Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation
IRVING & ROBERTA LEWIS CHARITABLE is a private foundation based in Bannockburn, Illinois. It reported making 11 grants totaling $215,000 in 2024 to charitable organizations, including organizations serving Jewish communities, supporting civil and human rights, and providing social services.
Key facts about Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation
In short: Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation gave $215K across 11 grants in 2024 (avg $20K), top state New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 36-4157221
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $215,000
- Grants made (2024)
- 11
- Average grant
- $19,545
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $2,266,440
- Primary geography
- New York (47% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The filing lists Nancy Lewis as the contact and says applications should be in writing. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.3M
+6.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$215K
-35.8% YoY
Grant Count
11
+175.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$20K
-76.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $119K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation gives
- 27% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 79% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 182% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2024). 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 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. The Lawfare Project describes its work as defending the civil and human rights of Jewish people and fighting discrimination. Friends of Ethiopian Jews says it supports programs in Israel for Ethiopian Jews in education, employment, equality, and changing the public narrative. The Ark says it helps Chicagoland Jews facing adversity move toward self-reliance through free, comprehensive services.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 11 grants totaling $215,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $75,000, with a median of $15,000. Among its largest grants were $75,000 to The Lawfare Project, $25,000 each to Brothers and Sisters of Israel and Ravinia, and $20,000 each to Friends of Ethiopian Jews and The Ark.
How to Apply
The filing lists Nancy Lewis as the contact and says applications should be in writing. It states that giving is not restricted to preselected organizations and that there are no restrictions on awards.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars were reported as going to recipients in New York (47%), Illinois (33%), Pennsylvania (12%), and Massachusetts (9%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $15K (2019) to $335K (2023). In 2024 it made 11 grants totaling $215K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Lawfare Project ($75K). Together the top 10 received $210K.
Grant Size Distribution
29 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 23 grants of 29 (79%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Lawfare Project New York, NY | Charitable | $75,000 |
| Brothers and Sisters of Israel Wynnewood, PA | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Ravinia Highland Park, IL | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Friends of Ethiopian Jews Boston, MA | Charitable | $20,000 |
| The Ark Chicago, IL | Charitable | $20,000 |
| Hatzalah Brooklyn, NY | Charitable | $15,000 |
| Shirley Ryan Ability Lab Chicago, IL | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Zak'a Search and Rescue Brooklyn, NY | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Cradles to Crayons Chicago, IL | Charitable | $5,000 |
| JUF Chicago, IL | Charitable | $5,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grants | Grant total |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 11 | $215,000 |
| 2023 | 4 | $335,000 |
| 2022 | 4 | $187,000 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,266,440 | $2,125,581 | $1,924,659 |
| Revenue | $46,280 | $57,275 | $4,387 |
| Expenses | $221,426 | $339,683 | $189,938 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $216,378 | $335,030 | $187,000 |
| Net Investment Income | $44,987 | $54,250 | $35,111 |
| Distributable Amount | $118,646 | $102,387 | $99,924 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 4, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 27, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 11, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Nancy Lewis as president and director, Steven R Kolber as treasurer and director, and David Lewis as secretary and director.
Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation is led by Nancy Lewis, President & Director since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Nancy Lewis
President & Director
Treasurer & Director → President & Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Lewis
Secretary & Director
Director → Secretary & Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steven R. Kolber
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Jeffry Lewis (2020–2022) — President & Director
- Former: Irving Lewis (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Application contact: Nancy Lewis
Mailing address: 88 W Schiller 604, Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: (312) 787-6027
Frequently asked questions about Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation
How much does Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation give each year?
Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation gave $215K across 11 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $335K across 4 grants.
What is Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $19,545, across 11 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation give grants?
Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation's top state is New York, with 47% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Illinois (33%) and Pennsylvania (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (5 grants) and Brooklyn, NY (2 grants).
Does Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (11 grants).
Who are Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Lawfare Project ($75,000), Brothers and Sisters of Israel ($25,000) and Ravinia ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 58% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation?
Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation reported $2.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $216K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $119K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. The Lawfare Project describes its work as defending the civil and human rights of Jewish people and fighting discrimination. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation?
The filing lists Nancy Lewis as the contact and says applications should be in writing. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Irving & Roberta Lewis Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4157221. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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