Frances Lear Foundation
The Frances Lear Foundation is a private foundation based in Harrison, New York. In its 2025 filing, it reported 38 grants totaling $672,500, supporting organizations working in areas including dance and Latino culture, environmental conservation, health, and youth justice.
Frances Lear Foundation at a glance
In short: Frances Lear Foundation gave $673K across 38 grants in 2025 (avg $18K), mostly in New York. 34% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $672,500
- -15.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 38
- -5.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $17,697
- -10.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $9,435,441
- +8.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 34% first-time grantees (12 of 35, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (83% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Frances Lear 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: 500 Mamaroneck Avenue, Harrison, NY 10528
Phone: (914) 381-8900
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Frances Lear Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Ballet Hispanico of New York Inc ($214K). Together the top 10 received $524K.
Grant Size Distribution
163 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 143 grants of 163 (88%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 83% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York. The remaining reported shares were Louisiana, 5%; Washington, DC, 5%; Washington state, 4%; and California, 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Frances Lear Foundation open to new grantees?
34%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 35 grantees (34%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $7K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 57% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−6%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 168% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $626K (2019) to $795K (2024). In 2025 it made 38 grants totaling $673K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ballet Hispanico of New York Inc New York, NY | General Operating Support | $214,000 |
| Rainforest Alliance New York, NY | General Operating Support | $75,000 |
| NYU Langone Health New York, NY | The Empathy Project | $50,000 |
| Youth Represent New York, NY | General Operating Support | $48,500 |
| Panorama Global Seattle, WA | Run for Something | $25,000 |
| The 92ND Street Y New York, NY | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| Friends and Family of Louisiana's Incarcerated Children New Orleans, LA | General Operating Support | $24,000 |
| Pal-O-Mine Equestrian Inc Islandia, NY | General Operating Support | $20,000 |
| A Little Piece of Light Brooklyn, NY | General Operating Support | $15,000 |
| Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth Washington, DC | General Operating Support | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Frances Lear 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $9,435,441 | $1,112,623 | $785,058 | $672,500 | 38 | $719,269 | $1,052,334 | $428,633 |
| 2024 | $8,688,183 | $629,892 | $901,719 | $794,530 | 40 | $840,846 | $548,019 | $446,338 |
| 2023 | $8,605,936 | $590,323 | $794,952 | $705,645 | 28 | $739,797 | $535,168 | $397,809 |
| 2022 | $8,096,857 | $265,205 | $820,345 | $713,000 | 26 | $731,692 | $203,921 | $393,413 |
| 2021 | $10,357,321 | $1,029,296 | $841,092 | $746,000 | 31 | $773,262 | $953,966 | $447,700 |
| 2020 | $10,089,815 | $534,762 | $767,694 | $667,500 | 27 | — | $475,059 | $408,188 |
| 2019 | $9,506,904 | $601,208 | $708,812 | $625,500 | 33 | — | $542,512 | $431,465 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Frances Lear Foundation reported a distributable amount of $429K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. Ballet Hispanico of New York says it brings communities together to celebrate and explore Latino cultures through dance productions, training, and community engagement. Rainforest Alliance received general operating support. NYU Langone Health received support for The Empathy Project.
Several grantees work on issues affecting young people and families. Youth Represent describes its work as using legal services, policy advocacy, and peer education to build power and opportunity for youth of color harmed by the criminal legal system and other systems of oppression. The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth works to advance just treatment of children in the United States, including alternatives to extreme sentences. Pal-O-Mine Equestrian says it provides therapeutic equine programs for people including those with disabilities and those who have experienced abuse or neglect.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 38 grants totaling $672,500. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $214,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest grants included $214,000 to Ballet Hispanico of New York for general operating support, $75,000 to Rainforest Alliance for general operating support, $50,000 to NYU Langone Health for The Empathy Project, and $48,500 to Youth Represent for general operating support. Other grants included $25,000 to Panorama Global for Run for Something and $25,000 to The 92nd Street Y for general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Maggie Lear as president and Kate Breckir Lear, Daniel R. Katz, and Dr. Jonathan Lapook as directors.
Frances Lear Foundation is led by Maggie Lear, President on every filing since 2019; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Maggie Lear
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$13K (2020) → $13K (2025)
Daniel R. Katz
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Lapook
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kate Breckir Lear
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $13K, to Maggie Lear (President).
Frequently asked questions about Frances Lear Foundation
How much does Frances Lear Foundation give each year?
Frances Lear Foundation gave $673K across 38 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $795K across 40 grants.
What is Frances Lear Foundation's typical grant size?
Frances Lear Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $17,697, across 38 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Frances Lear Foundation that year got $14K on average.
Where does Frances Lear Foundation give grants?
Frances Lear Foundation gives mostly in New York: 83% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Louisiana (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (20 grants), Washington, DC (4 grants), Brooklyn, NY (3 grants) and New Orleans, LA (2 grants).
Does Frances Lear Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 66% of Frances Lear Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (25 of 38) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Frances Lear Foundation's largest grantees?
Frances Lear Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Ballet Hispanico of New York Inc ($214,000), Rainforest Alliance ($77,500 across 2 grants) and NYU Langone Health ($60,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Frances Lear Foundation?
Frances Lear Foundation reported $9.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $719K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $429K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Frances Lear Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. Ballet Hispanico of New York says it brings communities together to celebrate and explore Latino cultures through dance productions, training, and community engagement. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Frances Lear 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 Frances Lear Foundation's EIN?
Frances Lear Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3489966. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Frances Lear 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 2024 (received by the IRS April 3, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 1, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 26, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 16, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 4, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 28, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 20, 2024)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Frances Lear Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Frances Lear Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/frances-lear-foundation-morg_b9e5b381be0f4774ab382a468b96a981
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_043489966_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Frances Lear Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/frances-lear-foundation-morg_b9e5b381be0f4774ab382a468b96a981},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Frances Lear 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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