The Lerner Foundation
The Lerner Foundation is a private foundation based in Richmond Heights, Ohio. In its 2025 filing, it reported grants to charitable organizations including community, arts, health, education, and Jewish organizations.
The Lerner Foundation at a glance
In short: The Lerner Foundation gave $1.4M across 27 grants in 2025 (avg $51K), mostly in Ohio. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,374,760
- -0.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 27
- +35.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $50,917
- -26.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $1,038,412
- -53.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (9 of 27, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (84% 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 Lerner Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 26380 Curtiss Wright Pkwy Suite 305, Richmond Heights, OH 44113
Phone: (440) 891-5022
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Lerner Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Jewish Federation of Cleveland ($500K). Together the top 10 received $1.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
111 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 72 grants of 111 (65%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 84% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio, 11% to New York, 2% each to the District of Columbia and California, and 1% to Delaware.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Lerner Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 27 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $72K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 56% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−16%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 $1.4M (2025) to $1.8M (2023). In 2025 it made 27 grants totaling $1.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish Federation of Cleveland Cleveland, OH | General Operations | $500,000 |
| Cleveland Orchestra Cleveland, OH | General Operations | $354,500 |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, NY | General Operations | $100,000 |
| Cleveland Clinic - Velosano Beachwood, OH | General Operations | $50,000 |
| United Way of Greater Cleveland Cleveland, OH | General Operations | $50,000 |
| World Jewish Congress New York, NY | General Operations | $50,000 |
| Greater Cleveland Food Bank Cleveland, OH | General Operations | $50,000 |
| Cleveland Clinic Children's Cleveland, OH | General Operations | $48,400 |
| Cedars-Sinai Los Angeles, CA | General Operations | $25,000 |
| Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage Beachwood, OH | General Operations | $25,000 |
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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 | $1,038,412 | $1,097,098 | $1,384,927 | $1,374,760 | 27 | $1,384,927 | $60,698 | $50,242 |
| 2024 | $2,221,492 | $142,410 | $1,394,070 | $1,380,025 | 20 | $1,392,800 | $8,075 | $51,757 |
| 2023 | $3,028,691 | $1,733,319 | $1,840,137 | $1,786,900 | 24 | $1,792,955 | $186,137 | $103,792 |
| 2022 | $3,136,043 | $2,108,829 | $1,651,961 | $1,643,000 | 24 | $1,650,221 | $2,107,089 | $125,894 |
| 2021 | $4,463,279 | $2,209,656 | $1,595,586 | $1,583,600 | 16 | $1,587,738 | $134,671 | $151,213 |
| 2020 | $3,849,209 | $1,149,546 | $1,753,738 | $1,753,000 | 20 | — | $1,140,119 | $160,249 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lerner Foundation reported a distributable amount of $50K 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 grantees describe a range of activities: the Jewish Federation of Cleveland says it works to promote community well-being and Jewish continuity; United Way of Greater Cleveland describes its role as connecting resources to improve lives; and the Greater Cleveland Food Bank says it works to ensure people have nutritious food. Other supported organizations describe work in student success, dance, housing for people with developmental disabilities, and research into Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not stated priorities of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 27 grants totaling $1,374,760. Grant amounts ranged from $360 to $500,000, with a median of $10,000. The largest reported grants included $500,000 to the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, $354,500 to the Cleveland Orchestra, and $100,000 to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Each was listed for general operations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Norma Lerner as president and treasurer; Randolph Lerner and Nancy Lerner as vice presidents; and Daniel Pearson as secretary.
The Lerner Foundation is led by Norma Lerner, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Norma Lerner
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Randolph Lerner
Vice President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Nancy Lerner
Vice President
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Daniel Pearson
Secretary
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Douglas C. Jacobs (2020–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Nancy Fisher (2020–2021) — Vice President
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 The Lerner Foundation
How much does The Lerner Foundation give each year?
The Lerner Foundation gave $1.4M across 27 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.4M across 20 grants.
What is The Lerner Foundation's typical grant size?
The Lerner Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $50,917, across 27 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Lerner Foundation that year got $8K on average.
Where does The Lerner Foundation give grants?
The Lerner Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 84% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cleveland, OH (8 grants), Beachwood, OH (4 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does The Lerner Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Lerner Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (27 of 27) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Lerner Foundation's largest grantees?
The Lerner Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Jewish Federation of Cleveland ($500,000), Cleveland Orchestra ($354,500) and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 69% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Lerner Foundation?
The Lerner Foundation reported $1.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $50K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Lerner Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Lerner Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that 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 The Lerner Foundation's EIN?
The Lerner Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 34-1744726. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Lerner 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 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Lerner Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Lerner Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-lerner-foundation-morg_44e091d07e654166a2be0945d241a493
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_341744726_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Lerner Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-lerner-foundation-morg_44e091d07e654166a2be0945d241a493},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Lerner 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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