Gilbert & J Dorothy Palay Family

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

**

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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.

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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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