JL Family Foundation
JL Family Foundation is a private foundation based in San Diego, California. Its 2025 filing describes direct charitable activities benefiting the health and welfare of people, plants, and animals.
Key facts about JL Family Foundation
In short: JL Family Foundation gave $119K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), top state California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 85-3911287
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $119,300
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- Average grant
- $10,845
- Median grant
- $7,500
- Total assets
- $2,682,136
- Primary geography
- California (45% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation states that it 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. 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
$2.7M
+0.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$119K
-6.4% YoY
Grant Count
11
-15.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$11K
+10.6% YoY
How JL Family Foundation gives
- 55% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−14%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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
The foundation’s 2025 filing describes activities to benefit the health and welfare of people, plants, and animals. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations working in areas such as veterans’ services, family support, conservation, medical research, animal rescue, and disaster-search-dog training.
The Gary Sinise Foundation, which received $50,000 in 2025, says it supports veterans, military members, first responders, their families, and families of fallen heroes through programs that provide support and build communities.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $119,300 across 11 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $50,000, with a median grant of $7,500. Notable grants included $50,000 to the Gary Sinise Foundation, $15,000 to Ronald McDonald House (Orange County), $10,300 to Newport Bay Conservancy, $10,000 to the Michael Fox Foundation, and $10,000 to San Diego Humane Society.
How to Apply
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with JL Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 45% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 42% to Tennessee, 9% to New York, and 4% to Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $14K (2021) to $262K (2023). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $119K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Gary Sinise Foundation ($50K). Together the top 10 received $119K.
Grant Size Distribution
45 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 43 grants of 45 (96%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Gary Sinise Foundation Nashville, TN | Service to Military Veterans | $50,000 |
| Ronald McDonald House Orange County, CA | Provide Support for Families and Ch | $15,000 |
| Newport Bay Conservancy Newport Beach, CA | Protection of Newport Bay | $10,300 |
| Michael Fox Foundation New York, NY | Parkinson Disease Research | $10,000 |
| San Diego Humane Society San Diego, CA | Rescue Animals and Wildlife | $10,000 |
| Alzheimer Association San Jose, CA | Reseach and Treat Alzheimers | $7,500 |
| ALS Golden West Woodland Hills, CA | To Help Parkinson Disease Victims | $5,000 |
| National Disaster Search Dog Santa Paula, CA | To Provide Dog Training for Disaster | $5,000 |
| Semper K9 Catlett, VA | Provide Service Dogs to Veterans | $5,000 |
| Lions Tigers Bears Alpine, CA | Exotic Animal Santuary | $1,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,682,136 | $153,900 | $143,197 | $119,300 | 11 |
| 2024 | $2,671,433 | $93,942 | $152,287 | $127,500 | 13 |
| 2023 | $2,729,778 | $28,689 | $283,537 | $261,500 | 8 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,682,136 | $2,671,433 | $2,729,778 |
| Revenue | $153,900 | $93,942 | $28,689 |
| Expenses | $143,197 | $152,287 | $283,537 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $119,300 | $127,500 | $261,500 |
| Net Investment Income | $83,900 | $82,894 | $81,067 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Debra Lubensky as Director/CEO; Terry Cope as Director/Secretary; and Chad Cope, Kyle Cope, and Greg Villard as Directors.
JL Family Foundation is led by Debra Lubensky, Director & CEO on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Debra Lubensky
Director & CEO
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Chad Cope
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Greg Villard
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Kyle Cope
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Terry Cope
Director & Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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: 3830 Valley Centre Drive 705-373, San Diego, CA 92130
Phone: (619) 685-7212
Frequently asked questions about JL Family Foundation
How much does JL Family Foundation give each year?
JL Family Foundation gave $119K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $128K across 13 grants.
What is JL Family Foundation's typical grant size?
JL Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $7,500, and its average grant was $10,845, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does JL Family Foundation give grants?
JL Family Foundation's top state is California, with 45% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Tennessee (42%) and New York (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (2 grants).
Does JL Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on JL Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are JL Family Foundation's largest grantees?
JL Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Gary Sinise Foundation ($50,000), Ronald McDonald House ($15,000) and Newport Bay Conservancy ($10,300), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is JL Family Foundation?
JL Family Foundation reported $2.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $154K.
What does JL Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2025 filing describes activities to benefit the health and welfare of people, plants, and animals. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from JL Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 JL Family Foundation's EIN?
JL Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-3911287. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does JL Family Foundation 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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