Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation
SHELDON L AND PEARL R LEIBOWITZ- is a private foundation based in Bannockburn, Illinois. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working in areas such as human services, food access, civil liberties, and conservation.
Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation at a glance
In short: Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation gave $760K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $48K), mostly in Illinois. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $760,000
- +32.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $47,500
- +32.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $37,500
- Total assets
- $16,929,306
- +11.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (69% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy 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: 2801 Lakeside Dr 3Rd Floor, Bannockburn, IL 60015
Phone: (847) 374-0400
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Ark ($160K). Together the top 10 received $605K.
Grant Size Distribution
82 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 67 grants of 82 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 73% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 17% to New York, 6% to Virginia, and 4% to Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 16 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. How we count
- 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 41% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 90% 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 $400K (2020) to $760K (2025). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $760K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Ark Northbrook, IL | Unrestricted for General Use of Charity. | $160,000 |
| International Rescue Committee New York, NY | Unrestricted for General Use of Charity. | $72,500 |
| ACLU New York, NY | Unrestricted for General Use of Charity. | $70,000 |
| The Nature Conservancy Arlington, VA | Unrestricted for General Use of Charity. | $52,500 |
| Greater Chicago Food Depository Chicago, IL | Unrestricted for General Use of Charity. | $50,000 |
| NRDC Chicago, IL | Unrestricted for General Use of Charity. | $50,000 |
| Feeding America Chicago, IL | Unrestricted for General Use of Charity. | $40,000 |
| World Wildlife Fund Washington, DC | Unrestricted for General Use of Charity. | $40,000 |
| Environmental Law & Policy Center Chicago, IL | Unrestricted for General Use of Charity. | $35,000 |
| Night Ministry Chicago, IL | Unrestricted for General Use of Charity. | $35,000 |
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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 | $16,929,306 | $2,516,305 | $861,244 | $760,000 | 16 | $764,450 | $1,013,067 | $851,748 |
| 2024 | $15,202,355 | $1,864,256 | $663,527 | $575,000 | 16 | $585,380 | $372,573 | $750,011 |
| 2023 | $14,001,626 | $1,660,183 | $595,196 | $531,000 | 16 | $534,929 | $259,276 | $576,897 |
| 2022 | $12,936,639 | $1,599,225 | $611,378 | $540,000 | 17 | $541,865 | $210,314 | $542,424 |
| 2021 | $11,948,792 | $1,911,308 | $550,552 | $489,200 | 17 | $490,847 | $426,931 | $550,938 |
| 2020 | $10,588,036 | $1,506,021 | $413,251 | $400,000 | 15 | — | $82,057 | $466,984 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation reported a distributable amount of $852K 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 2024 grants include support for organizations whose own missions address a range of needs. For example, The Ark says it helps Chicagoland Jews facing adversity navigate toward self-reliance; the Greater Chicago Food Depository says it works to end hunger in Cook County; and The Nature Conservancy says it seeks to conserve the lands and waters on which life depends. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $575,000 through 16 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $15,000 to $150,000, with a median of $25,000. Larger grants included $150,000 to The Ark, $50,000 to the ACLU, $45,000 to the International Rescue Committee, and $35,000 each to NRDC and The Nature Conservancy. Other grants included $30,000 each to Feeding America and the Greater Chicago Food Depository, and $25,000 each to All Chicago, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, the Environmental Law & Policy Center, the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, and Night Ministry. The listed grants were designated for unrestricted general use. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 16 grants totaling $760,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists “Available upon request” as the sole trustee.
Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation is led by Available Upon Request, Sole Trustee on every filing since 2022 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Available Upon Request
Sole Trustee
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Lew J. Leibowitz (2020–2021) — Sole Trustee
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 Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation
How much does Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation give each year?
Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation gave $760K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $575K across 16 grants.
What is Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation's typical grant size?
Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $37,500, and its average grant was $47,500, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation give grants?
Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 69% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (19%) and Virginia (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (10 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (16 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation's largest grantees?
Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Ark ($160,000), International Rescue Committee ($72,500) and ACLU ($70,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation?
Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation reported $16.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $764K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $852K (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 Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for organizations whose own missions address a range of needs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy 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 Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation's EIN?
Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-7632254. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS September 8, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 20, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 26, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sheldon-l-and-pearl-r-leibowitz-lew-leibowitz-legacy-foundation-morg_654f23cecfb14f4f8db7fe29a97132e8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_367632254_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sheldon-l-and-pearl-r-leibowitz-lew-leibowitz-legacy-foundation-morg_654f23cecfb14f4f8db7fe29a97132e8},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-14. 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 Sheldon L and Pearl R Leibowitz- Lew Leibowitz Legacy 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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