Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc
Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Edwardsville, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations working in areas including food assistance, social services, animal welfare, health, and support for people with disabilities.
Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc gave $410K across 34 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), top state Wisconsin. 53% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $410,000
- +42.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 34
- +36.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,059
- +5.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $4,479,122
- -8.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 53% first-time grantees (18 of 34, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (49% 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 Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc
- 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 467, Edwardsville, IL 62025
Phone: (608) 241-9516
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The River Food Pantry ($100K). Together the top 10 received $258K.
Grant Size Distribution
116 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 110 grants of 116 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin (49%), Illinois (20%), and Missouri (17%). Recipients in Washington, DC, and Indiana each received 4% of grant dollars.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 34 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
53%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 18 of 34 grantees (53%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $17K. How we count
Medians: $7K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 41% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 41% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 150% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $257K (2023) to $410K (2025). In 2025 it made 34 grants totaling $410K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The River Food Pantry Madison, WI | Food Bank | $100,000 |
| Timothy's Ministry Wheaton, IL | General Operations | $40,000 |
| Angel's Wish Verona, WI | Animal Rescue | $15,000 |
| Courage Connection Urbana, IL | For Support of Women in Crisis | $15,000 |
| Eastern Illinois Food Bank Urbana, IL | Food Bank | $15,000 |
| Health by All Means Madison, WI | General Operations | $15,000 |
| Heroes and Helpers Muncie, IN | General Operations | $15,000 |
| International Institute of Metro St Louis St. Louis, MO | Immigrant Services Support | $15,000 |
| St Louis Public Radio St. Louis, MO | General Operations | $15,000 |
| Agape Ranch Verona, WI | Services for Foster Children | $13,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc?
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 | $4,479,122 | $44,593 | $489,480 | $410,000 | 34 | $415,726 | $49,905 | $277,437 |
| 2024 | $4,911,073 | $79,442 | $354,933 | $287,000 | 25 | $293,422 | $118,527 | $263,330 |
| 2023 | $5,186,564 | $206,781 | $329,999 | $257,000 | 23 | $261,695 | $138,477 | $243,709 |
| 2022 | $5,309,782 | $-2,172 | $374,302 | $290,000 | 19 | $294,715 | $36,251 | $254,869 |
| 2021 | $5,690,427 | $98,174 | $466,434 | $375,000 | 15 | $382,386 | $14,126 | $279,817 |
| 2020 | $6,052,735 | $118,808 | $434,695 | $305,000 | 11 | — | — | $270,182 |
| 2019 | $6,381,273 | $205,744 | $459,891 | $320,000 | 13 | — | $71,986 | $270,380 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $277K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied charitable missions. For example, The River Food Pantry describes its mission as providing “food, resources, and faith to build a stronger community.” Timothy’s Ministry says it provides fellowship, food, clothing, job networking, transportation, short-term medical care, and housing for homeless people. Other 2025 grantees include animal rescue and welfare organizations, cancer research and support organizations, and organizations serving people with disabilities and their families.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 34 grants totaling $410,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $100,000, with a median grant of $10,000. The largest grants included $100,000 to The River Food Pantry for a food bank and $40,000 to Timothy’s Ministry for general operations. Other notable grants were $15,000 each to Angel’s Wish for animal rescue, Courage Connection for support of women in crisis, Eastern Illinois Food Bank for a food bank, Health by All Means for general operations, Heroes and Helpers for general operations, the International Institute of Metro St. Louis for immigrant services support, and St. Louis Public Radio for general operations. The foundation also gave $10,000 to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance for research and support services.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Graham L Johnson as president, Erik S Johnson as secretary, Kyle P Johnson as vice president, Courtney McCarthy as treasurer, and Ann Meyer as director.
Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc is led by Graham L. Johnson, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Graham L. Johnson
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ann Meyer
Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Courtney McCarthy
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Erik S. Johnson
Secretary
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kyle P. Johnson
Vice President
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc
How much does Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc give each year?
Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc gave $410K across 34 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $287K across 25 grants.
What is Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $12,059, across 34 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc that year got $8K on average.
Where does Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc give grants?
Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc's top state is Wisconsin, with 49% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Illinois (20%) and Missouri (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (7 grants), Madison, WI (5 grants), Middleton, WI (3 grants) and Urbana, IL (2 grants).
Does Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 29% of Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 34) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Food Pantry" (5 grants), "Animal Rescue" (3 grants) and "Research and Support Services" (3 grants).
Who are Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include The River Food Pantry ($100,000), Timothy's Ministry ($40,000) and Angel's Wish ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc?
Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc reported $4.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $416K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $277K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied charitable missions. For example, The River Food Pantry describes its mission as providing “food, resources, and faith to build a stronger community.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc?
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 Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc's EIN?
Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1988285. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 6, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 2, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 6, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 21, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 16, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 26, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lester-and-frances-johnson-foundation-inc-morg_32b2312c73c7435a91255a809a42afa1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_391988285_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lester \& Frances Johnson Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lester-and-frances-johnson-foundation-inc-morg_32b2312c73c7435a91255a809a42afa1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 Lester & Frances Johnson 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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