIN TUMOR ASSOCIATION CHICAGO, ILGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT$1,000
BETH ISRAEL CENTER MADISON, WIGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT$2,000
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF DANE COUNTY MADISON, WIGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT$1,000
EMORY UNIVERSITY ATLANTA, GAGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT$1,000
HARVARD HILLEL (HILLEL FOUNDATION OF CAMBRIDGE INC) CAMBRIDGE, MAGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT$4,000
HARVARD UNIVERSITY BOSTON, MAGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT$1,000
JEWISH FEDERATION OF MADISON MADISON, WIGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT$43,000
JEWISH UNITED FUND CHICAGO, ILGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT$20,000
L'CHAIM CENTER FOR INSPIRED LIVING INC DEERFIELD, ILGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT$1,000
LYMPHOMA RESEARCH FOUNDATION NEW YORK, NYGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT$2,500

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

From 2025 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
THOMAS M PALAYPRESIDENT/DIRECTOR
ROBERT J PALAYVICE-PRESIDENT/TREASURER/DIRECTOR
JESSICA C SADOWSECRETARY/DIRECTOR
DANIEL G PALAYASSISTANT SECRETARY/DIRECTOR

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Gilbert & J Dorothy Palay Family fund?

The foundation's grant-making priorities include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services

How do I apply for a grant from Gilbert & J Dorothy Palay Family?

**Grant Size & Activity:** • Total annual giving: $146,800 • Typical award range: $1,000–$110,000 • The foundation currently has no live grant opportunities listed **Application Process:** No specific application procedures or deadlines are documented in available sources.

Where does Gilbert & J Dorothy Palay Family make grants?

The foundation primarily directs grants to organizations in: • Wisconsin • Illinois • New York

What size grants does Gilbert & J Dorothy Palay Family award?

In 2025, Gilbert & J Dorothy Palay Family awarded 19 grants totaling $147K — an average of about $8K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

What is Gilbert & J Dorothy Palay Family's EIN?

Gilbert & J Dorothy Palay Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1287503. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.

Explore Open Grants

Browse active grant opportunities in Gilbert & J Dorothy Palay Family's focus areas in our free grants database

Similar Funders

Funders that support many of the same organizations

More Funders in Wisconsin

Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

Your AI grants department

Here's the math on researching Gilbert & J Dorothy Palay Family by hand.