Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation
The Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Its 2025 filing describes its direct charitable activity as making cash donations to 501(c)(3) organizations using investment proceeds.
Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation gave $70K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Illinois. 36% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $70,290
- +79.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- +56.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,812
- +14.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $639,446
- +19.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (9 of 25, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (66% 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 Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The filing says the foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. It identifies Lydia Backer as the contact for how to apply; contributions are limited to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: Lydia Backer
Mailing address: 421 E North Water St, Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (847) 774-0922
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Gabriels Light ($10K). Together the top 10 received $57K.
Grant Size Distribution
60 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 60 grants of 60 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing’s grant dollars were distributed among recipients in Illinois (66%), Washington, DC (12%), Minnesota (11%), New York (4%), and Florida (4%). The listed grants also included recipients in Wisconsin and Arizona.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 25 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $2K repeat.
- 52% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 271% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2023–2025). 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 2023 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $29K (2023) to $70K (2025). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $70K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Gabriels Light Chicago, IL | Program support | $10,000 |
| Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor In Chicago, IL | Program support | $10,000 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | Program support | $7,500 |
| Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN | Program Support | $7,500 |
| Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley Villa Park, IL | Program support | $5,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Waukegan, IL | Program support | $5,000 |
| The Community Church Lake Bluff, IL | Program support | $5,000 |
| Shirley Ryan Ability Lab Chicago, IL | Program Support | $2,500 |
| Wounded Warriors Jacksonville, FL | Program Support | $2,500 |
| Food Bank of New York City New York, NY | Program support | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The 2025 filing reports 25 grants, compared with 16 in 2024 and 19 in 2023.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $639,446 | $35,306 | $74,723 | $70,290 | 25 | $74,723 | $23,172 | $27,584 |
| 2024 | $533,912 | $43,381 | $43,585 | $39,210 | 16 | $43,585 | $39,529 | $24,726 |
| 2023 | $466,291 | — | $33,709 | $28,999 | 19 | $33,709 | — | $24,241 |
| 2022 | $500,000 | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,052 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $28K 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
The foundation’s 2025 filing describes cash donations to 501(c)(3) organizations as its direct charitable activity. Its grants went to organizations working in areas including crisis response, health and well-being, disability services, reproductive health, food assistance, community activities, land preservation, arts, animal welfare, and public radio. These areas describe the work of recipient organizations, not a stated foundation mission.
For example, World Central Kitchen says it provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. Mayo Clinic describes its work as providing patient care, education, and research to contribute to health and well-being. Lake Forest Open Lands Association says it preserves and maintains local native landscapes and works to restore them.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 25 grants totaling $70,290. Grants ranged from $40 to $10,000, with a median of $1,500. Notable grants included $10,000 each to Gabriels Light and Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor In; $7,500 each to World Central Kitchen and Mayo Clinic; and $5,000 each to Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley, Planned Parenthood, and The Community Church. Other reported grants included $2,500 to Shirley Ryan Ability Lab and $2,000 each to Food Bank of New York City, Lake Forest Open Lands Association, and Entertainment Community Fund.
The filing states that contributions are made only to preselected charitable organizations and that the foundation does not accept unsolicited requests.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lydia Backer as president and Gus Backer as vice president.
Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation is led by Lydia Backer, President on every filing since 2022; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lydia Backer
President
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Gus Backer
Vice President
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2022–2025. "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 Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation
How much does Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation give each year?
Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation gave $70K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $39K across 16 grants.
What is Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $2,812, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation give grants?
Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 66% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (12%) and Minnesota (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (7 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants) and Tempe, AZ (2 grants).
Does Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 25 grants with a stated purpose on Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program support" (25 grants).
Who are Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Gabriels Light ($10,000), Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor In ($10,000) and World Central Kitchen ($7,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation?
Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation reported $639K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $75K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $28K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2025 filing describes cash donations to 501(c)(3) organizations as its direct charitable activity. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation?
The filing says the foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation's EIN?
Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 88-4417929. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2022–2025.
Does Lydia and Gus Backer 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.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 10, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2022–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lydia-and-gus-backer-family-foundation-morg_5bbccabb2d4a46a1afc3c2f74a4d7b2e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_884417929_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lydia and Gus Backer Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lydia-and-gus-backer-family-foundation-morg_5bbccabb2d4a46a1afc3c2f74a4d7b2e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Lydia and Gus Backer Family 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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