The Brook J Lenfest Foundation Inc
Audubon, PA · EIN 23-3031338. Reported 78 grants totalling $11.3M to 59 organizations across tax years 2019-2023. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. The Brook J Lenfest Foundation Inc did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $25,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $15,000 and $50,000; the smallest was $3,000 and the largest $3,000,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which the organization received money -- more than one means a real relationship rather than a one-off.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mastery Charter Schools Foundation | Philadelphia, PA | $3,000,000 | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
| Temple University | Philadelphia, PA | $2,400,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| The Pennsylvania State University | University Park, PA | $2,200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2020 |
| Temple University Temple University | Philadelphia, PA | $800,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Philadelphia School Partnership | Philadelphia, PA | $400,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Kimmel Center Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $250,696 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Penn State University | University Park, PA | $240,220 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives | Harrisburg, PA | $225,000 | 2 | 2 | 2020 |
| The Commonwealth Foundation | Harrisburg, PA | $175,000 | 2 | 1 | 2022 |
| Pennsylvania College of Technology | Williamsport, PA | $173,522 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| I-Lead | Bryn Mawr, PA | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Pennsylvania College of Technology Pennsylvania College of Technology Foundation | Williamsport, PA | $99,935 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Children's Literacy Iniative | Philadelphia, PA | $70,000 | 2 | 2 | 2020 |
| Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| College Possible Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Greenlight Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
| Philadelphia Futures for Youth Philadelphia Futures for Youth | Philadelphia, PA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Philadelphia Futures for Youth | Philadelphia, PA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
| The Wistar Institute | Philadelphia, PA | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Wissahickon Foundation | Philadelphia, PA | $45,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Tech Impact | Philadelphia, PA | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Mercy Career & Technical High Schoo Mercy Career & Technical High School | Philadelphia, PA | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| University of the Arts | Philadelphia, PA | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
| Avenue of the Arts | Philadelphia, PA | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Philabundance | Philadelphia, PA | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
| Steppingstone Scholars Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
| Baker Industries | Malvern, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphi Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Children's Literacy Iniat Children's Literacy Initiative | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Clarke Schools for Hearing and Spee Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech | Northampton, MA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Episcopal Community Services | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Local Initiatives Support Corp Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Mercy Career & Technical High School | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
| Opportunities Industrialization Cen Opportunities Industrialization Center Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
| Variety-the Children's Charity of T Variety-the Children's Charity of the Delaware Val | Worchester, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Variety - the Children's Charity | Worcester, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
| Chester County Futures Chester County Futures | Coatesville, PA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Clarke Pennsylvania Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
| Local Initiatives Support Corporation | Philadelphia, PA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
| Anti-Defamation League Foundation Anti-Defamation League Foundation | New York, NY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Chester County Futures | Exton, PA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
| Hias Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
| NORTH10 Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| North Light Community Center | Philadelphia, PA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
| The Welcoming Center | Philadelphia, PA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Adoption Center of Delaware Valley | Philadelphia, PA | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
| Cradle of Hope Inc Cradle of Hope Inc | Jenkintown, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Ar Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts | Philadelphia, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania State University | University Park, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Philadelphia Outward Bound School | Philadelphia, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Garage Community and Youth Center | Kennett Square, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Fairness Center | Harrisburg, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
| Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology | Lancaster, PA | $9,000 | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
| Adults With Developmental Disabilit Adults With Developmental Disabilities | Jenkintown, PA | $7,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Adults With Developmental Disabilities | Jenkintown, PA | $7,000 | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
| Garage Community & Youth Center | Kennett Square, PA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
| Union League Legacy Foundation | Philadelphia, PA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
15 of 59 (25%) received money in more than one year over the 5 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 8%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. A high number means its list is close to settled and a newcomer has to displace someone; a low one means it is still moving money around, which is where an opening is.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- The Pennsylvania State University
The Brook J. Lenfest Foundation Trustee Scholarship Endowment - Temple University Temple University
BROOK J. LENFEST ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP - Temple University
Last dollar scholarship program - Philadelphia Futures for Youth Philadelphia Futures for Youth
OFFICE OF COLLEGE SUCCESS - Philadelphia Futures for Youth
College Retention and Success Programs - Mercy Career & Technical High Schoo Mercy Career & Technical High School
OPERATIONS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 35 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 31 | $6,638,500 | $25,000 |
| 2020 | 6 | $1,360,000 | $125,000 |
| 2021 | 15 | $1,181,935 | $25,000 |
| 2022 | 19 | $1,823,056 | $25,000 |
| 2023 | 7 | $291,382 | $27,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Already committed for future years
Form 990-PF has a separate schedule for grants approved but not yet paid. The Brook J Lenfest Foundation Inc has 13 of them, worth $5,841,432. This is the one part of the filing that looks forward rather than back -- and it also tells you how much of the next year's budget is already spoken for.
| Organization | Location | Approved |
|---|---|---|
| Temple University | Philadelphia, PA | $2,400,000 |
| Temple University | Philadelphia, PA | $1,600,000 |
| The Pennsylvania State University | University Park, PA | $800,000 |
| The Pennsylvania State University | University Park, PA | $600,000 |
| Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives | Harrisburg, PA | $125,000 |
| Philadelphia School Partnership | Philadelphia, PA | $125,000 |
| I-Lead | Bryn Mawr, PA | $75,000 |
| The Commonwealth Foundation | Harrisburg, PA | $50,000 |
| Children's Literacy Iniative | Philadelphia, PA | $35,000 |
| Historical Society of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $12,500 |
| Avenue of the Arts | Philadelphia, PA | $10,000 |
| NORTH10 Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $7,645 |
| Penn State University | University Park, PA | $1,287 |
Where its money goes
Foundations concentrate geographically far more than their mission statements suggest. 100% of this one's giving went to organizations in Pennsylvania. If you are outside its footprint, that matters more than how well your programme fits.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are the strongest available signal that two funders have overlapping priorities, and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $25,000. Asking for ten times that is the most common way small organizations waste a submission.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Pennsylvania.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from The Brook J Lenfest Foundation Inc's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2019-2023). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.
Address of record on the latest return: 939 Jefferson Ave, Audubon, PA, 19403. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 23-3031338 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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