The Aaron & Lillie Straus Fdn Inc 9830002
The Aaron & Lillie Straus Foundation is a private foundation based in Baltimore, Maryland, established in 1926. The foundation was created by Aaron Straus, founder of the Reliable Stores Corporation department store chain, and his wife Lillie Straus. Since the couple had no children, stewardship of the foundation was entrusted to the directors of Reliable Stores Corporation. For nearly 100 years, the foundation has operated as a focused philanthropic force in Baltimore, remaining dedicated to the vision of its founders while adapting to contemporary community needs.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$76.2M
+2.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.2M
+11.0% YoY
Grant Count
60
-1.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$53K
+12.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Aaron & Lillie Straus Fdn Inc 9830002 reported a distributable amount of $4.0M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission centers on Aaron and Lillie Straus' philanthropic vision: to give children protection, education, and opportunity. The foundation articulates its contemporary mission as connecting families of Baltimore to avenues of hope and opportunity that tap their potential for a more secure future.
Primary funding areas include:
- Jewish community services
- Families, children, and youth
- Building infrastructure in the nonprofit sector
- Arts and culture
- Education
- Human services and family services
- Child welfare
- Public affairs and public policy
The foundation maintains a singular geographic focus on the Baltimore community, shining a light on its unique assets, talent, and vibrancy while searching for solutions to entrenched inequities.
Grantmaking
The foundation distributed approximately $3.2 million in grants in 2024. Recent notable grants include:
Average Grant
amount: $50,000
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated primarily in Maryland, with a particular emphasis on Baltimore. While the foundation maintains a singular focus on the Baltimore community, it has historically supported organizations across multiple states including Maryland, North Carolina, Arizona, California, Texas, New York, and Washington, D.C.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2024):
- Total assets: $76,214,065
- Total revenues: $7,279,898
- Total expenses: $5,130,458
- Total giving: $3,176,535
Assets & Revenue (2023):
- Total assets: $74,504,380
- Total revenues: $563,997
- Total expenses: $4,608,246
Historical Growth: Total assets have grown from $59.7 million in 2011 to $76.2 million in 2024. Annual giving peaked at $5.4 million in 2022 across 130 grants.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $76,214,065 | $74,504,380 | $67,961,949 |
| Revenue | $7,279,898 | $563,997 | $-3,488,864 |
| Expenses | $5,130,458 | $4,608,246 | $4,289,750 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $4,191,666 | $3,769,314 | $3,318,577 |
| Net Investment Income | $6,392,444 | $418,486 | — |
| Distributable Amount | $3,964,462 | $3,419,613 | $3,501,911 |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Aaron & Lillie Straus Fdn Inc 9830002
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Camp Airy and Louise Foundation ($1,460,200), Asylee Women Enterprise ($150,000), Esperanza Center-Associated ($137,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Multicultural Career Intern Program Washington, DC | GENERAL | $100 |
| National Outdoor Leadership School Lander, WY | GENERAL | $150 |
| Chesapeake Bay Foundation Annapolis, MD | GENERAL | $250 |
| Defenders of Wildlife WashingtonWashington, DC | GENERAL | $250 |
| Landon School Bethesda, MD | GENERAL | $350 |
| Adelante Latina Inc Baltimore, MD | GENERAL | $11,000 |
| Camp Airy and Louise Foundation Baltimore, MD | GENERAL | $1,460,200 |
| Central Synagogue New York, NY | GENERAL | $1,000 |
| Center for Hope Inc Baltimore, MD | GENERAL | $108,500 |
| University of Maryland Baltimore Baltimore, MD | GENERAL | $3,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Jan Rivitz — President and CEO
- Annual compensation: $469,207
Molly Doran — Director of Programs (also listed as Executive Assistant in some records)
- Annual compensation: $115,000
Adrianna Lohnes — Operations Officer
The foundation is governed by a Board comprised of descendants of the original corporate board as well as outside directors with expertise in various aspects of the foundation's community interests. The organization employs 3 staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSAN LEVITON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| TERRY UNDERBERG | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| KATHLEEN PAGE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LEE E COPLAN | VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| JACOB HODES | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JAN C RIVITZ | PRESIDENT/TREASURER | 40 | $491,169 |
| FAGAN HARRIS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Aaron & Lillie Straus Fdn Inc 9830002 fund?
The foundation's mission centers on Aaron and Lillie Straus' philanthropic vision: to give children protection, education, and opportunity. The foundation articulates its contemporary mission as connecting families of Baltimore to avenues of hope and opportunity that tap their potential for a more secure future. Primary funding areas include: • Jewish community services • Families, children, and youth • Building infrastructure in the nonprofit sector • Arts and culture • Education • Human servi…
How do I apply for a grant from The Aaron & Lillie Straus Fdn Inc 9830002?
**Grant Characteristics:** • Typical grant awards range from $100 to $1,460,200 • Average grant amount: $50,000 • Median grant amount: $5,000 • Individual grants have historically ranged from $100 to $2.6 million **Recent Grant Activity:** The foundation distributed approximately $3.2 million in grants in 2024. Recent notable grants include: • The Camp Airy and Camp Louise Foundation: $1,460,200 (2024) • Asylee Women Enterprise: $150,000 (2024) • The Baltimore Banner: $100,000 (2024) **Applicat…
Where does The Aaron & Lillie Straus Fdn Inc 9830002 make grants?
The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated primarily in Maryland, with a particular emphasis on Baltimore. While the foundation maintains a singular focus on the Baltimore community, it has historically supported organizations across multiple states including Maryland, North Carolina, Arizona, California, Texas, New York, and Washington, D.C.
What size grants does The Aaron & Lillie Straus Fdn Inc 9830002 award?
In 2024, The Aaron & Lillie Straus Fdn Inc 9830002 awarded 60 grants totaling $3.2M — an average of about $53K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Aaron & Lillie Straus Fdn Inc 9830002 required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Aaron & Lillie Straus Fdn Inc 9830002 reported a distributable amount of $4.0M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Aaron & Lillie Straus Fdn Inc 9830002's EIN?
The Aaron & Lillie Straus Fdn Inc 9830002's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-2040073. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Aaron & Lillie Straus Fdn Inc 9830002's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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