The Monica Lester Charitable Trust | Foundation Profile

GrantBay analyzes IRS Form 990-PF data to help grant seekers find fit funders like The Monica Lester Charitable Trust. Data shown is extracted from Form 990-PF filings.

EIN: 81-1000768

Foundation Overview

Based in Los Angeles, CA, The Monica Lester Charitable Trust has awarded 67 grants totaling $4,350,000 to organizations in California, New York and 1 other state across the US. Individual grants range from $5,000 to $425,000, with a median award of $50,000.

Latest Tax Year
2023
Total Giving (all years)
$4,350,000
Total Assets
$12,940,182
Median Grant (all grants)
$50,000

Latest Form 990-PF Snapshot

Total Grants
22
Median Grant
$15,000
% Median Grant Decline
-76% (vs previous year)
Data extracted from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Last filing year: February 2026

Foundation Intelligence

Advanced analytics and strategic insights to help nonprofit organizations assess grant opportunities and optimize their application strategies

New Applicant Friendliness
Balanced Approach: 36%

8 of 22 recipients (36%) were new grantees. Foundation maintains loyal partnerships while remaining open to qualified new applicants with strong proposals.

Geographic Focus
California

88% of all grants are concentrated in California, demonstrating highly focused geographic giving. This foundation prioritizes deep community impact in its primary service area. Within California, funding concentrates in Los Angeles (63%), Duarte (12%), Santa Monica (12%).

Funding Trajectory
-40%

Declining funding trend with 40% decrease over 6 years may indicate reduced grant opportunities or shifting foundation priorities. This trajectory suggests more competitive application environment.

Program Areas
Healthcare + 2 others

Diversified giving across multiple program areas with primary emphasis on healthcare (43%). This broad approach suggests openness to various causes and innovative cross-sector solutions.

Where is The Money Going?

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Grants & Funding

Analyzing past grantees provides valuable insights into The Monica Lester Charitable Trust's funding preferences, organizational priorities, and grant making patterns. This historical data helps potential applicants understand the foundation's strategic focus and identify successful funding approaches.

Name Amount Location Purpose Year
Cedars-sinai Medical Center $50,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Medical Research 2023
Children's Hospital $15,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Medical Research 2023
City Of Hope $100,000 Duarte, CA, US Funding Cancer Research 2023
Jewish Community Foundation $10,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Higher Education 2023
Loyola Marymount University $120,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Higher Education 2023
Prostate Cancer Foundation $50,000 Santa Monica, CA, US Funding Cancer Research 2023
The Mahler Foundation $10,000 Santa Cruz, CA, US Supporting Musical Production 2023
Friends Of United Hatzalah $10,000 New York, NY, US Providing Community Service 2023
International Fellowship Of Christians And Jews $10,000 Chicago, IL, US Providing Community Service 2023
Chabad's Terror Victims Project $20,000 Brooklyn, NY, US Providing Community Service 2023
Federation Of Jewish Communities Of Cis (Ukraine) $5,000 New York, NY, US Providing Community Service 2023
Cedars-sinai Medical Center $50,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Medical Research 2023
Children's Hospital $15,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Medical Research 2023
City Of Hope $100,000 Duarte, CA, US Funding Cancer Research 2023
Jewish Community Foundation $10,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Higher Education 2023
Loyola Marymount University $120,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Higher Education 2023
Prostate Cancer Foundation $50,000 Santa Monica, CA, US Funding Cancer Research 2023
The Mahler Foundation $10,000 Santa Cruz, CA, US Supporting Musical Production 2023
Friends Of United Hatzalah $10,000 New York, NY, US Providing Community Service 2023
International Fellowship Of Christians And Jews $10,000 Chicago, IL, US Providing Community Service 2023
Chabad's Terror Victims Project $20,000 Brooklyn, NY, US Providing Community Service 2023
Federation Of Jewish Communities Of Cis (Ukraine) $5,000 New York, NY, US Providing Community Service 2023
Cedars-sinai Medical Center $100,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Medical Research 2022
Children's Hospital $50,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Medical Research 2022
City Of Hope $100,000 Duarte, CA, US Funding Cancer Research 2022
Jewish Community Foundation $25,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Higher Education 2022
Loyola Marymount University $150,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Higher Education 2022
Prostate Cancer Foundation $50,000 Santa Monica, CA, US Funding Cancer Research 2022
The Mahler Foundation $30,000 Santa Cruz, CA, US Supporting Musical Production 2022
Ucla School Of Dentistry $75,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Funding Ribosomal Rna Research 2022
Cedars-sinai Medical Center $100,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Medical Research 2022
Children's Hospital $50,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Medical Research 2022
City Of Hope $100,000 Duarte, CA, US Funding Cancer Research 2022
Jewish Community Foundation $25,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Higher Education 2022
Loyola Marymount University $150,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Higher Education 2022
Prostate Cancer Foundation $50,000 Santa Monica, CA, US Funding Cancer Research 2022
The Mahler Foundation $30,000 Santa Cruz, CA, US Supporting Musical Production 2022
Ucla School Of Dentistry $75,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Funding Ribosomal Rna Research 2022
Cedars-sinai Medical Center $50,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Medical Research 2021
Children's Hospital $75,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Medical Research 2021
City Of Hope $100,000 Duarte, CA, US Funding Cancer Research 2021
Jewish Community Foundation $25,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Higher Education 2021
Loyola Marymount University $50,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Higher Education 2021
Prostate Cancer Foundation $50,000 Santa Monica, CA, US Funding Cancer Research 2021
The Mahler Foundation $25,000 Santa Cruz, CA, US Supporting Musical Production 2021
Ucla School Of Dentistry $75,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Funding Infectious Diseases Research 2021
Cedars-sinai Medical Center $50,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Medical Research 2020
Children's Hospital $100,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Medical Research 2020
City Of Hope $100,000 Duarte, CA, US Funding Cancer Research 2020
Ucla School Of Dentistry $75,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Funding Infectious Diseases Research 2020
Jewish Community Foundation $25,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Higher Education 2020
Loyola Marymount University $50,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Higher Education 2020
Prostate Cancer Foundation $50,000 Santa Monica, CA, US Funding Cancer Research 2020
The Mahler Foundation $25,000 Santa Cruz, CA, US Supporting Musical Production 2020
Cedars-sinai Medical Center $100,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Medical Research 2018
Children's Hospital $170,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Medical Research 2018
The Mahler Foundation $5,000 Santa Cruz, CA, US Supporting Musical Production 2018
Loyola Marymount University $425,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting High Education 2018
City Of Hope $100,000 Duarte, CA, US Funding Cancer Research 2018
Cedars-sinai Medical Center $40,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Medical Research 2017
Children's Hospital $70,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Medical Research 2017
Children's Hospital $40,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Providing Funds To Acquire Hospital Equipment 2017
Loyola Marymount University $100,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting High Education 2017
Prostate Cancer Foundation $40,000 Santa Monica, CA, US Supporting Medical Research 2017
Sepulveda Research Corporation $100,000 Sepulveda, CA, US Supporting Medical Research 2017
Marymount Los Angeles High School $250,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Community Services 2017
Jewish Community Foundation $25,000 Los Angeles, CA, US Supporting Community Services 2017

Foundations Similar to The Monica Lester Charitable Trust

Discover 5 foundations with comparable assets ($12,841,572-$13,083,455), similar grant patterns, and geographic focus in CA that may also align with your organization's funding needs and grant seeking strategy.

Foundation Name Total Assets Typical Grant Size Service Area Similarity Match

EIN: 95-4487544 | 273 grants awarded
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$25,000
median grant
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Same state
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EIN: 46-2153490 | 8 grants awarded
$12,971,282
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$79,665
median grant
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EIN: 94-3287969 | 65 grants awarded
$12,867,745
(≈ Similar)
$30,000
median grant
Carmel, CA
Same state
100%
Excellent match

EIN: 47-4108450 | 37 grants awarded
$12,841,572
(≈ Similar)
$25,000
median grant
Palo Alto, CA
Same state
100%
Excellent match

EIN: 46-7473921 | 68 grants awarded
$13,083,455
(≈ Similar)
$25,000
median grant
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Same state
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Excellent match

Contact Information

Official contact details for The Monica Lester Charitable Trust as registered with the IRS. These details are essential for grant applications, correspondence, and due diligence processes.

EIN 81-1000768
Website N/A
Address 6310 SAN VICENTE BLVD STE 250 Los Angeles, CA 90048-5447

Key People (3)

Board members, trustees, and key staff who oversee The Monica Lester Charitable Trust's grant making decisions and strategic direction. Understanding leadership composition can provide insights into foundation priorities and potential networking opportunities.

Trustee [object Object]
Trustee Joel Levine
Trustee Paul Lester

Forms 990-PF

IRS Form 990-PF filings provide comprehensive financial information, grant details, and operational data. These documents are essential resources for understanding foundation capacity, giving patterns, and strategic priorities.

Form 990-PF Research Tips
  • Review Part XV for detailed grant recipient information and funding purposes
  • Check Part I for total assets, annual giving amounts, and payout requirements
  • Examine Part VIII for key personnel compensation and board structure
  • Look for trends across multiple years to understand giving patterns

About This Foundation Profile

This comprehensive foundation profile for The Monica Lester Charitable Trust is powered by Grant Bay's advanced foundation research platform. Our system analyzes IRS Form 990-PF filings, grant histories, and philanthropic patterns to provide nonprofit organizations with actionable intelligence for grant seeking success.

Data Sources & Accuracy

All information is derived from official IRS filings and public records. Grant Bay processes thousands of Form 990-PF documents to extract grant details, financial data, and organizational information. Data accuracy depends on foundation reporting quality and IRS filing completeness.

Research Applications

Use this profile for prospect research, grant strategy development, application preparation, and relationship building. Combine this data with additional research on foundation priorities, application processes, and board member backgrounds for comprehensive grant seeking strategies.

Data Currency: Last updated February 2026 based on IRS Form 990-PF filings. Foundation information reflects most recent available tax year data.