The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation
The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. In 2024, it reported 28 grants totaling $1,684,000, including support for arts and cultural organizations, a healthcare organization, and other nonprofits.
The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation at a glance
In short: The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation gave $1.7M across 28 grants in 2024 (avg $60K), mostly in California. 18% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,684,000
- -8.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 28
- +21.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $60,143
- -24.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $7,500
- Total assets
- $31,649,250
- -3.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (5 of 28, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (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 Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Co Cla 925 Century Park E 16Th F, Los Angeles, CA 90266
Phone: (310) 273-2501
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Los Angeles Philharmonic ($412K). Together the top 10 received $1.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
135 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 96 grants of 135 (71%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in California. The remaining reported shares were New York (2%), Virginia (1%), Colorado (1%), and Maryland (0%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 28 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $72K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 71% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−4%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 97% 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 (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 $1.7M (2024) to $1.9M (2020). In 2024 it made 28 grants totaling $1.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Philharmonic Los Angeles, CA | Public Support of Organization Mission | $412,000 |
| City of Hope Duarte, CA | Public Support of Organization Mission | $400,000 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Los Angeles, CA | Public Support of Organization Mission | $212,750 |
| Los Angeles Opera Los Angeles, CA | Public Support of Organization Mission | $160,000 |
| Center Theatre Group Los Angeles, CA | Public Support of Organization Mission | $125,000 |
| USC Associates Los Angeles, CA | Public Support of Organization Mission | $115,000 |
| Venice Family Clinic Venice, CA | Public Support of Organization Mission | $60,000 |
| Skirball Cultural Center Los Angeles, CA | Public Support of Organization Mission | $50,000 |
| American Friends of Magen David Adom (Afmda) New York, NY | Public Support of Organization Mission | $25,000 |
| Lucky Dog Animal Rescue Arlington, VA | Public Support of Organization Mission | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Norman & Sadie Lee 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 | $31,649,250 | $925,322 | $1,963,051 | $1,684,000 | 28 | $1,756,478 | $779,700 | $1,809,374 |
| 2023 | $32,686,979 | $-107,574 | $2,121,034 | $1,832,000 | 23 | $1,907,123 | $741,386 | $1,744,937 |
| 2022 | $34,915,587 | $639,200 | $2,300,825 | $1,885,000 | 26 | $1,935,955 | $714,275 | $1,853,930 |
| 2021 | $36,780,501 | $2,642,239 | $2,062,142 | $1,750,500 | 29 | $1,772,902 | $2,318,191 | $1,955,878 |
| 2020 | $36,199,180 | $233,339 | $2,290,975 | $1,906,500 | 29 | — | $942,958 | $1,817,477 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.8M 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Center Theatre Group, and Skirball Cultural Center received grants. The Skirball Cultural Center describes itself as welcoming people from all communities to cultural experiences and seeking to help build a more just society. City of Hope, another 2024 grantee, states that its mission is to make hope a reality for people touched by cancer and diabetes. Venice Family Clinic says it provides quality primary health care to people in need.
Other 2024 grantees include Enterprise for Youth, which says it supports under-resourced San Francisco youth through paid internships, and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue, which describes its work as rescuing homeless, neglected, and abandoned animals.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 28 grants totaling $1,684,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,750 to $412,000, with a median of $7,500. The largest grants included $412,000 to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, $400,000 to City of Hope, $212,750 to Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust, $160,000 to Los Angeles Opera, and $125,000 to Center Theatre Group. The stated purpose for each of these grants was public support of the recipient organization’s mission.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Paul James as director and president, and Bryan Isaacs as director, secretary, and treasurer.
The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation is led by Paul A. James, Director & President since 2022 (on filings since 2020); none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Paul A. James
Director & President
Director, President, Treasurer & Secretary → Director & President, 2022
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bryan Isaacs
Director, Secretary & Treasurer
Director → Director, Secretary & Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Mark James (2022) — Vice President
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 Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation
How much does The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation give each year?
The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation gave $1.7M across 28 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.8M across 23 grants.
What is The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation's typical grant size?
The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $7,500, and its average grant was $60,143, across 28 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation give grants?
The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation gives mostly in California: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (10 grants), New York, NY (2 grants), Coloma, CA (2 grants) and San Diego, CA (2 grants).
Does The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 28 grants with a stated purpose on The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Public Support of Organization Mission" (28 grants).
Who are The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation's largest grantees?
The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Los Angeles Philharmonic ($412,000), City of Hope ($400,000) and Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust ($212,750), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation?
The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation reported $31.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.8M (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 Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Center Theatre Group, and Skirball Cultural Center received grants. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation's EIN?
The Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-3333368. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Norman & Sadie Lee 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
(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 Norman & Sadie Lee Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-norman-and-sadie-lee-foundation-morg_ef15c571eb534815a947f6380ec005a3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_953333368_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Norman \& Sadie Lee Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-norman-and-sadie-lee-foundation-morg_ef15c571eb534815a947f6380ec005a3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-24. 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 Norman & Sadie Lee 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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