Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation
The Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation is a Form 990-PF private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. In 2025, it reported 12 grants totaling $244,050 to charitable organizations, including arts, research, educational, and Jewish organizations.
Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation gave $244K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $20K), top state California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $244,050
- +205.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- +100.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $20,338
- +52.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $61,804
- -62.3% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (44% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Michael & Laura Werner Family 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: 525 W Monroe St 1900, Chicago, IL 60661
Phone: (312) 902-5279
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Palm Springs Art Museum ($105K). Together the top 10 received $241K.
Grant Size Distribution
18 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 17 grants of 18 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in California (44%), New York (25%), Illinois (16%), Massachusetts (10%), and Washington (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
How Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation gives
- 17% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2024 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $80K (2024) to $244K (2025). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $244K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Palm Springs Art Museum Palm Springs, CA | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $105,000 |
| Lymphoma Research Foundation New York, NY | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $27,550 |
| Brandeis University Development Waltham, MA | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $25,000 |
| Chicago Council on Global Affairs Chicago, IL | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $25,000 |
| Central Fund of Israel Cedarhurst, NY | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $18,000 |
| Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Seattle, WA | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $10,000 |
| Jewish National Fund New York, NY | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $10,000 |
| Jewish United Fund Chicago, IL | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $10,000 |
| American Jewish Committee New York, NY | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $5,000 |
| University of Chicago Chicago, IL | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $5,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $61,804 | $154,751 | $256,708 | $244,050 | 12 | $246,390 | $152,236 | $7,987 |
| 2024 | $163,761 | $255,127 | $91,366 | $80,000 | 6 | $85,682 | $201,465 | $185 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $8K 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 a range of organizations. The Palm Springs Art Museum says it creates experiences that expand understanding of ourselves and the world through modern and contemporary art, architecture, and design. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center describes its work as uniting innovative research and compassionate care to prevent and eliminate cancer and infectious disease. The University of Chicago states that its mission is to communicate and create knowledge and foster a community of scholars and students. Other recipients’ stated missions include supporting Israel and its people (Jewish National Fund), enhancing the wellbeing of Jewish people and Israel and advancing human rights and democratic values (American Jewish Committee), and facilitating charitable giving in desert communities (Desert Community Foundation).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 12 grants totaling $244,050. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $105,000, with a median grant of $10,000. The largest grants included $105,000 to Palm Springs Art Museum; $27,550 to Lymphoma Research Foundation; $25,000 each to Brandeis University Development and Chicago Council on Global Affairs; and $18,000 to Central Fund of Israel. Other grants included $10,000 each to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Jewish National Fund, and Jewish United Fund.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Michael Werner as president, Laura Werner as vice president, and Margot Werner as secretary and treasurer.
Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation is led by Michael Werner, President on every filing since 2023; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michael Werner
President
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Laura Werner
Vice President
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Margot Werner
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2023–2025. "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 Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation
How much does Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation give each year?
Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation gave $244K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $80K across 6 grants.
What is Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $20,338, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation give grants?
Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation's top state is California, with 44% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (25%) and Illinois (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (4 grants) and Chicago, IL (3 grants).
Who are Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Palm Springs Art Museum ($105,000), Lymphoma Research Foundation ($27,550) and Brandeis University Development ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 65% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation?
Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation reported $62K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $246K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $8K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. The Palm Springs Art Museum says it creates experiences that expand understanding of ourselves and the world through modern and contemporary art, architecture, and design. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Michael & Laura Werner 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 Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation's EIN?
Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 93-4755213. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2023–2025.
Does Michael & Laura Werner 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2023–2024
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Browse active grant opportunities in Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Michael & Laura Werner Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/michael-and-laura-werner-family-foundation-morg_9edff740e036408895dd781c5ce1e48f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_934755213_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Michael \& Laura Werner Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/michael-and-laura-werner-family-foundation-morg_9edff740e036408895dd781c5ce1e48f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Michael & Laura Werner 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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