Lakeland Lions Foundation
Lakeland Lions Foundation is a public charity based in Bartlett, Tennessee. Founded in 1990, it supports sight and hearing exams for people who cannot afford them, as well as glasses, hearing aids, and donations to charities, schools, and local organizations.
Lakeland Lions Foundation at a glance
In short: Lakeland Lions Foundation gave $359K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $24K), mostly in Tennessee. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $358,815
- +104.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- +7.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $23,921
- +90.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $23,385
- Total assets
- $29,863
- -90.5% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (74% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Lakeland Lions Foundation
- Contact
Mailing address: 2794 Bartlett Blvd, Bartlett, TN 38134
Phone: (901) 385-1944
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lakeland Lions Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Mid-South Lions Sight & Hearing ($35K). Together the top 10 received $250K.
Grant Size Distribution
43 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 43 grants of 43 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In filing year 2025, 74% of grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee, 13% to New York, 7% to Michigan, and 6% to Arkansas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
How Lakeland Lions Foundation gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $27K (2021) to $359K (2025). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $359K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-South Lions Sight & Hearing Memphis, TN | — | $35,385 |
| Tn School for the Blind Nashville, TN | — | $25,385 |
| District 12L Bartlett, TN | — | $25,000 |
| Orbis New York, NY | — | $24,385 |
| Leader Dog Rochester Hills, MI | — | $24,385 |
| World Cateract Memphis, TN | — | $23,385 |
| Hamilton Eye Institute Memphis, TN | — | $23,385 |
| Guiding Eye for the Blind Yorktown Heights, NY | — | $23,385 |
| Youth Villages Memphis, TN | — | $23,365 |
| St Jude Memphis, TN | — | $22,385 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $29,863 | $85,552 | $368,436 | $358,815 | 15 | $992 |
| 2024 | $313,866 | $127,356 | $198,372 | $175,500 | 14 | $3,428 |
| 2023 | $384,882 | $122,097 | $114,703 | $66,000 | 8 | $2,523 |
| 2022 | $376,224 | $107,605 | $82,824 | $30,000 | 3 | $835 |
| 2021 | $351,443 | $96,004 | $78,722 | $27,000 | 3 | $894 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation states that it is dedicated to providing sight and hearing exams for people unable to afford them and providing glasses and hearing aids. It says it raises money by selling pecans to support sight charities, local charities, and education organizations.
Its 2024 filing describes its programs as sight and hearing exams and donations to blind charities, local charities, and schools. Its 2025 grants included organizations working in vision, hearing, education, health, and youth services. Youth Villages Inc., a 2025 grantee, describes its mission as helping children and families live successfully.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 15 grants totaling $358,815. Grant amounts ranged from $19,830 to $35,385, with a median of $23,385.
Among the largest reported grants were $35,385 to Mid-South Lions Sight & Hearing in Memphis, Tennessee; $25,385 to Tn School for the Blind in Nashville, Tennessee; $25,000 to District 12L in Bartlett, Tennessee; $24,385 each to Orbis in New York, New York, and Leader Dog in Rochester Hills, Michigan; and $23,385 each to World Cateract and Hamilton Eye Institute in Memphis, Tennessee, and Guiding Eye for the Blind in Yorktown Heights, New York. Other listed grants included $23,365 to Youth Villages in Memphis, Tennessee, and $22,385 each to St Jude, LeBonheur, and Juvenile Diabetes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Bert Faller as president, Richard Ely as secretary, and Bill Gibson as treasurer. It lists Bob Hamilton, Thomas Graham, and Larry Pardue as directors.
Lakeland Lions Foundation is led by Bert Faller, President on every filing since 2021; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Bert Faller
President
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bob Hamilton
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Larry Pardue
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas Graham
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bill Gibson
Treasurer
Secretary → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard Ely
Secretary
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Dewey Hemphill (2021–2022) — Vice President
- Former: Hank Hess (2021–2022) — Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Lakeland Lions Foundation
How much does Lakeland Lions Foundation give each year?
Lakeland Lions Foundation gave $359K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $176K across 14 grants.
What is Lakeland Lions Foundation's typical grant size?
Lakeland Lions Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $23,385, and its average grant was $23,921, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Lakeland Lions Foundation give grants?
Lakeland Lions Foundation gives mostly in Tennessee: 74% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (13%) and Michigan (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Memphis, TN (7 grants).
Who are Lakeland Lions Foundation's largest grantees?
Lakeland Lions Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Mid-South Lions Sight & Hearing ($35,385), Tn School for the Blind ($25,385) and District 12L ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 24% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Lakeland Lions Foundation?
Lakeland Lions Foundation reported $30K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $86K.
What does Lakeland Lions Foundation fund?
The foundation states that it is dedicated to providing sight and hearing exams for people unable to afford them and providing glasses and hearing aids. It says it raises money by selling pecans to support sight charities, local charities, and education organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lakeland Lions Foundation?
Lakeland Lions Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Lakeland Lions Foundation's EIN?
Lakeland Lions Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 62-1436881. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 28, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Live grants for the work Lakeland Lions Foundation funds
Diseases, Disorders & Medical Disciplines Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Lakeland Lions Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lakeland Lions Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lakeland-lions-foundation-morg_6488f5d6678e4663bbca0f63ada867c0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_621436881_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lakeland Lions Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lakeland-lions-foundation-morg_6488f5d6678e4663bbca0f63ada867c0},
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 Lakeland Lions 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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