Judd Leighton Foundation Inc
Judd Leighton Foundation Inc. is a private foundation based in South Bend, Indiana. It provides grant assistance to tax-exempt organizations addressing community problems or needs, with a primary focus on improving quality of life in St. Joseph County through investment in healthcare, education, and economic development.
Judd Leighton Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Judd Leighton Foundation Inc gave $6.7M across 49 grants in 2024 (avg $138K), mostly in Indiana. 37% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $6,738,585
- +27.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 49
- +6.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $137,522
- +19.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $149,593,378
- +8.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 37% first-time grantees (18 of 49, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Indiana (81% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Judd Leighton Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
Applicants are encouraged to review the foundation’s online guidelines, clearly explain how their proposal addresses healthcare, education, or economic development and benefits the community at large, and use the grant…
Applicants are encouraged to review the foundation’s online guidelines, clearly explain how their proposal addresses healthcare, education, or economic development and benefits the community at large, and use the grant proposal form on the foundation’s website. The website recommends contacting the executive director at the start of the process. The foundation’s filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- The board meets quarterly, typically in March, June, September, and December. Proposals are reviewed at the June and December meetings and must be received by the middle of the preceding month. The foundation advises applicants to contact its executive director for specific review dates.
- Deadline
- The board meets quarterly, typically in March, June, September, and December.
- Contact
Application contact: Kate Mullins
Mailing address: 202 S Michigan St Suite 900, South Bend, IN 46601
Phone: (574) 232-5970
Website: https://juddleightonfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Judd Leighton Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was University of Notre Dame ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $5.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
225 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 111 grants of 225 (49%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation identifies St. Joseph County, Indiana, as its primary geographic focus. Its 2024 filing shows grant dollars distributed by recipient state as 81% to Indiana, 11% to Minnesota, and 8% to Michigan; Idaho and Wisconsin each accounted for 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 49 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Judd Leighton Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
37%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 18 of 49 grantees (37%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $64K; repeat grants $180K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 53% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−16%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 99% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $4.9M (2020) to $8.0M (2021). In 2024 it made 49 grants totaling $6.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN | To support general operations and specific programs | $1,015,000 |
| Mayo Foundation Rochestor, MN | To support general operations | $750,000 |
| Morris Performing Arts Center South Bend, IN | To support general operations | $500,000 |
| St Margaret's House South Bend, IN | To support general operations | $500,000 |
| YMCA Camp Eberhart Three Rivers, MI | To support general operations and specific programs | $500,000 |
| Community Foundation of St Joseph County South Bend, IN | To support general operations and specific programs | $481,250 |
| EnFocus South Bend, IN | To support general operations | $450,000 |
| Iusb - Innovation Center Bloomington, IN | To support general operations | $400,000 |
| South Bend - Elkhart Regional Partnership South Bend, IN | To support general operations | $325,000 |
| Healthlinc Inc Michigan City, IN | To support general operations | $200,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $149,593,378 | $11,031,966 | $13,259,990 | $6,738,585 | 49 | $7,067,450 | $8,591,303 | $7,138,829 |
| 2023 | $138,477,363 | $5,233,904 | $5,842,143 | $5,286,505 | 46 | $5,577,716 | $4,044,316 | $6,434,182 |
| 2022 | $129,484,465 | $5,190,871 | $9,248,825 | $7,262,625 | 44 | $7,596,024 | $4,896,152 | $6,692,498 |
| 2021 | $156,053,678 | $15,601,686 | $7,059,908 | $7,976,750 | 44 | $8,313,983 | $14,658,036 | $7,323,836 |
| 2020 | $73,185,537 | $7,231,133 | $6,996,588 | $4,857,250 | 42 | — | $5,618,438 | $6,091,477 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Judd Leighton Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $7.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated vision is to improve quality of life in its community through investment in healthcare, education, and economic development. Applicants must operate under a 501(c)(3) designation. Grants to religious organizations are limited to non-sectarian purposes or programs, and the foundation does not make grants directly to individuals.
Examples of supported organizations include St. Margaret’s House, which describes itself as a day center serving women and children living in economic poverty; HealthLinc, which says it provides comprehensive healthcare regardless of a patient’s ability to pay; and EnFocus, which describes its work as talent attraction and economic development. The CASIE Center says it uses a multidisciplinary approach to address child abuse, with an emphasis on sexual abuse.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 49 grants totaling $6,738,585. Grant amounts ranged from $160 to $1,015,000, with a median of $50,000. The largest awards included $1,015,000 to the University of Notre Dame for general operations and specific programs; $750,000 to Mayo Foundation for general operations; $500,000 each to Morris Performing Arts Center, St. Margaret’s House, and YMCA Camp Eberhart; and $481,250 to the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County for general operations and specific programs.
The foundation’s website says proposals are evaluated for relevance to its focus areas, impact on the community at large, and long-term sustainability. Its policies prefer capital projects and program grants over operating or endowment support, and say it may use matching challenge grants where appropriate.
The foundation’s policies require at least 75% of its required annual distribution to be made within St. Joseph County. Its 2024 filing describes the requirement as at least 75% of amounts distributed in any period being for improving quality of life in the county.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists James F. Keenan as president and treasurer; John Pycik as vice president and secretary; Jerry French and Donald F. Walter as directors; and Kate Mullins as executive director.
Judd Leighton Foundation Inc is led by James F Keenan, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; all 5 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
James F Keenan
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$140K (2020) → $165K (2024)
Kate Mullins
Executive Director
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$110K (2023) → $116K (2024)
Donald F Walter
Director
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$50K (2020) → $55K (2024)
Jerry French
Director
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$46K (2020) → $50K (2024)
John Pycik
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$52K (2020) → $56K (2024)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Charles Nelson (2020–2023) — Executive Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $165K, to James F Keenan (President / Treasurer). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Judd Leighton Foundation Inc
How much does Judd Leighton Foundation Inc give each year?
Judd Leighton Foundation Inc gave $6.7M across 49 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $5.3M across 46 grants.
What is Judd Leighton Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Judd Leighton Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $137,522, across 49 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Judd Leighton Foundation Inc that year got $64K on average.
Where does Judd Leighton Foundation Inc give grants?
Judd Leighton Foundation Inc gives mostly in Indiana: 81% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Minnesota (11%) and Michigan (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were South Bend, IN (32 grants), Notre Dame, IN (3 grants), Bloomington, IN (3 grants) and Michigan City, IN (2 grants).
Does Judd Leighton Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Judd Leighton Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (49 of 49) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Judd Leighton Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Judd Leighton Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include University of Notre Dame ($1,015,000), Mayo Foundation ($750,000) and Morris Performing Arts Center ($500,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Judd Leighton Foundation Inc?
Judd Leighton Foundation Inc reported $149.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $7.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $7.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Judd Leighton Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s stated vision is to improve quality of life in its community through investment in healthcare, education, and economic development. Applicants must operate under a 501(c)(3) designation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Judd Leighton Foundation Inc?
Applicants are encouraged to review the foundation’s online guidelines, clearly explain how their proposal addresses healthcare, education, or economic development and benefits the community at large, and use the grant… Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Judd Leighton Foundation Inc's EIN?
Judd Leighton Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-2120550. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Judd Leighton Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/judd-leighton-foundation-inc-morg_d1ded7f7d3464ef28d67c323f52704be
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_352120550_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Judd Leighton Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/judd-leighton-foundation-inc-morg_d1ded7f7d3464ef28d67c323f52704be},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Judd Leighton Foundation 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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