Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation
The Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its 2025 filing reports 23 grants totaling $61,392, primarily to organizations in Ohio.
Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation gave $61K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Ohio. 61% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $61,392
- +53.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- +43.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,669
- +7.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,080
- Total assets
- $454,176
- +74.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 61% first-time grantees (14 of 23, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (97% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 221 East Fourth Street 2300, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: (513) 381-2838
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Xavier University ($13K). Together the top 10 received $53K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($1,600), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
97 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 97 grants of 97 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio and 3% to recipients in Indiana. Listed Ohio recipients include organizations in Cincinnati and Toledo; the Indiana recipient listed is in Indianapolis.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation open to new grantees?
61%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 14 of 23 grantees (61%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 30% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+12%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 311% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $7K (2021) to $61K (2025). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $61K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Xavier University Cincinnati, OH | General Support | $12,800 |
| St Mary School - Annual Fund Cincinnati, OH | General Support | $10,000 |
| Depaul Cristo Rey Cincinnati, OH | General Support | $6,000 |
| St Xavier High School Cincinnati, OH | General Support | $6,000 |
| Givst Mary's Cincinnati, OH | General Support | $5,353 |
| St Mary's Hyde Park Cincinnati, OH | General Support | $5,200 |
| Cise Cincinnati, OH | General Support | $2,500 |
| Cincinnati Tennnis Foundation Cincinnati, OH | General Support | $2,100 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $1,600 |
| Qtego Fundraising Services Indianapolis, IN | General Support | $1,500 |
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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 | $454,176 | $256,800 | $63,511 | $61,392 | 23 | $62,334 | $86,830 | $20,039 |
| 2024 | $260,887 | $142,042 | $42,238 | $39,880 | 16 | $40,700 | $31,212 | $11,942 |
| 2023 | $161,083 | $92,929 | $63,329 | $59,620 | 25 | $60,695 | $44,437 | $7,033 |
| 2022 | $132,636 | $96,136 | $56,292 | $55,042 | 27 | $55,465 | $45,241 | $5,488 |
| 2021 | $105,610 | $105,401 | $12,536 | $7,436 | 6 | $12,536 | $22,695 | $1,637 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $20K 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 2025 grants include support for educational institutions and programs, youth activities, social services, food access, the arts, and cancer research. These reflect the work of specific grantees, rather than a stated foundation mission. For example, Xavier University describes itself as a Jesuit Catholic university focused on students’ intellectual, moral, and spiritual education; CISE says it helps urban children access Catholic education; and Our Daily Bread describes its work providing meals and access to social services in Cincinnati.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 23 grants totaling $61,392. Grants ranged from $56 to $12,800, with a median grant of $1,080. The largest listed awards included Xavier University ($12,800), St Mary School – Annual Fund ($10,000), DePaul Cristo Rey ($6,000), St Xavier High School ($6,000), Givst Mary's ($5,353), and St Mary's Hyde Park ($5,200). The listed grant purposes were general support.
Other 2025 recipients included CISE ($2,500), Cincinnati Tennis Foundation ($2,100), ArtsWave ($1,500), Friars Club Inc ($1,000), Our Daily Bread ($516), and Pelotonia ($207). Friars Club describes its work as youth development through sports, education, and leadership programming; Pelotonia describes its mission as accelerating innovative cancer research.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kelly Lieser as president and director, and Thomas Lieser as secretary, treasurer, and director.
Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation is led by Kelly Lieser, President & Director on every filing since 2021; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kelly Lieser
President & Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas Lieser
Secretary, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation
How much does Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation give each year?
Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation gave $61K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $40K across 16 grants.
What is Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,080, and its average grant was $2,669, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation give grants?
Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Cincinnati, OH (16 grants), Indianapolis, IN (2 grants) and Columbus, OH (2 grants).
Does Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (23 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Xavier University ($12,800), St Mary School - Annual Fund ($10,000) and Depaul Cristo Rey ($6,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($1,600), which are not listed by name. Together they received 47% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation?
Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation reported $454K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $62K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $20K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for educational institutions and programs, youth activities, social services, food access, the arts, and cancer research. These reflect the work of specific grantees, rather than a stated foundation mission. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation's EIN?
Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 86-2823484. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 2, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 2, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/thomas-and-kelly-lieser-family-foundation-morg_8b81713f48f74a2d879d4965c225412d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_862823484_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Thomas \& Kelly Lieser Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/thomas-and-kelly-lieser-family-foundation-morg_8b81713f48f74a2d879d4965c225412d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Thomas & Kelly Lieser Family 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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