The BAND Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1999 by Burks and Anthony Lapham, along with their children Nicholas and David. Based in Wilmington, Delaware, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with a "flexible, risk-tolerant approach to grantmaking." The foundation focuses on nature conservation and epilepsy care, seeking to fund visionary organizations and science-based solutions in areas where donor funding and public attention have been disproportionately lacking.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$7.2M
+7.2% YoY
Grant Count
49
-2.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$147K
+9.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation supports two primary funding areas:
Nature Conservation
- Supports locally-led conservation initiatives promoting biodiversity and preserving natural landscapes
- Provides challenge grants to leverage additional support from other funders
- Offers multi-year core funding for outstanding local organizations
- Favors a collaborative, adaptive approach to grantmaking
Epilepsy Care
- The epilepsy focus emerged following the tragic loss of a young family member to Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) in 2008
- Supports care and research initiatives in this area
Grantmaking
The BAND Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. All grants are made by invitation only.
Grant Range
s**
How to Apply
**
Ready to take the next step with BAND Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation operates internationally with specific focus areas including:
- East Africa
- Southeast U.S. grasslands
- Coastal Maine
- New York City
- Long Island
- Virginia Piedmont
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of December 2024:
- Total Assets: $147,837,595
- Total Revenues: $23,273,660
- Total Expenses: $7,995,500
As of December 2023:
- Total Assets: $133,000,000
- Total Revenues: $15,300,000
- Total Expenses: $7,660,000
- Annual Giving: $6,936,011
As of December 2023:
- Total Assets: $132,600,000
- Investments: $127,700,000
The foundation is supported by the Burks Lapham Trust.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
231 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Nicholas P Lapham - President (as of 2025)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burks B Lapham | Chair, Dir | 1 | — |
| Gardiner O Lapham | Dir | 5 | — |
| Nicholas P Lapham | Treas, Dir, Pres | 30 | — |
| Clark Mitchell | Dir, Sec | 10 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has been active in expanding its epilepsy care initiatives, with recent announcements including the selection of Amref Health to lead an "Enhancing Epilepsy Care in Africa" project.
Amref Health Selected to Lead Enhancing Epilepsy Care in Africa Project |Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Related Funders
Similar funders by location and focus area
Ttee Trustees of Univ of Mass - Art 5
WILMINGTON, DE
Assets
$380K
Grants
1
Total Given
$14K
The Jonsson Foundation
WILMINGTON, DE
Assets
$784K
Grants
3
Total Given
$15K
Engineering Information Foundation Inc
WILMINGTON, DE
Assets
$5.7M
Grants
13
Total Given
$220K
The Cucci Family Foundation
WILMINGTON, DE
Assets
$579K
Grants
4
Total Given
$45K
Caroline K Barber Foundation
WILMINGTON, DE
Assets
$257K
Grants
0
Total Given
—
Give Back Brands Foundation
WILMINGTON, DE
Assets
—
Grants
19
Total Given
$178K
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with BAND Foundation on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
- Monitor for new funding opportunities