The DLA Piper Foundation
The DLA Piper Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. In 2024, it gave $419,500 to 23 charitable organizations, including legal services organizations and a food bank.
The DLA Piper Foundation at a glance
In short: The DLA Piper Foundation gave $420K across 23 grants in 2024 (avg $18K), top state New York. 35% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $419,500
- -5.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 23
- -17.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $18,239
- +15.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $750,685
- +31.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 35% first-time grantees (8 of 23, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (18% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The DLA Piper Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 444 West Lake Street Suite 900, Chicago, IL 60606-0089
Phone: (312) 984-5741
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The DLA Piper Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Global Foodbanking Network ($50K). Together the top 10 received $285K.
Grant Size Distribution
131 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 127 grants of 131 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in New York and Illinois (18% each), California and Washington, DC (17% each), and Texas (11%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The DLA Piper Foundation open to new grantees?
35%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 23 grantees (35%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 57% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 46% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $272K (2022) to $665K (2020). In 2024 it made 23 grants totaling $420K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Global Foodbanking Network Chicago, IL | General Exempt Purpose | $50,000 |
| Lawyers Alliance for New York New York, NY | General Exempt Purpose | $35,000 |
| Fundacion Appleseed De Mexico Ac | General Exempt Purpose | $30,000 |
| National Veterans Legal Services Program Washington, DC | General Exempt Purpose | $30,000 |
| DC Access to Justice Foundation Washington, DC | General Exempt Purpose | $25,000 |
| Legal Aid Chicago Chicago, IL | General Exempt Purpose | $25,000 |
| Onejustice Los Angeles, CA | General Exempt Purpose | $25,000 |
| Vecina Austin, TX | General Exempt Purpose | $25,000 |
| Greater Boston Legal Services Boston, MA | General Exempt Purpose | $20,000 |
| Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland Los Angeles, CA | General Exempt Purpose | $20,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $750,685 | $629,195 | $448,711 | $419,500 | 23 | $447,336 | $17,028 |
| 2023 | $570,185 | $538,051 | $468,936 | $442,000 | 28 | $480,051 | $15,876 |
| 2022 | $657,185 | $425,285 | $442,256 | $271,500 | 15 | $439,355 | $21,482 |
| 2021 | $528,681 | $408,977 | $291,339 | $287,500 | 20 | $308,773 | $15,245 |
| 2020 | $430,653 | $410,618 | $707,099 | $664,500 | 45 | — | $15,928 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The DLA Piper Foundation reported a distributable amount of $17K for 2024 — 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 went to organizations working in areas including legal aid, access to justice, immigrant advocacy, nonprofit support, and food access. For example, Lawyers Alliance for New York says it provides business-law and transactional legal services to strengthen nonprofits in New York City, while Vecina says it empowers immigrant justice advocates through mentoring, education, and volunteer mobilization. Capital Area Food Bank describes its work as improving equitable access to food and opportunity through community partnerships.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 23 grants totaling $419,500. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $50,000, with a median grant of $15,000. Among the largest were $50,000 to The Global FoodBanking Network; $35,000 to Lawyers Alliance for New York; and $30,000 each to Fundacion Appleseed de Mexico AC and the National Veterans Legal Services Program. Other grants included $25,000 each to Legal Aid Chicago, OneJustice, Vecina, and DC Access to Justice Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Shale Stiller as director and president; Lisa Dewey as director and chief financial officer; Jordan Bailowitz as director and secretary; and Allen J. Ginsburg, Elisha King, Charles B. Scheeler, and Jay Rains as directors.
The DLA Piper Foundation is led by Shale Stiller, Director & President on every filing since 2020; none of the 7 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Shale Stiller
Director & President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Allen J. Ginsburg
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Charles B. Scheeler
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elisha King
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jay Rains
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Dewey
Director & Chief Financial O
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jordan Bailowitz
Director & Secretary
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Roger Meltzer (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Lee Sheller (2020–2021) — Director & Secretary
- Former: Samer Sam Zabaneh (2020–2021) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 The DLA Piper Foundation
How much does The DLA Piper Foundation give each year?
The DLA Piper Foundation gave $420K across 23 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $442K across 28 grants.
What is The DLA Piper Foundation's typical grant size?
The DLA Piper Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $18,239, across 23 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The DLA Piper Foundation that year got $11K on average.
Where does The DLA Piper Foundation give grants?
The DLA Piper Foundation's top state is New York, with 18% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Illinois (18%) and California (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (4 grants), Los Angeles, CA (4 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Chicago, IL (2 grants).
Does The DLA Piper Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The DLA Piper Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (23 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The DLA Piper Foundation's largest grantees?
The DLA Piper Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Global Foodbanking Network ($50,000), Lawyers Alliance for New York ($35,000) and Fundacion Appleseed De Mexico Ac ($30,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The DLA Piper Foundation?
The DLA Piper Foundation reported $751K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $447K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $17K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The DLA Piper Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations working in areas including legal aid, access to justice, immigrant advocacy, nonprofit support, and food access. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The DLA Piper Foundation?
The foundation 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 The DLA Piper Foundation's EIN?
The DLA Piper Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 33-0967136. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The DLA Piper 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The DLA Piper Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-dla-piper-foundation-morg_544b2d5c20804abc8f3a8e5c498cfb5e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_330967136_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The DLA Piper Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-dla-piper-foundation-morg_544b2d5c20804abc8f3a8e5c498cfb5e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 The DLA Piper 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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