Lois Chiles Foundation
The Lois Chiles Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations including museums, a cancer center, performing-arts organizations, and organizations addressing community and health needs.
Lois Chiles Foundation at a glance
In short: Lois Chiles Foundation gave $1.1M across 33 grants in 2025 (avg $33K), mostly in New York. 45% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,085,000
- -15.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 33
- +6.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $32,879
- -20.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $2,738,539
- -14.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 45% first-time grantees (15 of 33, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (57% 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 Lois Chiles 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: Co Anchin 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036
Phone: (212) 840-3456
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lois Chiles Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The New York Historical Society ($375K). Together the top 10 received $885K.
Grant Size Distribution
172 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 146 grants of 172 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, recipients in New York received 57% of grant dollars, followed by Connecticut (16%), Texas (11%), Virginia (7%), and Maine (4%). Listed recipients also included organizations in New Jersey, Washington, DC, and Louisiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Lois Chiles Foundation open to new grantees?
45%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 15 of 33 grantees (45%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $18K; repeat grants $45K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 52% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 161% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 402% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $417K (2022) to $2.0M (2023). In 2025 it made 33 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The New York Historical Society New York, NY | General Fund | $375,000 |
| American Museum of Natural History New York, NY | General Fund | $125,000 |
| MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, TX | General Fund | $100,000 |
| Yale Repertory Theatre Associates Inc New Haven, CT | General Fund | $100,000 |
| David Geffen School of Drama at Yale New Haven, CT | General Fund | $75,000 |
| Central Park Conservancy Inc New York, NY | General Fund | $25,000 |
| Sir John Soane's Museum Foundation New York, NY | General Fund | $25,000 |
| Daily History Quote Inc Westfield, NJ | General Fund | $20,000 |
| The Beacon Project Islesboro, ME | General Fund | $20,000 |
| University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA | General Fund | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Lois Chiles 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 | $2,738,539 | $644,312 | $1,124,870 | $1,085,000 | 33 | $1,094,674 | $634,116 | $272,347 |
| 2024 | $3,219,097 | $1,695,208 | $1,337,080 | $1,288,550 | 31 | $1,305,986 | $1,659,741 | $227,453 |
| 2023 | $2,860,969 | $247,613 | $2,025,647 | $1,956,600 | 34 | $1,331,163 | $225,922 | $229,062 |
| 2022 | $4,639,003 | $1,812,708 | $444,426 | $416,500 | 34 | $425,813 | $1,761,041 | $210,084 |
| 2021 | $3,270,721 | $988,031 | $708,347 | $685,000 | 40 | $691,990 | $981,674 | $366,917 |
| 2020 | $2,991,037 | $1,184,370 | $612,169 | $590,000 | 34 | — | $1,184,339 | $261,544 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lois Chiles Foundation reported a distributable amount of $272K 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas such as history and museums, theater, cancer care, elder support, medical transport, hunger relief, reproductive health, and criminal-legal-system reform. These are grantees’ activities, not stated foundation focus areas. For example, the American Museum of Natural History describes its mission as sharing knowledge about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe through research and education. The Beacon Project says it works to help Islesboro elders remain in the community with dignity and comfort.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 33 grants totaling $1,085,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $375,000, with a median of $10,000. The largest awards included $375,000 to The New York Historical Society, $125,000 to the American Museum of Natural History, $100,000 to MD Anderson Cancer Center, $100,000 to Yale Repertory Theatre Associates, and $75,000 to the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. Each was listed for the general fund.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lois Chiles as president and Gary S. Castle as treasurer.
Lois Chiles Foundation is led by Lois Chiles, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lois Chiles
President
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gary S. Castle
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Sue Kiel (2020–2023) — Vice President · Filing note: Deceased 8112024
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.
Frequently asked questions about Lois Chiles Foundation
How much does Lois Chiles Foundation give each year?
Lois Chiles Foundation gave $1.1M across 33 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.3M across 31 grants.
What is Lois Chiles Foundation's typical grant size?
Lois Chiles Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $32,879, across 33 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lois Chiles Foundation that year got $18K on average.
Where does Lois Chiles Foundation give grants?
Lois Chiles Foundation gives mostly in New York: 57% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Connecticut (16%) and Texas (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (10 grants), Charlottesville, VA (4 grants), Islesboro, ME (4 grants) and Houston, TX (3 grants).
Does Lois Chiles Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Lois Chiles Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (33 of 33) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Lois Chiles Foundation's largest grantees?
Lois Chiles Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The New York Historical Society ($375,000), American Museum of Natural History ($125,000) and MD Anderson Cancer Center ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 55% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Lois Chiles Foundation?
Lois Chiles Foundation reported $2.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $272K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Lois Chiles Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas such as history and museums, theater, cancer care, elder support, medical transport, hunger relief, reproductive health, and criminal-legal-system reform. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lois Chiles 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 Lois Chiles Foundation's EIN?
Lois Chiles Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1673659. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Lois Chiles 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 29, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 26, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 16, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 1, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 28, 2026)
Live grants for the work Lois Chiles Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Lois Chiles Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lois Chiles Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lois-chiles-foundation-morg_16546374457b4ac290d662209898e753
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_201673659_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lois Chiles Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lois-chiles-foundation-morg_16546374457b4ac290d662209898e753},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Lois Chiles 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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