Helen Sperry Lea Foundation
The Helen Sperry Lea Foundation is a private foundation based in Venice, California. Its 2025 filing reports 11 grants totaling $133,509 to organizations in Minnesota, California, New York, and Massachusetts.
Helen Sperry Lea Foundation at a glance
In short: Helen Sperry Lea Foundation gave $134K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), mostly in Minnesota. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $133,509
- +18.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,137
- +18.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $1,623,042
- +2.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (50% 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 Helen Sperry Lea Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Its 2024 filing says there is no specific format required and no restrictions on awards. Contact the president listed on the filing, R Brooke Lea II.
- Review Cycle
- None, according to the foundation’s 2024 filing.
- Deadline
- None, according to the foundation’s 2024 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: R Brooke Lea Ii
Mailing address: 931 Fairmount Ae, Saint Paul, MN 55105
Phone: (651) 696-6196
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Helen Sperry Lea Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Wooden Floor ($30K). Together the top 10 received $133K.
Grant Size Distribution
61 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 61 grants of 61 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 50% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota, 34% to California, 9% to New York, and 7% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Helen Sperry Lea Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 11 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. How we count
- 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−7%). Method
- In 2021 it paid out 86% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $113K (2024) to $144K (2022). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $134K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Wooden Floor Santa Ana, CA | General | $30,000 |
| Second Harvest Heartland Minneapolis, MN | General | $20,000 |
| Project for Pride in Living Minneapolis, MN | General | $20,000 |
| Music Academy of the West Santa Barbara, CA | General | $15,000 |
| Braver Angels-Inst for Am Values New York, NY | General | $11,755 |
| Mass Audubon Lincoln, MA | General | $10,000 |
| Interact Ctr for Vis Perm Arts Saint Paul, MN | General | $10,000 |
| Hallie Q Brown Comm Center Saint Paul, MN | General | $9,754 |
| Urban Boat Builders Saint Paul, MN | General | $4,000 |
| Friend of the Ms River Saint Paul, MN | General | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Helen Sperry Lea 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 | $1,623,042 | $97,899 | $163,420 | $133,509 | 11 | — | $67,621 | $138,305 |
| 2024 | $1,582,281 | $86,942 | $153,319 | $113,066 | 11 | — | $59,039 | $133,509 |
| 2023 | $1,532,534 | $96,030 | $174,683 | $124,688 | 12 | — | $47,624 | $124,066 |
| 2022 | $1,449,454 | $-2,627 | $172,196 | $143,870 | 13 | — | $17,159 | $124,688 |
| 2021 | $1,611,945 | $70,066 | $155,336 | $124,342 | 14 | $124,342 | $40,035 | $143,869 |
| 2020 | $1,652,556 | $-63,594 | $25,468 | $127,654 | 15 | — | $10,453 | $124,342 |
| 2019 | $1,870,216 | $83,279 | $155,364 | $127,754 | 15 | — | $57,044 | $127,654 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Helen Sperry Lea Foundation reported a distributable amount of $138K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for organizations with varied missions. Project for Pride in Living describes its work as providing affordable housing, resident services, and career-readiness programs in the Twin Cities. Second Harvest Heartland says its mission is to end hunger together. Music Academy of the West describes its mission as providing classically trained musicians and diverse audiences with educational and performance experiences.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave 11 grants totaling $133,509. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $30,000, with a median grant of $10,000.
Among its largest 2025 grants were $30,000 to The Wooden Floor, $20,000 each to Second Harvest Heartland and Project for Pride in Living, and $15,000 to Music Academy of the West. The listed grant purposes were “general.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists R Brooke Lea II as president, and Emily Fields and Helena Lea-Bastille as vice presidents.
Helen Sperry Lea Foundation is led by R. Brooke Lea II, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
R. Brooke Lea II
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Emily Fields
Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Helena Lea-Bastille
Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Ned Bastille (2019) — Vice President
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.
Frequently asked questions about Helen Sperry Lea Foundation
How much does Helen Sperry Lea Foundation give each year?
Helen Sperry Lea Foundation gave $134K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $113K across 11 grants.
What is Helen Sperry Lea Foundation's typical grant size?
Helen Sperry Lea Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $12,137, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Helen Sperry Lea Foundation give grants?
Helen Sperry Lea Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (34%) and New York (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Saint Paul, MN (4 grants) and Minneapolis, MN (3 grants).
Does Helen Sperry Lea Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Helen Sperry Lea Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (11 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Helen Sperry Lea Foundation's largest grantees?
Helen Sperry Lea Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Wooden Floor ($30,000), Second Harvest Heartland ($20,000) and Project for Pride in Living ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Helen Sperry Lea Foundation?
Helen Sperry Lea Foundation reported $1.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $98K.
What does Helen Sperry Lea Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for organizations with varied missions. Project for Pride in Living describes its work as providing affordable housing, resident services, and career-readiness programs in the Twin Cities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Helen Sperry Lea Foundation?
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
How much is Helen Sperry Lea Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, Helen Sperry Lea Foundation reported a distributable amount of $138K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Helen Sperry Lea Foundation's EIN?
Helen Sperry Lea Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6161749. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Helen Sperry Lea Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 7, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 2, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 6, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 1, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 10, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 26, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Live grants for the work Helen Sperry Lea Foundation funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Helen Sperry Lea Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Helen Sperry Lea Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/helen-sperry-lea-foundation-morg_04add74ee309456cb8a0946ce88a487c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_136161749_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Helen Sperry Lea Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/helen-sperry-lea-foundation-morg_04add74ee309456cb8a0946ce88a487c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Helen Sperry Lea 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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