Lair Foundation
Lair Foundation is a private foundation based in Wichita, Kansas. Its 2025 filing reports grants to organizations working in areas including higher education, domestic-violence services, public health, disability services, housing, hunger relief, and educational support.
Lair Foundation at a glance
In short: Lair Foundation gave $872K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $42K), mostly in Kansas. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $872,000
- -36.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $41,524
- -36.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,200
- Total assets
- $16,532,094
- -1.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (3 of 20, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Kansas (96% 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 Lair Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests and does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Submit a letter of request stating the proposed use of funds to Julie Lair. The applicant organization must be a 501(c)(3) public charity.
- Review Cycle
- Applications are accepted at any time.
- Deadline
- Applications are accepted at any time.
- Contact
Application contact: Julie Lair
Mailing address: 2130 N Keeneland Cir, Wichita, KS 67206-4461
Phone: (316) 684-7102
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lair Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Wichita State University Foundation ($300K). Together the top 10 received $780K.
Grant Size Distribution
88 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 64 grants of 88 (73%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in Kansas, 2% to recipients in Florida, and 2% to recipients in the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Lair Foundation open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 20 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $32K; repeat grants $42K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 75% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+16%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 102% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $463K (2020) to $1.4M (2024). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $872K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wichita State University Foundation Wichita, KS | Business School Expansion | $300,000 |
| Wichita Family Crisis Center Wichita, KS | Domestic Violence Center | $150,000 |
| Kansas Health Foundation Wichita, KS | To fund programs, research, and initiatives that address major public health challenges. | $70,000 |
| WUS-Icaa Wichita, KS | Student-Athlete Scholarships, Academic Programs, and Athletic Facility Enhancements | $65,000 |
| Rainbows United Inc Wichita, KS | Early Childhood Intervention | $60,000 |
| Union Rescue Mission of Wichita Inc Wichita, KS | Meals and Housing | $35,000 |
| Shepherds Way Inc Wichita, KS | Adult Disability | $30,000 |
| The Opportunity Project Wichita, KS | Tuition Assistance for Children | $25,000 |
| Wichita Habitat for Humanity Inc Wichita, KS | Providing Shelter | $25,000 |
| Special Operations Warrior Foundation Tampa, FL | Scholarships to Spec Ops Military Kids | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Lair 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 | $16,532,094 | $732,032 | $957,491 | $872,000 | 21 | $872,000 | $637,927 | $854,092 |
| 2024 | $16,757,553 | $2,207,867 | $1,435,992 | $1,366,950 | 21 | $1,366,950 | $636,184 | $822,010 |
| 2023 | $15,985,678 | $3,499,411 | $825,783 | $765,204 | 12 | $765,204 | $405,479 | $848,812 |
| 2022 | $13,312,712 | $2,206,858 | $810,604 | $750,204 | 19 | $750,204 | $316,158 | $640,067 |
| 2021 | $11,916,458 | $2,559,073 | $823,043 | $767,060 | 15 | $767,060 | $492,682 | $532,169 |
| 2020 | $10,179,659 | $240,252 | $514,613 | $462,950 | 18 | — | $245,213 | $507,150 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lair Foundation reported a distributable amount of $854K 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for a business school expansion, a domestic violence center, public-health programs and initiatives, student-athlete scholarships and academic programs, early childhood intervention, meals and housing, adult disability services, and shelter.
The grantees describe their work in their own terms. Wichita Family Crisis Center says its mission is to eliminate domestic violence in its community by supporting survivors through shelter, education, and advocacy. Rainbows United says it enhances the lives of children with special needs and their families through community resources and customized services. Shepherd’s Way describes itself as a residential program helping young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities live independently. Wichita Habitat for Humanity says it works with individuals and families toward safe, affordable homes.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 21 grants totaling $872,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $300,000, with a median of $15,200. Larger awards included $300,000 to Wichita State University Foundation for business school expansion; $150,000 to Wichita Family Crisis Center for a domestic violence center; $70,000 to Kansas Health Foundation for programs, research, and initiatives addressing major public-health challenges; and $65,000 to WUS-ICAA for student-athlete scholarships, academic programs, and athletic facility enhancements. Other notable awards included $60,000 to Rainbows United for early childhood intervention and $35,000 to Union Rescue Mission of Wichita for meals and housing.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Julie Lair as president and director, and Todd Lair as secretary, treasurer, and director.
Lair Foundation is led by Julie Lair, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Julie Lair
President & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Todd Lair
Secretary & Tr.dir
Secretary, Tr & Director → Secretary & Tr.dir, 2024
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Lair Foundation
How much does Lair Foundation give each year?
Lair Foundation gave $872K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.4M across 21 grants.
What is Lair Foundation's typical grant size?
Lair Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,200, and its average grant was $41,524, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lair Foundation that year got $32K on average.
Where does Lair Foundation give grants?
Lair Foundation gives mostly in Kansas: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Wichita, KS (19 grants).
Does Lair Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on Lair Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Lair Foundation's largest grantees?
Lair Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Wichita State University Foundation ($300,000), Wichita Family Crisis Center ($150,000) and Kansas Health Foundation ($70,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 60% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Lair Foundation?
Lair Foundation reported $16.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $872K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $854K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Lair Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lair Foundation?
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests and does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Lair Foundation's EIN?
Lair Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-0600516. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Lair 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Lair Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lair Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lair-foundation-morg_ebca83eea4bc49d18b4592aae8b37a1d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_260600516_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lair Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lair-foundation-morg_ebca83eea4bc49d18b4592aae8b37a1d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Lair 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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