The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation
The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation was a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2024 filing is marked as a final return: the foundation stated that it voluntarily terminated its private foundation status and existence as of December 31, 2024, distributing all its net assets to other public charities. It therefore appears to have wound down, and its application policy should not be treated as current.
The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation gave $394K across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $33K), mostly in Ohio. 33% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $394,314
- +2686.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- +20.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $32,860
- +2222.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (4 of 12, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (96% 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 Lodas Family Charitable Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation stated that it did not accept unsolicited requests and made contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Its filing also states that the foundation terminated in 2024.
- Contact
Mailing address: 141 W Jackson Blvd 1350, Chicago, IL 60604
Phone: (312) 356-4415
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Fidelity Charitable ($377K). Together the top 10 received $393K.
Grant Size Distribution
61 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 60 grants of 61 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The reported 2024 grant-dollar distribution was concentrated in Ohio (96%), with California (3%), Washington, D.C. (1%), Arizona (1%), and Maine (0%) also listed. These percentages are as reported. The largest grant went to Fidelity Charitable in Ohio.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 12 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $96K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 58% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 2821% 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 $14K (2021) to $394K (2024). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $394K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fidelity Charitable Cincinnati, OH | General Operating | $377,314 |
| Environmental Defense Fund Washington, DC | General Operating | $3,000 |
| George Mark Children's House San Leandro, CA | General Operating | $3,000 |
| Art into Acres Fairfax, CA | General Operating | $2,000 |
| Center for Biological Diversity Tuscon, AZ | General Operating | $2,000 |
| Climate Emergency Fund West Hollywood, CA | General Operating | $2,000 |
| Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland Portland, ME | General Operating | $1,000 |
| Santa Barbara Channelkeeper Santa Barbara, CA | General Operating | $1,000 |
| Uc Santa Barbara Foundation Santa Barbara, CA | General Operating | $1,000 |
| Institute for Nonprofit News Beverly Hills, CA | General Operating | $1,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | — | $37,348 | $405,676 | $394,314 | 12 | $394,314 | $25,986 | $17,822 |
| 2023 | $263,573 | $10,553 | $24,855 | $14,150 | 10 | $14,150 | — | $15,704 |
| 2022 | $277,945 | $3,103 | $21,050 | $17,250 | 12 | $17,250 | $5,346 | $15,209 |
| 2021 | $296,590 | $51,482 | $15,817 | $13,500 | 12 | $13,500 | $49,165 | $16,736 |
| 2020 | $261,140 | $53,008 | $21,588 | $15,750 | 15 | — | $45,470 | $13,411 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $18K 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 included organizations whose own missions address species conservation, climate activism, land conservation, journalism, affordable housing, university support, and protection of the Santa Barbara Channel and its watersheds. These are grantees’ stated missions, not a stated mission or formal focus-area list for the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 12 grants totaling $394,314. The median grant was $1,500; individual grants ranged from $250 to $377,314. The largest grant was $377,314 to Fidelity Charitable in Cincinnati, Ohio, for general operating support. Other grants included $3,000 each to Environmental Defense Fund and George Mark Children’s House, and $2,000 each to Art into Acres, Center for Biological Diversity, and Climate Emergency Fund. All 12 listed grants were for general operating support.
Among the grantees, the Center for Biological Diversity says it works to secure a future for species at risk of extinction through science, law, and creative media. Climate Emergency Fund says it supports nonviolent climate activists seeking urgent action on climate change. Art into Acres says it funds land conservation through donations and the sale of donated artwork. Other 2024 recipients included Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland, UC Santa Barbara Foundation, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, and Institute for Nonprofit News.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing listed James Lodas and Jeffrey Lodas as trustees.
The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
James Lodas
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jeffrey Lodas
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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 Lodas Family Charitable Foundation
How much does The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation give each year?
The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation gave $394K across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $14K across 10 grants.
What is The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,500, and its average grant was $32,860, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation that year got $96K on average.
Where does The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation give grants?
The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Barbara, CA (2 grants).
Does The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Fidelity Charitable ($377,314), Environmental Defense Fund ($3,000) and George Mark Children's House ($3,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 97% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
What does The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included organizations whose own missions address species conservation, climate activism, land conservation, journalism, affordable housing, university support, and protection of the Santa Barbara Channel and its watersheds. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation?
The foundation stated that it did not accept unsolicited requests and made contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
How much is The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $18K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation's EIN?
The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3971500. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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 Lodas Family Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-lodas-family-charitable-foundation-morg_a1f03eeb771d44ce909c0e71a2547af5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203971500_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-lodas-family-charitable-foundation-morg_a1f03eeb771d44ce909c0e71a2547af5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Lodas Family Charitable 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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