Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation
The Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation is a private foundation based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In its 2025 filing, it reported grants to charitable organizations with religious, educational, and civic purposes.
Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation at a glance
In short: Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation gave $33K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in California. 62% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $33,082
- -43.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- -7.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,545
- -38.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $595,095
- -19.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 62% first-time grantees (8 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (60% 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 Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 14 Campau Circle, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Phone: (616) 608-8520
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Jewish Federation ($20K). Together the top 10 received $32K.
Grant Size Distribution
74 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 74 grants of 74 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 60% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 38% to recipients in Michigan, and 2% to recipients in Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation open to new grantees?
62%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 13 grantees (62%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $1K repeat.
- 38% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 26% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 73% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $33K (2025) to $58K (2024). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $33K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish Federation Rancho Mirage, CA | Religious | $20,000 |
| Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI | Educational | $4,000 |
| Temple Emmanuel Grand Rapids, MI | Religious | $2,345 |
| Ahavas Temple Grand Rapids, MI | Religious | $1,137 |
| Um Alumni Association Ann Arbor, MI | Educational | $1,000 |
| Broadway Grand Rapids Grand Rapids, MI | CIVIC | $1,000 |
| Grand Rapids Symphony Grand Rapids, MI | CIVIC | $1,000 |
| Westminster Food Pantry Grand Rapids, MI | Religious | $1,000 |
| Nasba Nashville, TN | Educational | $500 |
| Faith Hospice Byron Center, MI | CIVIC | $500 |
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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 | $595,095 | $89,999 | $33,832 | $33,082 | 13 | $33,082 | $89,624 | $45,500 |
| 2024 | $737,927 | $63,676 | $58,828 | $58,128 | 14 | $58,128 | $41,326 | $43,356 |
| 2023 | $742,371 | $109,344 | $61,961 | $57,911 | 19 | $57,911 | $8,130 | $37,013 |
| 2022 | $694,988 | $49,785 | $44,846 | $44,477 | 13 | $44,477 | $11,041 | $29,364 |
| 2021 | $690,049 | $150,607 | $48,116 | $43,911 | 15 | $43,911 | $48,102 | $32,189 |
| 2020 | $587,558 | $57,278 | $38,275 | $36,880 | 9 | — | $55,883 | $29,668 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation reported a distributable amount of $46K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included religious, educational, and civic-purpose awards. Among the recipients, Broadway Grand Rapids describes its mission as presenting Broadway productions and student arts education programs in West Michigan. Faith Hospice says it serves hospice and palliative-care patients and their caregivers with love, compassion, and a commitment to excellence. Olivia’s Gift describes its work as providing celebrated living for adults with serious disabilities. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $33,082. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $20,000, with a median of $1,000.
The largest reported grants included $20,000 to Jewish Federation in Rancho Mirage, California; $4,000 to Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan; $2,345 to Temple Emmanuel in Grand Rapids; and $1,137 to Ahavas Temple in Grand Rapids. Other named 2025 recipients included the UM Alumni Association ($1,000), Broadway Grand Rapids ($1,000), Grand Rapids Symphony ($1,000), Westminster Food Pantry ($1,000), NASBA ($500), Faith Hospice ($500), Olivia’s Gift ($300), and First Tee Grand Rapids ($200).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Norman J Leven as President and Treasurer, Marilyn Leven as Secretary and Treasurer, and Norton P Remes as Trustee.
Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Norton P. Remes
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Marilyn Leven
Secretarytr
Secretary → Secretarytr, 2023
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Norman J. Leven
Presidenttr
President → Presidenttr, 2023
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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 Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation
How much does Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation give each year?
Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation gave $33K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $58K across 14 grants.
What is Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation's typical grant size?
Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $2,545, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation give grants?
Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation gives mostly in California: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Michigan (38%). The most frequent recipient cities were Grand Rapids, MI (8 grants).
Does Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Civic" (6 grants), "Religious" (4 grants) and "Educational" (3 grants).
Who are Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation's largest grantees?
Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Jewish Federation ($20,000), Grand Valley State University ($4,000) and Temple Emmanuel ($2,345), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 80% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation?
Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation reported $595K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $33K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $46K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included religious, educational, and civic-purpose awards. Among the recipients, Broadway Grand Rapids describes its mission as presenting Broadway productions and student arts education programs in West Michigan. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; it 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 Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation's EIN?
Norman & Marilyn Leven Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-2639116. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Norman & Marilyn Leven 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 May 29, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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