The Jayne and Leonard Abess
The Jayne and Leonard Abess is a private foundation based in Miami, Florida. Its 2025 filing reports 18 grants totaling $818,175 to charitable organizations, including organizations in Florida and New York.
The Jayne and Leonard Abess at a glance
In short: The Jayne and Leonard Abess gave $818K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $45K), mostly in Florida. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $818,175
- +21.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- -5.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $45,454
- +27.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $12,769,715
- +10.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (6 of 18, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Florida (70% 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 The Jayne and Leonard Abess
- 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: 100 Se 32Nd Road, Miami, FL 33129
Phone: (305) 868-3600
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Jayne and Leonard Abess funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Greater Miami Jewish Federation ($255K). Together the top 10 received $786K.
Grant Size Distribution
88 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 68 grants of 88 (77%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 70% of grant dollars went to recipients in Florida and 28% to recipients in New York. Pennsylvania and Hawaii each received 1%; Ohio accounted for 0% as reported.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Jayne and Leonard Abess open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 18 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $61K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 56% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+15%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 89% 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 (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $404K (2020) to $818K (2025). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $818K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Miami Jewish Federation Miami, FL | Community Benefit | $255,000 |
| The New York Botanical Garden Bronx, NY | Community Benefit | $200,000 |
| Miami Country Day School Miami, FL | Community Benefit | $100,000 |
| United Way of Miami-Dade Miami, FL | Community Benefit | $72,500 |
| Catholic Charities Legal Services Miami, FL | Community Benefit | $50,000 |
| Mount Sinai Hospital Miami Beach, FL | Community Benefit | $28,000 |
| Anti-Defamation League New York, NY | Community Benefit | $25,000 |
| Goodwill Industries of South Florida Miami, FL | Community Benefit | $25,000 |
| Fairchild Tropical Garden Coral Gables, FL | Community Benefit | $20,000 |
| American Jewish Committee Philadelphia, PA | Community Benefit | $10,000 |
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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 | $12,769,715 | $2,133,665 | $904,418 | $818,175 | 18 | $832,932 | $1,061,230 | $937,529 |
| 2024 | $11,565,216 | $1,178,196 | $742,966 | $675,775 | 19 | $689,080 | $1,123,193 | $838,964 |
| 2023 | $11,134,246 | $1,146,952 | $694,800 | $645,535 | 18 | $656,445 | $250,281 | $680,307 |
| 2022 | $11,257,269 | $1,211,134 | $808,027 | $708,775 | 19 | $721,216 | $156,737 | $661,444 |
| 2021 | $10,854,162 | $1,309,383 | $646,964 | $562,425 | 14 | $577,540 | $1,239,959 | $718,550 |
| 2020 | $10,191,743 | $-432,624 | $507,017 | $404,255 | 16 | — | $81,911 | $578,821 |
| 2019 | $11,131,384 | $2,629,811 | $575,904 | $541,655 | 11 | — | $2,601,456 | $518,564 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Jayne and Leonard Abess reported a distributable amount of $938K 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
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including community services, education, botanical gardens, health, and Jewish community life.
For example, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation says its mission is to mobilize resources to care for people in need, strengthen Jewish life, and advance the unity and shared purpose of the Jewish people. Miami Country Day School describes its mission as educating children from junior kindergarten through 12th grade. Goodwill Industries of South Florida says it provides training, employment, and job placement for people with disabilities and other barriers to work. The New York Botanical Garden and other listed recipients received grants with the stated purpose “community benefit.”
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 18 grants totaling $818,175. Grant amounts ranged from $175 to $255,000, with a median grant of $15,000.
The largest reported grants were $255,000 to Greater Miami Jewish Federation, $200,000 to The New York Botanical Garden, $100,000 to Miami Country Day School, $72,500 to United Way of Miami-Dade, and $50,000 to Catholic Charities Legal Services. Each was listed with the purpose “community benefit.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Leonard L. Abess as president and director; Jayne Harris Abess as vice chair and director; Ashley Abess as secretary and director; and Matthew U. Abess and Brett U. Abess as directors.
The Jayne and Leonard Abess is led by Leonard L. Abess, President & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Leonard L. Abess
President & Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ashley Abess
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brett U. Abess
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jayne Harris Abess
Vice Chair & Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matthew U. Abess
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 The Jayne and Leonard Abess
How much does The Jayne and Leonard Abess give each year?
The Jayne and Leonard Abess gave $818K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $676K across 19 grants.
What is The Jayne and Leonard Abess's typical grant size?
The Jayne and Leonard Abess's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $45,454, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Jayne and Leonard Abess that year got $15K on average.
Where does The Jayne and Leonard Abess give grants?
The Jayne and Leonard Abess gives mostly in Florida: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (28%). The most frequent recipient cities were Miami, FL (8 grants) and Coral Gables, FL (3 grants).
Does The Jayne and Leonard Abess give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on The Jayne and Leonard Abess's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Community Benefit" (18 grants).
Who are The Jayne and Leonard Abess's largest grantees?
The Jayne and Leonard Abess's largest 2025 grantees include Greater Miami Jewish Federation ($255,000), The New York Botanical Garden ($200,000) and Miami Country Day School ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 68% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Jayne and Leonard Abess?
The Jayne and Leonard Abess reported $12.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $833K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $938K (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 The Jayne and Leonard Abess fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including community services, education, botanical gardens, health, and Jewish community life. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Jayne and Leonard Abess?
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 Jayne and Leonard Abess's EIN?
The Jayne and Leonard Abess's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-0052304. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Jayne and Leonard Abess 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
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS September 8, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Jayne and Leonard Abess funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Jayne and Leonard Abess funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-jayne-and-leonard-abess-morg_f777eb7fd71a4283b4016b1ae909ac4f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_200052304_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Jayne and Leonard Abess funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-jayne-and-leonard-abess-morg_f777eb7fd71a4283b4016b1ae909ac4f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Jayne and Leonard Abess'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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