Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation
The Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. In 2025, it reported 54 grants totaling $357,500 to charitable organizations.
Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation at a glance
In short: Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation gave $358K across 54 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), top state Illinois. 9% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $357,500
- +4.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 54
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,620
- +4.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $7,005,408
- -0.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (5 of 54, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (33% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs 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: 129 East Bellevue 1005, Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (312) 543-5108
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Berea College ($20K). Together the top 10 received $143K.
Grant Size Distribution
257 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 257 grants of 257 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 33% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois and 28% to recipients in California. Other leading recipient states were Kentucky (7%), Ohio (4%), and the District of Columbia (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 54 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 54 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 89% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−2%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 105% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $330K (2021) to $366K (2022). In 2025 it made 54 grants totaling $358K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Berea College Berea, KY | IRS Approved Charity | $20,000 |
| La Rabida Childrens Hospital Chicago, IL | IRS Approved Charity | $20,000 |
| Zion Grove Baptist Church Chicago, IL | IRS Approved Charity | $20,000 |
| Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Chicago, IL | IRS Approved Charity | $17,500 |
| Painted Turtle Camp Santa Monica, CA | IRS Approved Charity | $15,000 |
| Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption Dublin, OH | IRS Approved Charity | $10,000 |
| Good Shepard Center for Homeless Women Los Angeles, CA | IRS Approved Charity | $10,000 |
| Harper College Educational Foundation Palatine, IL | IRS Approved Charity | $10,000 |
| Lurie Children's Foundation Chicago, IL | IRS Approved Charity | $10,000 |
| Nourishing Hope Chicago, IL | IRS Approved Charity | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $7,005,408 | $410,329 | $414,386 | $357,500 | 54 | $357,500 | $298,082 | $341,109 |
| 2024 | $7,009,465 | $444,010 | $373,266 | $342,275 | 54 | $342,275 | $383,019 | $338,175 |
| 2023 | $6,938,721 | $364,103 | $381,920 | $336,000 | 54 | $336,000 | $268,183 | $310,868 |
| 2022 | $6,956,538 | $825,885 | $421,815 | $366,000 | 59 | $366,000 | $370,070 | $338,851 |
| 2021 | $6,552,769 | $544,040 | $376,877 | $330,000 | 36 | — | $298,933 | $300,226 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation reported a distributable amount of $341K for 2025 — 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 2025 grants included organizations working in education, health care, adoption, food assistance, housing, animal welfare, and nursing education. These are examples of grantees’ work, not stated focus areas of the foundation.
For example, Berea College describes its mission as transforming the lives of students and families by admitting students of high promise and low means. La Rabida Children’s Hospital says it provides specialized, family-centered health care to children with medically complex conditions, disabilities, and chronic illness, regardless of their ability to pay. Nourishing Hope describes its services as food, mental health support, and social services for neighbors.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 54 grants totaling $357,500. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $20,000, with a median grant of $5,000.
Among its largest 2025 grants were $20,000 each to Berea College, La Rabida Children’s Hospital, and Zion Grove Baptist Church. It gave $17,500 to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and $15,000 to Painted Turtle Camp. Other 2025 grants included $10,000 each to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, Good Shepard Center for Homeless Women, Harper College Educational Foundation, Lurie Children’s Foundation, Nourishing Hope, Paterson Habitat for Humanity, and Save the Children.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Lisa Nemeroff is listed as a managing director on the 2025 filing.
Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation is led by Lisa Nemeroff, Director & Managing on every filing since 2021 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lisa Nemeroff
Director & Managing
On filings since 2021
12 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation
How much does Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation give each year?
Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation gave $358K across 54 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $342K across 54 grants.
What is Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation's typical grant size?
Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $6,620, across 54 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation give grants?
Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 33% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (28%) and Kentucky (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (12 grants), Los Angeles, CA (3 grants), Santa Monica, CA (2 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 54 grants with a stated purpose on Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "IRS Approved Charity" (54 grants).
Who are Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation's largest grantees?
Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Berea College ($20,000), La Rabida Childrens Hospital ($20,000) and Zion Grove Baptist Church ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 17% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation?
Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation reported $7.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $358K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $341K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations working in education, health care, adoption, food assistance, housing, animal welfare, and nursing education. These are examples of grantees’ work, not stated focus areas of the foundation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs 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 Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation's EIN?
Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6080570. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs 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 2021 (received by the IRS March 2, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 16, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 10, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 10, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lee-ann-and-melvin-h-jacobs-foundation-morg_f93d5ff965f54f1dae718247e418bcff
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_366080570_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lee-ann-and-melvin-h-jacobs-foundation-morg_f93d5ff965f54f1dae718247e418bcff},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Lee Ann and Melvin H Jacobs 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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