Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation
The Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Hicksville, New York. Its 2025 filing reports 22 grants totaling $1,017,465, with support going to organizations including cultural institutions, Jewish organizations, and a New York City parks organization.
Key facts about Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation
In short: Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation gave $1.0M across 22 grants in 2025 (avg $46K), mostly in New York. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 27-4318322
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,017,465
- Grants made (2025)
- 22
- Average grant
- $46,248
- Median grant
- $11,250
- Total assets
- $3,184,003
- Primary geography
- New York (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- 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. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. 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
$3.2M
-7.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.0M
+120.7% YoY
Grant Count
22
-18.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$46K
+170.9% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $162K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation gives
- 63% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 27% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 628% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 2025 grants show support for organizations in several fields. City Parks Foundation describes its work as using sports, arts, community-building, and education programs to invigorate parks and serve New Yorkers. The Museum at Eldridge Street says its mission is to maintain the Eldridge Street Synagogue and develop programming about Jewish culture, Lower East Side immigrant history, and architectural preservation. The Jewish Museum describes its mission as collecting, preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting art and Jewish culture. Play for Pink says it supports research related to breast cancer causes, cures, and prevention.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 22 grants totaling $1,017,465. Grants ranged from $500 to $340,000, with a median grant of $11,250. Notable grants included $340,000 to the University of Pennsylvania, $300,000 to United Jewish Appeal, $90,640 and $50,000 to the Studio Museum in Harlem, $37,500 to the Courtauld Institute, and $35,000 to The Jewish Board. Each of these grants was listed with the purpose “general donation.”
How to Apply
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars in 2025 went to recipients listed in New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $461K (2024) to $1.4M (2022). In 2025 it made 22 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Pennsylvania ($340K). Together the top 10 received $986K.
Grant Size Distribution
80 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 64 grants of 80 (80%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania Hicksville, NY | General Donation | $340,000 |
| United Jewish Appeal Hicksville, NY | General Donation | $300,000 |
| Studio Museum in Harlem Hicksville, NY | General Donation | $90,640 |
| Studio Museum in Harlem Hicksville, NY | General Donation | $50,000 |
| Courtauld Institute Hicksville, NY | General Donation | $37,500 |
| The Jewish Board Hicksville, NY | General Donation | $35,000 |
| City Parks Foundation Hicksville, NY | General Donation | $30,000 |
| Central Synagogue Hicksville, NY | General Donation | $25,950 |
| Institute of Contemporary Art Hicksville, NY | General Donation | $25,000 |
| UJA Federation Hicksville, NY | General Donation | $25,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,184,003 | $755,053 | $1,024,698 | $1,017,465 | 22 |
| 2024 | $3,453,648 | $756,446 | $464,038 | $461,021 | 27 |
| 2023 | $3,147,757 | $945,061 | $1,069,000 | $1,119,000 | 29 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,184,003 | $3,453,648 | $3,147,757 |
| Revenue | $755,053 | $756,446 | $945,061 |
| Expenses | $1,024,698 | $464,038 | $1,069,000 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,017,715 | $461,021 | $1,069,000 |
| Net Investment Income | $134,876 | $256,446 | $71,556 |
| Distributable Amount | $162,001 | $77,122 | $184,040 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lise Spiegel Wilks as president and Jeffrey Wilks as treasurer.
Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation is led by Lise Spiegel Wilks, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lise Spiegel Wilks
President
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey Wilks
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 6, Hicksville, NY 11802
Phone: (516) 935-1100
Frequently asked questions about Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation
How much does Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation give each year?
Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation gave $1.0M across 22 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $461K across 27 grants.
What is Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $11,250, and its average grant was $46,248, across 22 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation give grants?
Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation gives mostly in New York: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Hicksville, NY (22 grants).
Does Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (22 of 22) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include University of Pennsylvania ($340,000), United Jewish Appeal ($300,000) and Studio Museum in Harlem ($149,240 across 3 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 78% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation?
Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation reported $3.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $162K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations in several fields. City Parks Foundation describes its work as using sports, arts, community-building, and education programs to invigorate parks and serve New Yorkers. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lise and Jeffrey Wilks 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 Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation's EIN?
Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-4318322. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Lise and Jeffrey Wilks 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.
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