Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten
Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. It made 13 grants totaling $290,082 in 2024 to charitable organizations.
Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten at a glance
In short: Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten gave $290K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $22K), top state California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $290,082
- +26.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- -56.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $22,314
- +192.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,905
- Total assets
- $2,233,435
- +28.6% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- California (49% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2201 Duxbury Circle, Los Angeles, CA 90034
Phone: (310) 278-2650
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Available Upon Request ($136K). Together the top 10 received $287K.
Grant Size Distribution
49 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 46 grants of 49 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in California (49%), New York (31%), New Jersey (11%), and Maryland (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
How Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten gives
- 92% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 729% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 332% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2024). 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 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $22K (2022) to $290K (2024). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $290K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Available Upon Request Los Angeles, CA | Charitable | $135,961 |
| Operation Benjamin Monticello, NY | Charitable | $73,816 |
| Seforim Blog Inc Silver Spring, MD | Charitable | $24,000 |
| American Friends of Leket Israel Inc Teaneck, NJ | Charitable | $19,000 |
| Yismach Moshe Institute Brooklyn, NY | Charitable | $16,000 |
| Congregation Agudath Israel Caldwell, NJ | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Young Israel of Century City Los Angeles, CA | Charitable | $2,905 |
| Bnei Akiva of Los Angeles Beverly Hills, CA | Charitable | $1,800 |
| Rabbinical College of America Morristown, NJ | Charitable | $1,800 |
| Sharsheret Teaneck, NJ | Charitable | $1,800 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,233,435 | $829,215 | $293,064 | $290,082 | 13 | $291,573 | $80,324 | $87,788 |
| 2023 | $1,736,928 | $1,934,507 | $230,115 | $228,550 | 30 | $229,332 | $1,988,723 | $12,001 |
| 2022 | $32,536 | $55,001 | $23,070 | $21,500 | 4 | $22,295 | — | $292 |
| 2021 | $605 | $37,601 | $38,065 | $35,000 | 2 | — | — | $55 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten reported a distributable amount of $88K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its grants include support for organizations with varied charitable purposes. For example, American Friends of Leket Israel Inc says its mission is to provide grants and assistance to exempt organizations outside the United States to feed the hungry. Sharsheret Inc describes its work as providing support, education, financial assistance, and genetic counseling for people affected by or at increased genetic risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Bnei Akiva of Los Angeles says it develops and trains Orthodox Zionist leaders in the Los Angeles Jewish community through year-round programming.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 13 grants totaling $290,082. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $135,961, with a median grant of $2,905. Notable grants included $135,961 to Available Upon Request in Los Angeles, $73,816 to Operation Benjamin in Monticello, New York, $24,000 to Seforim Blog Inc in Silver Spring, Maryland, and $19,000 to American Friends of Leket Israel Inc in Teaneck, New Jersey.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Elizabeth Steinlauf as president and Peter Steinlauf as secretary.
Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten is led by Elizabeth Steinlauf, President on every filing since 2021; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Elizabeth Steinlauf
President
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Peter Steinlauf
Secretary
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2024. "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 Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten
How much does Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten give each year?
Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten gave $290K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $229K across 30 grants.
What is Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten's typical grant size?
Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten's median grant in 2024 was $2,905, and its average grant was $22,314, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten give grants?
Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten's top state is California, with 49% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (31%) and New Jersey (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (3 grants), Teaneck, NJ (2 grants) and Brooklyn, NY (2 grants).
Does Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (13 grants).
Who are Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten's largest grantees?
Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten's largest 2024 grantees include Available Upon Request ($135,961), Operation Benjamin ($73,816) and Seforim Blog Inc ($24,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 81% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten?
Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten reported $2.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $292K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $88K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten fund?
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its grants include support for organizations with varied charitable purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten?
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests and 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 Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten's EIN?
Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-6092363. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.
Does Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/louis-kesten-and-esther-kesten-morg_24f1200a39fe408bb3d783afa67dd9b1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_956092363_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Louis Kesten \& Esther Kesten funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/louis-kesten-and-esther-kesten-morg_24f1200a39fe408bb3d783afa67dd9b1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Louis Kesten & Esther Kesten'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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