LFF Foundation
LFF Foundation is a private foundation based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It made 20 grants totaling $112,757 in filing year 2025, including grants to organizations in Wisconsin and several other states.
LFF Foundation at a glance
In short: LFF Foundation gave $113K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in Wisconsin. 21% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $112,757
- +651.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- -13.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,638
- +763.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $500
- Total assets
- $247,143
- +375.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (4 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (91% 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 LFF Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2024 filing says to contact Theodore Friedlander and submit the LFF Foundation form with an IRS 501(c)(3). It states that awards have no restrictions. The filing lists an October 1 submission deadline for a December 1 meeting; that application cycle is in the past.
- Contact
Application contact: Theodore Friedlander
Mailing address: 322 E Michigan St Ste 250, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Phone: (414) 273-0308
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who LFF Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Medical College of Wisconsin ($100K). Together the top 10 received $110K.
Grant Size Distribution
121 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 120 grants of 121 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin. The remaining shares went to Florida (3%), Pennsylvania (3%), California (2%), and Virginia (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
Cities
Is LFF Foundation open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 19 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $25K; repeat grants $750. How we count
Medians: $600 first-time, $500 repeat.
- 68% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 526% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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 $8K (2019) to $113K (2025). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $113K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Medical College of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI | Operating Expenses | $100,000 |
| Circle of Friends Naples, FL | Operating Expenses | $2,500 |
| Settlement Music School Philadelphia, PA | Operating Expenses | $2,000 |
| Hoover Institution Stanford, CA | Operating Expenses | $1,000 |
| Milwaukee Rescue Mission Milwaukee, WI | Operating Expenses | $1,000 |
| Reason Foundation Los Angeles, CA | Operating Expenses | $1,000 |
| St John Neumann Catholic High Sch Naples, FL | Operating Expenses | $1,000 |
| Mercatus Center Pittsburgh, PA | Operating Expenses | $700 |
| Charles E Kubly Foundation Mequon, WI | Operating Expenses | $500 |
| Institute for Justice Arlington, VA | Operating Expenses | $500 |
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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 | $247,143 | $309,292 | $114,114 | $112,757 | 20 | $112,757 | $5,328 | $8,840 |
| 2024 | $51,965 | $8,263 | $16,300 | $15,010 | 23 | $15,010 | $8,263 | $3,078 |
| 2023 | $60,002 | $7,534 | $14,472 | $13,384 | 24 | $13,384 | $931 | $3,380 |
| 2022 | $66,940 | $496 | $19,009 | $18,019 | 28 | $18,019 | $481 | $4,245 |
| 2021 | $85,453 | $8,320 | $17,591 | $16,816 | 26 | $16,816 | $8,320 | $2,588 |
| 2020 | $94,832 | $28,241 | $11,063 | $9,183 | 24 | — | $28,241 | $1,114 |
| 2019 | $78,047 | $7,791 | $8,897 | $8,122 | 20 | — | $7,791 | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, LFF Foundation reported a distributable amount of $9K 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 with varied stated missions. The National Review Institute says its mission is to expand understanding of conservative principles and philosophy in society and culture. The Institute for Justice says it advances the rule of law through litigation, training, communication, activism, and research, including work on economic liberty, educational choice, property rights, and freedom of speech.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation awarded 20 grants totaling $112,757. Grant amounts ranged from $85 to $100,000, with a median grant of $500. The largest grant was $100,000 to Medical College of Wisconsin for operating expenses. Other notable grants included $2,500 to Circle of Friends, $2,000 to Settlement Music School, and $1,000 each to Hoover Institution, Milwaukee Rescue Mission, Reason Foundation, and St John Neumann Catholic High Sch; each was listed for operating expenses.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Theodore Friedlander as Vice Preside and Louise Friedlander as President/SE.
LFF Foundation is led by Louise Friedlander, President & Secretary on every filing since 2019; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Louise Friedlander
President & Secretary
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Theodore Friedlander
Vice President
Vice President & Treasurer → Vice President, 2021
On filings since 2019
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 LFF Foundation
How much does LFF Foundation give each year?
LFF Foundation gave $113K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $15K across 23 grants.
What is LFF Foundation's typical grant size?
LFF Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $500, and its average grant was $5,638, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from LFF Foundation that year got $25K on average.
Where does LFF Foundation give grants?
LFF Foundation gives mostly in Wisconsin: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Milwaukee, WI (5 grants), Naples, FL (2 grants), Philadelphia, PA (2 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does LFF Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 95% of LFF Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are LFF Foundation's largest grantees?
LFF Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Medical College of Wisconsin ($100,000), Circle of Friends ($2,500) and Settlement Music School ($2,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 93% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is LFF Foundation?
LFF Foundation reported $247K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $113K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $9K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does LFF Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations with varied stated missions. The National Review Institute says its mission is to expand understanding of conservative principles and philosophy in society and culture. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from LFF Foundation?
The foundation’s 2024 filing says to contact Theodore Friedlander and submit the LFF Foundation form with an IRS 501(c)(3). Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is LFF Foundation's EIN?
LFF Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-7253360. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 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 June 15, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 25, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 2, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 19, 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 3, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in LFF Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). LFF Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lff-foundation-morg_7f6c1cce88904b25949ffded94d31ba3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_527253360_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{LFF Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lff-foundation-morg_7f6c1cce88904b25949ffded94d31ba3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 LFF 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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