The Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation focuses its philanthropy on meeting basic needs in its local community, concentrating on food security and services for people experiencing homelessness. Grants are directed to local pantries and a ministry that serves the homeless, often through repeat, sizable gifts to the same organizations. Their giving appears locally focused and pragmatic, funding direct service operations rather than advocacy or capacity-building.
Lester & Frances Johnson Foundation Inc C/o Graham Johnson gives repeatedly to the same local-service organizations, with the largest recent awards going to The River Food Pantry in Madison and Timothy's Ministry in Wheaton. That pattern points to a grantmaker centered on direct help for basic needs rather than broad, theme-driven initiatives. The foundation’s recent grants show a steady emphasis on food access, homelessness services, and other practical support for people facing immediate hardship. Its giving includes multi-year support for food pantries and food banks, as well as recurring grants to organizations serving people experiencing homelessness. The River Food Pantry received $80,000 in both 2023 and 2024, then $60,000 in 2025. Timothy's Ministry received $40,000 in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025. Glen-ed Pantry in Edwardsville also appears across multiple years, alongside other direct-service grantees such as Eastern Illinois Food Bank and Saint Louis Area Food Bank. The foundation also supports related community needs beyond food and shelter, including women in crisis, immigrant services, animal rescue, youth holiday support, and family programming. Across the recent grants list, the pattern is consistent: modest-to-substantial awards to organizations providing immediate services in local communities.
Food security is a core theme. The foundation gave $60,000 in 2025 to The River Food Pantry for food bank work, and it also backed Glen-ed Pantry in Edwardsville with $30,000 in 2023 and $20,000 in both 2024 and 2025 for pantry operations. Eastern Illinois Food Bank received $15,000 in 2023 and 2025, plus $10,000 in 2024. Homelessness services are another recurring area. Timothy's Ministry in Wheaton received $40,000 in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025 for the benefit of the homeless. The foundation also awarded $15,000 in 2024 to Courage Connection in Urbana for support of women in crisis, and $10,000 in 2023 for the same purpose. Beyond basic-needs services, the foundation funded immigrant services support with $10,000 to International Institute of Metro St Louis in 2023. It also made grants for animal rescue and shelter work, including $15,000 to Tenth Life Cat Rescue in 2025 and $10,000 to Evanston Animal Shelter in 2023.
$410K
$4.5M
$45K
$489K
Most grants fall between $5K and $10K, with a median of $9K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$9K
75th Percentile
$10K
About 27% of grants go to recipients in WI.
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Concentrated, local giving with relatively few but large grants; several repeat multi-year or multi-grant commitments to the same core service providers rather than many small or one-off donations.
Notable grantees: The River Food Pantry, Timothy's Ministry, Glen-Ed Pantry
Typical grant sizes cluster in the low five figures: p25 is $5,000, median is $8,500, and p75 is $10,000. The recent grants list shows repeated support to the same organizations across multiple years, including The River Food Pantry, Timothy's Ministry, Glen-ed Pantry, Eastern Illinois Food Bank, Courage Connection, Gio's Garden, and Wayforward Food Pantry. That indicates a recurring-grant pattern rather than one-off gifts. The foundation is a private foundation, not an individual-giving vehicle, and it does not make program-related investments. Grants are directed to organizations rather than individuals.
Most grants go to Wisconsin, which is the top state by grant count, even though the foundation is headquartered in Edwardsville, Illinois. Illinois also accounts for a substantial share of awards, including recipients in Madison? No—Illinois recipients such as Wheaton, Edwardsville, Urbana, St. Charles, and Evanston appear repeatedly. Missouri recipients include St. Louis, Bridgeton, and surrounding areas, while Indiana recipients include Muncie. All recorded grants in the recent list are to U.S. organizations.
It most often funds direct-service organizations working on food security and homelessness. Recent grants include The River Food Pantry, Timothy's Ministry, Glen-ed Pantry, Eastern Illinois Food Bank, and Saint Louis Area Food Bank, with additional support for women in crisis, immigrant services, animal rescue, and youth-related programs.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including The River Food Pantry ($80,000 in 2023 and 2024, then $60,000 in 2025), Timothy's Ministry ($40,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025), and Glen-ed Pantry, Eastern Illinois Food Bank, Courage Connection, Gio's Garden, and Wayforward Food Pantry.
The distribution is centered in the low five figures. The provided figures are p25 at $5,000, median at $8,500, and p75 at $10,000, even though the foundation also makes larger multi-year grants to a small set of recurring grantees.
Wisconsin is the top state by grant count. Illinois also receives many grants, with recipients in Edwardsville, Wheaton, Urbana, St. Charles, and Evanston. Missouri and Indiana also appear in the recent grants list, and all recorded recipients are in the U.S.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE RIVER FOOD PANTRY | MADISON, WI | $100,000 | 2026 | FOOD BANK |
| TIMOTHY'S MINISTRY | WHEATON, IL | $40,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| HEROES AND HELPERS | MUNCIE, IN | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| COURAGE CONNECTION | URBANA, IL | $15,000 | 2026 | FOR SUPPORT OF WOMEN IN CRISIS |
| HEALTH BY ALL MEANS | MADISON, WI | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| ST LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO | ST LOUIS, MO | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF METRO ST LOUIS | ST LOUIS, MO | $15,000 | 2026 | IMMIGRANT SERVICES SUPPORT |
| EASTERN ILLINOIS FOOD BANK | URBANA, IL | $15,000 | 2026 | FOOD BANK |
| ANGEL'S WISH | VERONA, WI | $15,000 | 2026 | ANIMAL RESCUE |
| AGAPE RANCH | VERONA, WI | $13,000 | 2026 | SERVICES FOR FOSTER CHILDREN |
| COLORECTAL CANCER ALLIANCE | WASHINGTON DC, DC | $10,000 | 2026 | RESEARCH AND SUPPORT SERVICES |
| GLEN-ED PANTRY | EDWARDSVILLE, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | FOOD PANTRY |
| BLOOD CANCER UNITED | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | RESEARCH AND SUPPORT SERVICES |
| SAINT LOUIS AREA FOOD BANK | BRIDGETON, MO | $10,000 | 2026 | FOOD BANK |
| GIO'S GARDEN | MIDDLETON, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT OF FAMILY PROGRAMS |
| TENTH LIFE CAT RESCUE | ST LOUIS, MO | $10,000 | 2026 | ANIMAL RESCUE |
| ST LOUIS PBS | ST LOUIS, MO | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| GOOD SHEPARD LUTHERAN CHURCH FOOD PANTRY | MADISON, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | FOOD PANTRY |
| INSPIRING HOPE MINISTRIES | MIDDLETON, WI | $7,000 | 2026 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| ST JUDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | MEMPHIS, TN | $7,000 | 2026 | RESEARCH AND SUPPORT SERVICES |
| COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY OF SPRING GREEN | SPRING GREEN, WI | $6,000 | 2026 | FOOD PANTRY |
| NEW BEGININGS | DODGEVILLE, WI | $6,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| WAYFORWARD FOOD PANTRY | MIDDLETON, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | FOOD PANTRY |
| CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| ACTION STL | ST LOUIS, MO | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| WISCONSIN YOUTH | HARTLAND, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| WELCOME NEIGHBOR STL | ST LOUIS, MO | $5,000 | 2026 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| UW FOUNDATION | MADISON, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATION |
| ASPCA | WASHINGTON DC, DC | $5,000 | 2026 | ANIMAL RESCUE |
| RUBY'S PANTRY | MOORHEAD, MN | $5,000 | 2026 | FOOD PANTRY |
| GATEWAY PET GUARDIANS | EAST ST LOUIS, IL | $2,500 | 2026 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| MADISON DUGOUT CLUB | MADISON, WI | $1,500 | 2026 | YOUTH SPORTS |
| BLACK EARTH HISTORICAL SOCIETY | BLACK EARTH, WI | $1,000 | 2026 | SUMMER PROGRAM |
| CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM | ST LOUIS, MO | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| THE RIVER FOOD PANTRY | MADISON, WI | $60,000 | 2025 | FOOD BANK |
| TIMOTHY'S MINISTRY | WHEATON, IL | $40,000 | 2025 | BENEFIT OF THE HOMELESS |
| GLEN-ED PANTRY | EDWARDSVILLE, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | FOOD PANTRY |
| MUNCIE CRIME STOPPERS | MUNCIE, IN | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| TENTH LIFE CAT RESCUE | ST LOUIS, MO | $15,000 | 2025 | ANIMAL RESCUE |
| COURAGE CONNECTION | URBANA, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | FOR SUPPORT OF WOMEN IN CRISIS |
| EASTERN ILLINOIS FOOD BANK | URBANA, IL | $15,000 | 2025 | FOOD BANK |
| HEALTH BY ALL MEANS | MADISON, WI | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| FOSTER & ADOPTIVE CARE COALITION | ST LOUIS, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| GIO'S GARDEN | MIDDLETON, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF FAMILY PROGRAMS |
| WAYFORWARD FOOD PANTRY | MIDDLETON, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | FOOD PANTRY |
| EVANSTON ANIMAL SHELTER | EVANSTON, IL | $8,000 | 2025 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| ST LOUIS CRISIS CENTER | ST LOUIS, MO | $5,000 | 2025 | FOR SUPPORT OF WOMEN IN CRISIS |
| ASPCA | WASHINGTON DC, DC | $5,000 | 2025 | ANIMAL RESCUE |
| NATURAL RESOURCES FOUNDATION OF WISCONSIN | MADISON, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION |
| CITY SEWING ROOM | ST LOUIS, MO | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
TIMOTHY'S MINISTRY
$40,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
HEROES AND HELPERS
$15,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
COURAGE CONNECTION
$15,000FOR SUPPORT OF WOMEN IN CRISIS
HEALTH BY ALL MEANS
$15,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
ST LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO
$15,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
ANGEL'S WISH
$15,000ANIMAL RESCUE
AGAPE RANCH
$13,000SERVICES FOR FOSTER CHILDREN
GLEN-ED PANTRY
$10,000FOOD PANTRY
GIO'S GARDEN
$10,000SUPPORT OF FAMILY PROGRAMS
TENTH LIFE CAT RESCUE
$10,000ANIMAL RESCUE
ST LOUIS PBS
$10,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
GOOD SHEPARD LUTHERAN CHURCH FOOD PANTRY
$10,000FOOD PANTRY
INSPIRING HOPE MINISTRIES
$7,000SOCIAL SERVICES
COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY OF SPRING GREEN
$6,000FOOD PANTRY
NEW BEGININGS
$6,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
WAYFORWARD FOOD PANTRY
$5,000FOOD PANTRY
ACTION STL
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
WISCONSIN YOUTH
$5,000SOCIAL SERVICES
WELCOME NEIGHBOR STL
$5,000SOCIAL SERVICES
ASPCA
$5,000ANIMAL RESCUE
RUBY'S PANTRY
$5,000FOOD PANTRY
MADISON DUGOUT CLUB
$1,500YOUTH SPORTS
BLACK EARTH HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$1,000SUMMER PROGRAM
TIMOTHY'S MINISTRY
$40,000BENEFIT OF THE HOMELESS
GLEN-ED PANTRY
$20,000FOOD PANTRY
MUNCIE CRIME STOPPERS
$15,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
TENTH LIFE CAT RESCUE
$15,000ANIMAL RESCUE
COURAGE CONNECTION
$15,000FOR SUPPORT OF WOMEN IN CRISIS
HEALTH BY ALL MEANS
$15,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
GIO'S GARDEN
$10,000SUPPORT OF FAMILY PROGRAMS
WAYFORWARD FOOD PANTRY
$10,000FOOD PANTRY
EVANSTON ANIMAL SHELTER
$8,000ANIMAL SHELTER
ST LOUIS CRISIS CENTER
$5,000FOR SUPPORT OF WOMEN IN CRISIS
ASPCA
$5,000ANIMAL RESCUE
CITY SEWING ROOM
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS