Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation
The Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Lebanon, Illinois. It reported giving $52,500 through 16 grants in 2025 to charitable organizations with purposes including religious advancement, arts, history and preservation, veterans’ programs, and health-related work.
Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation gave $53K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), top state Illinois. 13% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $52,500
- +8.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- +14.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,281
- -5.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $779,640
- +0.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (2 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (42% 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 Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation
- 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 6, Lebanon, IL 62254
Phone: (618) 537-6666
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Messiah Lutheran Church ($15K). Together the top 10 received $47K.
Grant Size Distribution
41 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 41 grants of 41 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois (42%), Missouri (30%), Alabama (11%), Mississippi (6%), and Florida (6%). These figures describe the states of grant recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 16 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 88% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- In 2025 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 (2023–2025). 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 2023 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $49K (2024) to $53K (2025). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $53K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Messiah Lutheran Church Lebanon, IL | Religious Advancement | $15,000 |
| Central Printorg St. Louis, MO | Support of Art Letterpress | $10,000 |
| Helen Keller Birthplace Foundation Tuscumbia, AL | Support of Museum | $5,000 |
| Lebanon Historical Society Lebanon, IL | Research and preservation of the history of southern Illinois | $5,000 |
| Black History Museum of Corinth Corinth, MS | Education of Black History and Heritage | $3,000 |
| Wounded Warrior Project Inc Jacksonville, FL | Support of Veterans | $3,000 |
| Disabled American Veterans St. Louis, MO | Support of Veteran Programs | $2,000 |
| St Jude's Children Research Memphis, TN | Cancer Research Hospital | $2,000 |
| Easterseals St. Louis, MO | Supporting communities across il, ks and mo children and adults with disabilities | $1,000 |
| Girl Scouts of Southern Illinios Glen Carbon, IL | To build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place | $1,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation?
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 | $779,640 | $45,727 | $62,864 | $52,500 | 16 | $55,772 | $40,715 | $56,239 |
| 2024 | $778,313 | $105,248 | $53,823 | $48,500 | 14 | $49,000 | $104,396 | $53,452 |
| 2023 | $725,664 | $36,412 | $58,864 | $52,000 | 11 | $54,782 | $34,215 | $54,782 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $56K 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 show support for organizations working in areas such as religion, the arts, museums, historical research and preservation, Black history and heritage, veterans’ programs, disability services, and medical research and care.
One 2025 recipient, Wounded Warrior Project, describes its mission as supporting the well-being of post-9/11 veterans, active-duty service members, and their families through programs, advocacy, and awareness efforts. That is the grantee’s stated mission, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 16 grants totaling $52,500. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $15,000, with a median grant of $1,500.
Among the largest reported grants were $15,000 to Messiah Lutheran Church for religious advancement; $10,000 to Central Printorg for support of art letterpress; $5,000 each to Helen Keller Birthplace Foundation for museum support and Lebanon Historical Society for research and preservation of the history of Southern Illinois; and $3,000 each to Black History Museum of Corinth for education about Black history and heritage and Wounded Warrior Project for support of veterans.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Harriet Lois Church, Gigi Dowling Urban, and John Long as trustees.
Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; 2 of 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gigi Dowling Urban
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$500 (2023) → $500 (2025)
John Long
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$500 (2023) → $500 (2025)
Harriet Lois Church
Trustee
On filings since 2023
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2023–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $500, to Gigi Dowling Urban (Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation
How much does Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation give each year?
Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation gave $53K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $49K across 14 grants.
What is Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $3,281, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation give grants?
Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 42% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Missouri (30%) and Alabama (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (6 grants) and Lebanon, IL (3 grants).
Does Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Messiah Lutheran Church ($15,000), Central Printorg ($10,000) and Helen Keller Birthplace Foundation ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation?
Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation reported $780K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $56K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $56K (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 Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas such as religion, the arts, museums, historical research and preservation, Black history and heritage, veterans’ programs, disability services, and medical research and care. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Leon & Helen Church 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 Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation's EIN?
Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 73-0702156. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2023–2025.
Does Leon & Helen Church 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.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2023–2025
Live grants for the work Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation funds
Arts, Culture & Humanities Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Leon & Helen Church Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 26, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/leon-and-helen-church-family-foundation-morg_abe6f3eaa7cc488993eddacb6a0d640f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_730702156_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Leon \& Helen Church Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/leon-and-helen-church-family-foundation-morg_abe6f3eaa7cc488993eddacb6a0d640f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-26. 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 Leon & Helen Church Family 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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