Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth
Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, with awards including support for Chicago cultural and community organizations and institutions in other states.
Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth at a glance
In short: Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth gave $1.1M across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $85K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,100,000
- +1275.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +62.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $84,615
- +746.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $100,000
- Total assets
- $19,552,863
- -14.0% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Illinois (64% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth
- 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: 3740 N Lake Shore Dr Apt 16A, Chicago, IL 60613
Phone: (773) 590-2737
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Harvard College ($120K). Together the top 10 received $990K.
Grant Size Distribution
21 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 9 grants of 21 (43%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars were reported as going to recipients in Illinois (64%), Massachusetts (22%), Maryland (9%), Pennsylvania (5%), and Florida (1%). The listed grants include multiple Chicago-area organizations and recipients in Boston, Hagerstown, and Pittsburgh.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
How Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth gives
- 62% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 95% 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 (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 2023 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $80K (2023) to $1.1M (2024). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Harvard College Boston, MA | General Charitable Purposes | $120,000 |
| Harvard Medical School Boston, MA | General Charitable Purposes | $120,000 |
| Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL | General Charitable Purposes | $100,000 |
| Chicago Symphony Chicago, IL | General Charitable Purposes | $100,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders Hagerstown, MD | General Charitable Purposes | $100,000 |
| Greater Chicago Food Bank Chicago, IL | General Charitable Purposes | $100,000 |
| Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, IL | General Charitable Purposes | $100,000 |
| Wounded Warriors Chicago, IL | General Charitable Purposes | $100,000 |
| Shedd Aquarium Chicago, IL | General Charitable Purposes | $100,000 |
| Guest House Chicago Chicago, IL | General Charitable Purposes | $50,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $19,552,863 | $174,459 | $1,316,612 | $1,100,000 | 13 | $1,197,915 | $401,636 | $1,266,251 |
| 2023 | $22,735,726 | $1,139,841 | $494,701 | $80,000 | 8 | $158,709 | $803,849 | $1,171,259 |
| 2022 | $20,485,815 | $22,099,318 | — | — | — | — | $17,129 | $74,584 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth reported a distributable amount of $1.3M 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 went to organizations including arts and cultural institutions, a food bank, a zoo, a medical school, and charitable organizations.
One Day to Remember Inc., which received $50,000 in 2024, describes its mission as providing families a one-day respite for children whose parents have been diagnosed with terminal cancer. This is the grantee’s stated mission, not a stated mission of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $1,100,000 through 13 grants. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $120,000, with a median of $100,000. The 2023 filing reports $80,000 in grants across eight awards.
Notable 2024 grants included $120,000 each to Harvard College and Harvard Medical School; $100,000 each to the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Symphony, Doctors Without Borders, Greater Chicago Food Bank, Lincoln Park Zoo, Wounded Warriors, and Shedd Aquarium; and $50,000 each to Guest House Chicago, One Day to Remember, and Cures Within Reach. The listed awards were for general charitable purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Lawrence Elman was listed as trustee on the 2024 filing.
Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth is led by Lawrence Elman, Trustee on every filing since 2022 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Lawrence Elman
Trustee
On filings since 2022
30 hrs/week
$190K (2024)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2022–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $190K, to Lawrence Elman (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth
How much does Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth give each year?
Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth gave $1.1M across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $80K across 8 grants.
What is Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth's typical grant size?
Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth's median grant in 2024 was $100,000, and its average grant was $84,615, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth give grants?
Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth gives mostly in Illinois: 64% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (22%) and Maryland (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (8 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth's largest grantees?
Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth's largest 2024 grantees include Harvard College ($120,000), Harvard Medical School ($120,000) and Art Institute of Chicago ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth?
Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth reported $19.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.3M (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 Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations including arts and cultural institutions, a food bank, a zoo, a medical school, and charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth?
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 Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth's EIN?
Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-2435825. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2022–2024.
Does Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth 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 2022–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/walter-lee-barker-and-betty-ruth-morg_1ed4c1519c1341349a8592bffe415d6e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_872435825_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/walter-lee-barker-and-betty-ruth-morg_1ed4c1519c1341349a8592bffe415d6e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Walter Lee Barker and Betty Ruth'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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