Lynn & Les Bider Family Foundation
The Lynn & Les Bider Family Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1997 and based in Calabasas, California. The foundation maintains a selective grantmaking approach, focusing primarily on Jewish organizations and causes in the greater Los Angeles area, with additional support for arts and education initiatives.
Key facts about Lynn & Les Bider Family Foundation
- EIN
- 95-4621358
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $688,800
- Grants made (2024)
- 36
- Average grant
- $19,133
- Median grant
- $8,750
- Total assets
- $1,559,807
- Primary geography
- California (74% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated June 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lynn & Les Bider Family Foundation funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Lynn & Les Bider Family Foundation's 36 itemized 2024 grants were California (74%) and New York (23%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (21 grants), Beverly Hills, CA (4 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants). 100% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.6M
-12.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$689K
+75.2% YoY
Grant Count
36
+44.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$19K
+21.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lynn & Les Bider Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $279K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation does not maintain a publicly stated mission statement. However, its grantmaking priorities center on:
- Jewish organizations and causes
- Education
- Arts and culture
- Human services
- Philanthropy and voluntarism
The foundation's giving is concentrated in California, with some activity in New York and the District of Columbia.
Grantmaking
The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Grantmaking is by invitation only, and the foundation maintains a low public profile. Prospective applicants are advised to reach out by mail only if their work closely aligns with foundation priorities.
Grant Range
$5,000
How to Apply
**
Ready to take the next step with Lynn & Les Bider Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in Southern California and the greater Los Angeles area. Secondary funding activity occurs in New York and the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets:
- Total assets: $1,559,807 (2024)
Annual Activity:
- Total revenues: $491,826 (2024)
- Total expenses: $712,639 (2024)
- Total giving: $688,800 (2024)
- Giving rate: Approximately 21.8% of assets
Personnel: The foundation operates with no employees; leadership positions are held on a volunteer basis with no compensation.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,559,807 | $1,780,620 | $1,513,841 |
| Revenue | $491,826 | $671,170 | $202,548 |
| Expenses | $712,639 | $404,391 | $517,750 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $694,034 | $396,895 | $507,479 |
| Net Investment Income | $469,380 | $688,920 | $235,678 |
| Distributable Amount | $278,641 | $232,462 | $235,048 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
152 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Jewish Federation of Greater La ($260,000 across 2 grants), The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Inc ($125,000), Stephen S Wise Temple ($70,000 across 3 grants).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER LA LOS ANGELES, CA | GENERAL FUNDING | $250,000 |
| THE AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE INC NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL FUNDING | $125,000 |
| TEMPLE BETH AM PRESSMAN ACADEMY LOS ANGELES, CA | GENERAL FUNDING | $50,000 |
| STEPHEN S WISE TEMPLE LOS ANGELES, CA | GENERAL FUNDING | $50,000 |
| BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL FUNDING | $18,000 |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL FUNDING | $15,500 |
| USC HILLEL LOS ANGELES, CA | GENERAL FUNDING | $15,000 |
| ADL LOS ANGELES, CA | GENERAL FUNDING | $10,000 |
| BEIT T'SHUVAH LOS ANGELES, CA | GENERAL FUNDING | $10,000 |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER LA LOS ANGELES, CA | GENERAL FUNDING | $10,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board and Officers:
- Albert Praw, President
- Jonathan A. Karp, Secretary
- Fred M. Elkins, Chief Financial Officer
Founder: Les Bider is a music industry executive with a background in accounting and finance. He holds a B.S. in accounting from USC and a master's degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Bider was licensed as a CPA in California in 1975 and founded the accounting practice Bider & Montgomery. He served as CFO of Warner Bros. Music and later worked with Elevation Partners and PinnacleCare.
Lynn Bider serves on the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Foundation of Los Angeles. She is the former Sylvia Weisz Women's Campaign Chair at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and past president of Stephen S. Wise Temple. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from UCLA and an education degree from USC. The couple has been married for over 40 years, resides in Beverly Hills, and has two children and two grandchildren.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| LYNN BIDER | PRESIDENT | — | — |
| LESLIE BIDER | SECRETARY/CFO | — | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Lynn & Les Bider Family Foundation fund?
The foundation does not maintain a publicly stated mission statement. However, its grantmaking priorities center on: • Jewish organizations and causes • Education • Arts and culture • Human services • Philanthropy and voluntarism The foundation's giving is concentrated in California, with some activity in New York and the District of Columbia.
How do I apply for a grant from Lynn & Les Bider Family Foundation?
**Grant Characteristics:** • Median grant size: $5,000 • Grant range: $1,000 to $250,000 • Annual giving: Approximately $388,000 to $397,000 • Number of grants: 23-29 grants annually **Application Process:** The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Grantmaking is by invitation only, and the foundation maintains a low public profile. Prospective applicants are advised to reach out by mail only if their work closely aligns with foundation priorities. **Recent Grant Recipients (202…
Where does Lynn & Les Bider Family Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in Southern California and the greater Los Angeles area. Secondary funding activity occurs in New York and the District of Columbia.
What size grants does Lynn & Les Bider Family Foundation award?
In 2024, Lynn & Les Bider Family Foundation awarded 36 grants totaling $689K — an average of about $19K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Lynn & Les Bider Family Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Lynn & Les Bider Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $279K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Lynn & Les Bider Family Foundation's EIN?
Lynn & Les Bider Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-4621358. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Lynn & Les Bider Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.