The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family
The Lewis and Gladys Bass Family Charitable Foundation Inc. is a private charitable foundation based in Louisville, Kentucky. Established as a 501(c)(3) organization, the foundation has been tax-exempt since January 2018. The foundation operates as a grantmaking organization focused on supporting charitable causes aligned with the Bass family's philanthropic interests.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$334K
-23.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$217K
-16.9% YoY
Grant Count
29
+11.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$7K
-25.5% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's grant-making priorities include:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
- Science and STEM Education
Grantmaking
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in Kentucky, West Virginia, and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $333,604
- Total Revenue: $131,000
- Total Expenses: $233,000
- Total Liabilities: $0
- Total Giving: $216,500
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $333,604 | $436,034 | $530,082 |
| Revenue | $130,536 | $176,777 | $246,724 |
| Expenses | $232,966 | $270,825 | $355,932 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $216,500 | $260,500 | $338,000 |
| Net Investment Income | $114,070 | $176,777 | $246,724 |
| Distributable Amount | $41,591 | $46,034 | $58,244 |
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
139 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Lewis "Sonny" Bass (June 5, 1921 – December 12, 2020) was a co-founder of the foundation. He was a University of Louisville alumnus who played football (1940-42) and basketball for the Cardinals. Bass had a distinguished business career as founder of Bass and Weisberg Realty (1952-80), a co-founder of Humana (1961), and a marketing director and partner for 40 movie theatres (1983-87). He served as a member of the UofL Board of Overseers and was inducted into the UofL Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994. He received the Hickman-Camp Award in 1995 for special service in support of Cardinal Athletics.
Gladys Bass (August 31, 1926 – February 10, 2021) was Lewis's wife of 74 years and co-founder of the foundation.
Together, Lewis and Gladys Bass contributed $500,000 for construction of the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center at the University of Louisville and funded a bronze statue of the Cardinal Bird at Cardinal Arena.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEVEN BASS | PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| NED BASS | TREASURER/DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MITCHELL BASS | SECRETARY/DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Similar funders by location and focus area
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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