The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc
The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. It made 19 grants totaling $118,530 in filing year 2024, supporting organizations that include a university athletics program, a museum, a theater, youth-serving organizations, and groups working on food assistance and other causes. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 27 grants totaling $134,500.
The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc gave $135K across 27 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), top state Illinois. 44% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $134,500
- +13.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 27
- +42.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,981
- -20.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,500
- Total assets
- $2,602,206
- +0.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 44% first-time grantees (12 of 27, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (42% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc
- 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: 1300 North State Parkway 801, Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: (973) 408-6700
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was American Writer's Museum ($25K). Together the top 10 received $81K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($15,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
107 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 101 grants of 107 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in several states and Washington, DC. Illinois accounted for 56% of grant dollars, Michigan 22%, New Mexico 6%, and Washington, DC and New York 5% each. The listed recipients also included an organization in Montana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
44%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 27 grantees (44%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 56% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 39% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 116% of 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 $119K (2024) to $450K (2020). In 2025 it made 27 grants totaling $135K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Writer's Museum Chicago, IL | General Support | $25,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $15,000 |
| Juvenile Justice Initiative Evanston, IL | General Support | $10,000 |
| Todd Martin Youth Leadership Lansing, MI | General Support | $10,000 |
| Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose New York, NY | General Support | $6,000 |
| Agriculture Implementation Research & Education Taos, NM | General Support | $5,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holland Holland, MI | General Support | $5,000 |
| First Presbyterian Church Elmira, NY | General Support | $5,000 |
| Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Austin, TX | General Support | $5,000 |
| Greater Chicago Food Depository Chicago, IL | General Support | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc?
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 | $2,602,206 | $114,821 | $163,240 | $134,500 | 27 | $153,081 | $107,542 | $131,412 |
| 2024 | $2,595,561 | $93,167 | $150,023 | $118,530 | 19 | $142,160 | $85,804 | $127,720 |
| 2023 | $2,411,394 | $18,760 | $290,194 | $271,000 | 16 | $283,285 | $40,154 | $115,710 |
| 2022 | $2,337,716 | $21,360 | $240,912 | $221,500 | 20 | $231,500 | $50,492 | $122,845 |
| 2021 | $2,909,691 | $114,826 | $405,389 | $383,500 | 25 | $393,050 | $102,269 | $139,510 |
| 2020 | $2,848,527 | $188,636 | $470,784 | $450,000 | 26 | — | $179,952 | $140,607 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $131K 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 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, the Greater Chicago Food Depository describes its mission as ending hunger and identifies itself as a Cook County food bank; World Central Kitchen describes providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. The Newberry Library says it preserves and makes accessible collections documenting human achievement and experience, while the Millicent Rogers Museum says it partners with Southwestern communities to share their stories, arts, and cultures.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation gave $118,530 through 19 grants. Grants ranged from $500 to $30,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest awards included $30,000 to Northwestern University - an individual recipient and $25,000 to the American Writer’s Museum, both for general support. Other notable grants were $10,000 each to Hope Repertory Theatre and Todd Martin Youth Leadership, and $6,000 each to Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose and the Juvenile Justice Initiative. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 27 grants totaling $134,500.
Other 2024 recipients included the Partnership for Public Service ($5,000), Greater Chicago Food Depository ($5,000), Park County Community Foundation ($4,000), World Central Kitchen ($1,500), Forgotten Harvest ($1,000), Millicent Rogers Museum ($1,000), and the Newberry Library ($500). The Partnership for Public Service describes using education, research, and advocacy to help improve government; the Park County Community Foundation says it connects people and resources with community needs and opportunities. Forgotten Harvest describes its work as relieving hunger in Metro Detroit and preventing nutritious food waste.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Leigh P Pierson as president, Douglas R Conant as secretary, and Jon Vegosen as treasurer.
The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc is led by Leigh P. Pierson, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Leigh P. Pierson
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Douglas R. Conant
Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jon Vegosen
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc
How much does The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc give each year?
The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc gave $135K across 27 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $119K across 19 grants.
What is The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $3,500, and its average grant was $4,981, across 27 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc that year got $3K on average.
Where does The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc give grants?
The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc's top state is Illinois, with 42% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Michigan (24%) and New Mexico (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were Taos, NM (7 grants), Chicago, IL (4 grants), Holland, MI (4 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc'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 S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include American Writer's Museum ($25,000), Juvenile Justice Initiative ($10,000) and Todd Martin Youth Leadership ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($15,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc?
The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc reported $2.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $153K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $131K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc?
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 S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc's EIN?
The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-3769553. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated November 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 September 18, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-s-leigh-pierson-and-douglas-r-conant-family-cookie-jar-foundation-inc-morg_e3b7f1d320a14cb5b1cb73d45f9a85e7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_223769553_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The S Leigh Pierson \& Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-s-leigh-pierson-and-douglas-r-conant-family-cookie-jar-foundation-inc-morg_e3b7f1d320a14cb5b1cb73d45f9a85e7},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-02. 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 S Leigh Pierson & Douglas R Conant Family Cookie Jar Foundation Inc'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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