Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation
The Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation is a Form 990-PF private foundation based in St. Louis, Missouri. In filing year 2026, it reported 21 grants totaling $210,750 to organizations including a senior living provider, educational organizations, and groups working in areas such as health, refugee services, and housing.
Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation at a glance
In short: Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation gave $211K across 21 grants in 2026 (avg $10K), mostly in Missouri. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $210,750
- +173.7% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 21
- -19.2% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $10,036
- +238.9% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $1,256,137
- +2.7% vs 2025
- Primary geography
- Missouri (93% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation
- 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: 818 S Meramec, St Louis, MO 63105
Phone: (314) 727-1155
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Crown Center for Senior Living ($150K). Together the top 10 received $188K.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($13,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
135 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 134 grants of 135 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In filing year 2026, 93% of grant dollars went to recipients in Missouri, 4% to recipients in New York, and 2% to recipients in Maryland.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
How Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation gives
- Giving grew 139% from 2023 to 2026. Method
- In 2026 it paid out 170% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $76K (2022) to $259K (2021). In 2026 it made 21 grants totaling $211K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Crown Center for Senior Living St. Louis, MO | Providing care, support, relief and financial assistance to physically or mentally handicapped persons. | $150,000 |
| 2 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $13,000 |
| Lift for Life St. Louis, MO | Providing educational assistance and opportunities to poor, or distressed, or underprivileged, or indigent and or needy persons. | $9,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | Providing care, support, relief and financial assistance to physically or mentally handicapped persons. | $5,000 |
| Hias Silver Springs, MD | Providing care, support, relief and financial assistance to physically or mentally handicapped persons. | $5,000 |
| World Central Kitchen St. Louis, MO | Providing educational assistance and opportunities to poor, or distressed, or underprivileged, or indigent and or needy persons. | $5,000 |
| St Louis Public Radio Kansas City, MO | Providing educational assistance and opportunities to poor, or distressed, or underprivileged, or indigent and or needy persons. | $4,000 |
| Anti-Defamation League New York, NY | Providing educational assistance and opportunities to poor, or distressed, or underprivileged, or indigent and or needy persons. | $3,000 |
| Lupus Foundation St. Louis, MO | Providing educational assistance and opportunities to poor, or distressed, or underprivileged, or indigent and or needy persons. | $3,000 |
| Miriam School St. Louis, MO | Providing educational assistance and opportunities to physically or mentally handicapped persons. | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $1,256,137 | $246,591 | $213,779 | $210,750 | 21 | $210,750 | $246,591 | $123,854 |
| 2025 | $1,223,325 | $57,838 | $80,163 | $77,000 | 26 | $77,000 | $57,838 | $116,499 |
| 2024 | $1,245,650 | $36,276 | $91,740 | $87,750 | 28 | $87,750 | $43,732 | $101,166 |
| 2023 | $1,301,114 | $138,861 | $90,494 | $88,000 | 28 | $88,000 | $138,861 | $96,877 |
| 2022 | $1,252,747 | $9,399 | $81,974 | $76,000 | 32 | $76,000 | $31,189 | $115,995 |
| 2021 | $1,325,322 | $285,350 | $266,347 | $259,250 | 42 | — | $285,350 | $101,571 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation reported a distributable amount of $124K for 2026 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2026 grants included organizations working in senior care, education, and support for people with physical or mental disabilities. Grantees’ own mission statements describe other work represented among recipients: HIAS says it supports forcibly displaced people seeking welcome, safety, and opportunity; NAMI of Missouri says it works to improve the quality of life of people living with mental illness and their families through support, education, and advocacy; and St. Patrick Center describes its work as providing sustainable housing, employment, and healthcare.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2026, the foundation reported 21 grants totaling $210,750. Grants ranged from $750 to $150,000, with a median grant of $2,000. The largest grant was $150,000 to Crown Center for Senior Living in St. Louis, for care, support, relief, and financial assistance to people with physical or mental disabilities. Other notable grants included $10,000 to an individual recipient in St. Louis and $9,000 to Lift for Life in St. Louis. The foundation also gave $5,000 each to Doctors Without Borders and HIAS, and $4,000 to St. Louis Public Radio.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Martha Aronson and Miriam Wilhelm as trustees.
Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation's 2026 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2026 report compensation.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Martha Aronson
Trustee
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Miriam Wilhelm
Trustee
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation
How much does Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation give each year?
Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation gave $211K across 21 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $77K across 26 grants.
What is Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation's typical grant size?
Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation's median grant in 2026 was $2,000, and its average grant was $10,036, across 21 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation give grants?
Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation gives mostly in Missouri: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (12 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2026: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation's 2026 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation's largest grantees?
Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation's largest 2026 grantees include Crown Center for Senior Living ($150,000), Lift for Life ($9,000) and Doctors Without Borders ($5,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($13,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 78% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation?
Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation reported $1.3M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $211K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $124K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2026 grants included organizations working in senior care, education, and support for people with physical or mental disabilities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation?
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 Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation's EIN?
Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-1580512. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2026.
Does Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 20, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 7, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 29, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 28, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS August 17, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/edward-and-thea-lawton-foundation-morg_c3815d877a0f4a3c998e456c405121a9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_431580512_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Edward \& Thea Lawton Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/edward-and-thea-lawton-foundation-morg_c3815d877a0f4a3c998e456c405121a9},
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 Edward & Thea Lawton Foundation'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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