Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc
The Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Edwardsville, Illinois. Its 2024 grants supported charitable organizations working in areas including food assistance, homelessness, crisis support, animal rescue, and services for families.
Key facts about Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc
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.
- EIN
- 39-1988285
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $410,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 34
- Average grant
- $12,059
- Median grant
- $10,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 53% first-time grantees (18 of 34, 2025)
- Total assets
- $4,479,122
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (49% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$4.5M
-8.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$410K
+42.9% YoY
Grant Count
34
+36.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$12K
+5.0% YoY
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.
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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for food banks and food pantries, organizations serving people experiencing homelessness, women in crisis, families with children with special needs, and animal shelters and rescue groups.
The grantees describe their work in their own terms. The River Food Pantry says its mission is “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 people experiencing homelessness. Gio’s Garden says it works to strengthen families with children with special needs, ages birth through six, by increasing access to services.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 25 grants totaling $287,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $60,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest grants included $60,000 to The River Food Pantry in Madison, Wisconsin; $40,000 to Timothy’s Ministry in Wheaton, Illinois; and $20,000 to Glen-Ed Pantry in Edwardsville, Illinois. Other grants included $15,000 each to Courage Connection and Eastern Illinois Food Bank in Urbana, Illinois; Health by All Means in Madison, Wisconsin; Muncie Crime Stoppers in Muncie, Indiana; and Tenth Life Cat Rescue in St. Louis, Missouri.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went to organizations in Wisconsin (37%), Illinois (37%), Missouri (17%), Indiana (5%), and Washington, D.C. (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 34 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
116 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
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 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $287,000 | 25 |
| 2023 | $257,000 | 23 |
| 2022 | $290,000 | 19 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,479,122 | $4,911,073 | $5,186,564 |
| Revenue | $44,593 | $79,442 | $206,781 |
| Expenses | $489,480 | $354,933 | $329,999 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $415,726 | $293,422 | $261,695 |
| Net Investment Income | $49,905 | $118,527 | $138,477 |
| Distributable Amount | $277,437 | $263,330 | $243,709 |
Data update history
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
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Graham L Johnson as president, Kyle P Johnson as vice president, Erik S Johnson as secretary, 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.
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 467, Edwardsville, IL 62025
Phone: (608) 241-9516
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 2024 grants included support for food banks and food pantries, organizations serving people experiencing homelessness, women in crisis, families with children with special needs, and animal shelters and rescue groups. The grantees describe their work in their own terms. The River Food Pantry says its mission is “food, resources, and faith to build a stronger community.” Timothy’s Ministry says it provides fellowship, food, clothing, job n…
How do I apply for a grant from Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. 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 September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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