The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family
The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family is a private foundation based in Louisville, Kentucky. Its 2025 filing reports 21 grants totaling $163,600, including support for organizations addressing community safety, hunger, education, and other community needs.
Key facts about The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family
In short: The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family gave $164K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in Kentucky. 24% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 82-2641868
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $163,600
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- Average grant
- $7,790
- Median grant
- $5,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (5 of 21, 2025; small sample)
- Total assets
- $292,309
- Primary geography
- Kentucky (92% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The foundation’s filing says requests should include the purpose of the grant request and verification of qualified public charity status. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$292K
-12.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$164K
-24.4% YoY
Grant Count
21
-27.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$8K
+4.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family reported a distributable amount of $36K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 21 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 52% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 52% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 461% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations working in areas such as community safety, food assistance, education, support for restaurant workers in financial distress, civil rights, health care, and religious services.
The grantees describe their own missions in varied terms. Dare to Care says it works to provide pathways to end hunger in the community. Family Scholar House says it supports single parents and young adults formerly in foster care in pursuing post-secondary education leading to a livable wage. The Fairness Campaign describes its work as promoting equality and ending anti-gay discrimination.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 21 grants totaling $163,600. Awards ranged from $2,000 to $36,100, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest grants were $36,100 to the Louisville Metro Police Foundation, $20,000 each to Dare to Care and Family Scholar House, and $10,000 each to APRON Inc. and Kentucky to the World.
The Louisville Metro Police Foundation says it uses private donations to provide Louisville Metro Police Department and its officers with equipment and programs not covered by tax dollars. APRON says it provides limited financial relief to local food and beverage workers experiencing financial distress. Kentucky to the World says its mission is to elevate Kentucky’s cultural and intellectual reputation globally.
How to Apply
The foundation’s filing says requests should include the purpose of the grant request and verification of qualified public charity status. It lists no restrictions on awards and no deadlines.
Ready to take the next step with The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in Kentucky, 3% to Florida, 3% to West Virginia, and 2% to New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $164K (2025) to $352K (2020). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $164K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Louisville Metro Police Foundation ($36K). Together the top 10 received $126K.
Grant Size Distribution
127 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 124 grants of 127 (98%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville Metro Police Foundation Louisville, KY | Improving the community and making our city a safer place to live, work and visit | $36,100 |
| Dare to Care Louisville, KY | To help feed the hungry and conquer the cyle of need | $20,000 |
| Family Scholar House Louisville, KY | End cycle of poverty by empowering youth to succeed in education | $20,000 |
| Apron Inc Louisville, KY | Help provide temporary financial support to locally owned and operated restaurant workers in need due to no fault of their own | $10,000 |
| Kentucky to the World Louisville, KY | Change perceptions of the state and its people and promote a positive narrative about Kentucky. | $10,000 |
| Volunteers of America Louisville, KY | Provide support to change lives through a ministry of service, addressing critical needs in the community by providing a wide range of programs and services | $7,500 |
| The Temple Adath Israel Louisville, KY | Support of Religious Organization. | $7,000 |
| Blue & CO Foundation Louisville, KY | To help support the mission of impacting the lives of people in the communities that blue & co. Serves | $5,500 |
| Boca Raton Regional Hospital Boca Raton, FL | To help support the healthcare efforts of the hospital | $5,000 |
| CASA - Court Appointed Special Advocates Louisville, KY | Agency dedicated to preventing and eliminating further trauma to children. | $5,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $292,309 | $129,144 | $170,439 | $163,600 | 21 |
| 2024 | $333,604 | $130,536 | $232,966 | $216,500 | 29 |
| 2023 | $436,034 | $176,777 | $270,825 | $260,500 | 26 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $292,309 | $333,604 | $436,034 |
| Revenue | $129,144 | $130,536 | $176,777 |
| Expenses | $170,439 | $232,966 | $270,825 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $163,600 | $216,500 | $260,500 |
| Net Investment Income | $122,305 | $114,070 | $176,777 |
| Distributable Amount | $35,508 | $41,591 | $46,034 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 9, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 6, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 23, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 20, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 27, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Steven Bass as president and director, Ned Bass as treasurer and director, and Mitchell Bass as secretary and director.
The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family is led by Steven Bass, President & Director since 2021 (on filings since 2019); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Steven Bass
President & Director
Secretary, Treasurer & Director → President & Director, 2021
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mitchell Bass
Secretary & Director
Vice President & Director → Secretary & Director, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ned Bass
Treasurer & Director
Vice President & Director → Treasurer & Director, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Gladys Bass (2019–2020) — Vice President & Director · Filing note: DECEASED-2102021
- Former: Lewis S. Bass (2019–2020) — Former President & Director · Filing note: DECEASED-12/11/2020
- Former: Steven Bass Interim President (2020) — Secretary, Treasurer & Director
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.
Contact
Application contact: Steve Bass
Mailing address: 3226 Boxhill Lane, Louisville, KY 40222
Phone: (502) 558-8967
Frequently asked questions about The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family
How much does The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family give each year?
The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family gave $164K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $217K across 29 grants.
What is The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family's typical grant size?
The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $7,790, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family give grants?
The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family gives mostly in Kentucky: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Louisville, KY (17 grants) and Madison, WV (2 grants).
Does The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family's largest grantees?
The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family's largest 2025 grantees include Louisville Metro Police Foundation ($36,100), Dare to Care ($20,000) and Family Scholar House ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 47% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family?
The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family reported $292K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $164K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $36K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations working in areas such as community safety, food assistance, education, support for restaurant workers in financial distress, civil rights, health care, and religious services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family?
The foundation’s filing says requests should include the purpose of the grant request and verification of qualified public charity status. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family's EIN?
The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-2641868. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
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