Lakonishok Foundation
The Lakonishok Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2024 grants supported arts, education, and charitable organizations, with most grant dollars going to recipients in Illinois.
Lakonishok Foundation at a glance
In short: Lakonishok Foundation gave $2.2M across 17 grants in 2024 (avg $129K), mostly in Illinois. 29% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,185,163
- +24.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 17
- -5.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $128,539
- +31.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $8,458,012
- +6.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 29% first-time grantees (5 of 17, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (89% 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 Lakonishok Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1943 N Burling, Chicago, IL 60614
Phone: (217) 356-9199
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lakonishok Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Joffrey Ballet ($801K). Together the top 10 received $2.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
94 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 66 grants of 94 (70%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 89% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 6% to New York, and 5% to Virginia. California and Washington, D.C., each accounted for 0% of grant dollars.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Lakonishok Foundation open to new grantees?
29%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 17 grantees (29%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $181K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $120K repeat.
- 71% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 78% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $1.2M (2021) to $2.2M (2024). In 2024 it made 17 grants totaling $2.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Joffrey Ballet Chicago, IL | ARTS | $800,563 |
| Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chicago, IL | ARTS | $375,000 |
| Lyric Opera of Chicago Chicago, IL | ARTS | $250,000 |
| Art Institute Chicago, IL | ARTS | $250,000 |
| University of Illinois Urbana, IL | Education | $200,000 |
| Fidf New York, NY | Charity | $140,000 |
| Navy Seal Foundation Virginia Beach, VA | Charity - US Military | $100,000 |
| Northwestern Medical School Chicago, IL | Education | $25,000 |
| Hand in Hand USA Oak Brook, IL | Charity | $25,000 |
| College Possible Chicago Chicago, IL | Education | $10,000 |
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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 | $8,458,012 | $5,924,435 | $2,195,489 | $2,185,163 | 17 | $2,185,163 | $2,260,699 | $1,947 |
| 2023 | $7,912,086 | $1,651,982 | $1,765,810 | $1,754,897 | 18 | $1,754,897 | $1,093,768 | — |
| 2022 | $8,812,321 | $733,928 | $1,501,010 | $1,441,000 | 20 | $1,441,000 | $733,928 | $428,231 |
| 2021 | $9,849,239 | $2,078,337 | $1,237,156 | $1,228,000 | 20 | $1,228,000 | $2,074,767 | — |
| 2020 | $9,409,709 | $5,751,970 | $1,365,100 | $1,365,100 | 19 | — | $2,547,664 | $425,893 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lakonishok Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for arts organizations, educational institutions, and charities. Among the grantees, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association says its mission is to enrich, inspire, and transform lives through music, community engagement, and education. Lyric Opera of Chicago describes its work as providing cultural service to the Chicago region and nation and advancing opera. The Navy SEAL Foundation says it supports warriors, veterans, and families of Naval Special Warfare. Hand in Hand USA describes its work as supporting humanitarian projects in rural India and elsewhere, and Operation Smile says it provides surgery for people born with cleft conditions and supports medical education and health-system strengthening.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 17 grants totaling $2,185,163. The median grant was $25,000; individual grants ranged from $500 to $800,563. Recent giving totaled $1,754,897 across 18 grants in 2023 and $1,441,000 across 20 grants in 2022.
The largest reported 2024 grants included $800,563 to Joffrey Ballet, $375,000 to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, $250,000 to Lyric Opera of Chicago, $250,000 to the Art Institute, and $200,000 to the University of Illinois. Other grants included $140,000 to FIDF, $100,000 to the Navy SEAL Foundation, and $25,000 each to Northwestern Medical School and Hand in Hand USA.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Josef Lakonishok was listed as president on the 2024 filing.
Lakonishok Foundation is led by Josef Lakonishok, President on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Josef Lakonishok
President
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Lakonishok Foundation
How much does Lakonishok Foundation give each year?
Lakonishok Foundation gave $2.2M across 17 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.8M across 18 grants.
What is Lakonishok Foundation's typical grant size?
Lakonishok Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $128,539, across 17 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lakonishok Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Lakonishok Foundation give grants?
Lakonishok Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (8 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Virginia Beach, VA (2 grants).
Does Lakonishok Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Lakonishok Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (6 grants), "Arts" (4 grants) and "Charity" (4 grants).
Who are Lakonishok Foundation's largest grantees?
Lakonishok Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Joffrey Ballet ($800,563), Chicago Symphony Orchestra ($375,000) and Lyric Opera of Chicago ($250,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 65% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Lakonishok Foundation?
Lakonishok Foundation reported $8.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Lakonishok Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for arts organizations, educational institutions, and charities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lakonishok Foundation?
The foundation 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 Lakonishok Foundation's EIN?
Lakonishok Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-3460720. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Lakonishok 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.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Lakonishok Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lakonishok Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lakonishok-foundation-morg_e20ffa0a12414135be44936f5cefdba9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_463460720_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lakonishok Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lakonishok-foundation-morg_e20ffa0a12414135be44936f5cefdba9},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Lakonishok Foundation'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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