Lamp Foundation
Lamp Foundation is a private foundation based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in areas including arts and culture, education, religious service, and community assistance.
Lamp Foundation at a glance
In short: Lamp Foundation gave $107K across 28 grants in 2024 (avg $4K), mostly in Tennessee. 11% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $107,430
- -24.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 28
- +16.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $3,837
- -35.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $1,122,750
- +5.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 11% first-time grantees (3 of 28, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (65% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Lamp Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Contact Townes L Osborn. Include the purpose of the funds requested and how they will be used or awarded. Awards are restricted to 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: Townes L Osborn
Mailing address: 3819 Oakhurst Drive, Knoxville, TN 37919
Phone: (865) 584-6121
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lamp Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was American Academy in Rome ($25K). Together the top 10 received $82K.
Grant Size Distribution
157 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 155 grants of 157 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 65% of grant dollars went to Tennessee recipients, 23% to New York, 9% to Michigan, 2% to Arkansas, and 1% to Missouri.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Lamp Foundation open to new grantees?
11%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 28 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 61% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+6%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 106% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $84K (2022) to $143K (2023). In 2024 it made 28 grants totaling $107K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Academy in Rome New York, NY | General Operating | $25,000 |
| Rotary Foundation of Knoxville Knoxville, TN | General Operating, Orphanage | $13,930 |
| St Luke's Episcopal Church Knoxville, TN | Reverend Fund | $10,000 |
| Knoxville Opera Company Knoxville, TN | General Support | $6,500 |
| American Marketing Association Knoxville, TN | Scholarships | $5,000 |
| Clarence Brown Theatre Knoxville, TN | SCHOLARSHIPS,EVENTS | $5,000 |
| Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Knoxville, TN | General Support | $5,000 |
| Mott Community College Flint, MI | Music Scholarship | $5,000 |
| Flint Institute of Music Flint, MI | General Operating | $3,500 |
| Knoxville Museum of Art Knoxville, TN | General Support, Collectors Circle | $3,500 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,122,750 | $178,146 | $116,071 | $107,430 | 28 | $108,988 | $173,474 | $102,981 |
| 2023 | $1,059,774 | $112,239 | $149,147 | $142,555 | 24 | $143,826 | $108,425 | $98,806 |
| 2022 | $1,096,682 | $115,266 | $88,446 | $83,800 | 32 | $84,962 | $111,782 | $102,754 |
| 2021 | $1,071,995 | $177,293 | $105,710 | $101,100 | 34 | $102,252 | $171,835 | $102,488 |
| 2020 | $1,002,720 | $134,001 | $127,005 | $121,750 | 39 | — | $130,059 | $95,523 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lamp Foundation reported a distributable amount of $103K for 2024 — 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 is provided. The 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, the American Academy in Rome describes itself as a residential institute for advanced work in the arts and humanities; the Knoxville Museum of Art says it promotes public interest, knowledge, and education in visual arts in East Tennessee; and the Flint Institute of Music describes its work as transforming lives through music, theatre, and dance. Other 2024 recipients include the Volunteer Ministry Center, which works with people experiencing homelessness, and Beck Cultural Exchange Center, which preserves African American history and culture.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 28 grants totaling $107,430. Grants ranged from $250 to $25,000, with a median of $2,000. Notable grants included $25,000 to the American Academy in Rome, $13,930 to the Rotary Foundation of Knoxville, $10,000 to St Luke’s Episcopal Church, and $6,500 to Knoxville Opera Company. Other recipients included the American Marketing Association and Clarence Brown Theatre, each receiving $5,000; Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and Mott Community College, each receiving $5,000; and Flint Institute of Music, which received $3,500.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Townes Lavidge Osborn as president, Robert S Marquis as secretary/treasurer, and Townes O Miller as vice president.
Lamp Foundation is led by Townes Lavidge Osborn, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Townes Lavidge Osborn
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Robert S. Marquis
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Townes O. Miller
Vice President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Lamp Foundation
How much does Lamp Foundation give each year?
Lamp Foundation gave $107K across 28 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $143K across 24 grants.
What is Lamp Foundation's typical grant size?
Lamp Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $3,837, across 28 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lamp Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Lamp Foundation give grants?
Lamp Foundation gives mostly in Tennessee: 65% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (23%) and Michigan (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Knoxville, TN (20 grants) and Flint, MI (4 grants).
Does Lamp Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 79% of Lamp Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (22 of 28) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Lamp Foundation's largest grantees?
Lamp Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include American Academy in Rome ($25,000), Rotary Foundation of Knoxville ($13,930) and St Luke's Episcopal Church ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 46% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Lamp Foundation?
Lamp Foundation reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $109K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $103K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Lamp Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lamp Foundation?
Contact Townes L Osborn. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Lamp Foundation's EIN?
Lamp Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 62-1722567. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Browse active grant opportunities in Lamp Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lamp Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lamp-foundation-morg_db82ea0b281c4c15bf5b11fe8cc12d60
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_621722567_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lamp Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lamp-foundation-morg_db82ea0b281c4c15bf5b11fe8cc12d60},
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 Lamp 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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