Lancaster County Community Foundation
The Lancaster County Community Foundation is a public charity based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It supports Lancaster County residents and community benefit organizations through grantmaking, investment management, and philanthropic counsel.
Lancaster County Community Foundation at a glance
In short: Lancaster County Community Foundation gave $14.8M across 373 grants in 2024 (avg $40K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 8% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $14,754,590
- +26.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 373
- +2.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $39,557
- +23.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $18,695
- Total assets
- $184,647,711
- +9.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (28 of 371, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (98% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Lancaster County Community Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The Foundation directs applicants to review its eligibility requirements and resources, then use its online grant portal to view, edit, and submit applications and related documents. The general grant page says applications are currently closed and will reopen in March 2027.
- Review Cycle
- General grant applications are scheduled to reopen in March 2027; the page does not give a specific deadline.
- Deadline
- General grant applications are scheduled to reopen in March 2027; the page does not give a specific deadline.
- Contact
Mailing address: 24 West King Street Suite 201, Lancaster, PA 17603
Phone: (717) 397-1629
Website: https://lancfound.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
13 open opportunities from Lancaster County Community Foundation
Baldwin Leadership Program Grant
Lancaster County Community Foundation
Amount
US $5,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Big Ideas Grants: Partnership Program
Lancaster County Community Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
CBO Fuel Grants: CBO Capacity Building Grants
Lancaster County Community Foundation
Amount
US $10,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Lancaster County Community Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Dayspring Christian Academy ($1.1M). Together the top 10 received $3.9M.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($26,932), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
1,970 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 1,581 grants of 1,970 (80%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s eligibility guidance generally requires applicants to serve Lancaster County residents without discrimination. In its 2024 filing, 98% of itemized grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania; the listed recipient-state shares also included 1% each for New York and Utah, with Kansas and Maryland each reported at 0%.
The John J. Snyder Fund also serves Cumberland County, and the eligibility page states that the Clean Water Fund may grant to municipalities.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 373 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Lancaster County Community Foundation open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 28 of 371 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $42K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 87% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−18%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $11.6M (2023) to $18.0M (2021). In 2024 it made 373 grants totaling $14.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Dayspring Christian Academy Mountville, PA | Donor recommended grants from donor advised funds for general operating support and capital campaign | $1,050,000 |
| Lancaster County Conservancy Lancaster, PA | General operating support and donor recommended grants from donor advised funds for training of conservation landscaping crews and climbers run nature center | $542,402 |
| Water Street Ministries Lancaster, PA | General operating support and donor recommended grants from donor advised funds for wonder club program, event support, and building project | $393,226 |
| Moravian Manor Lititz, PA | General Operating Support | $333,287 |
| YWCA Lancaster Lancaster, PA | General operating support, race against racism, women of achievement event, poetry cubed artistic project, equity grants, rise above youth summit, black art across lancaster project, and donor recommended grant from donor advised fund for career development program | $316,798 |
| Tenfold Lancaster, PA | General operating support and support for the temporary homeless shelter | $302,128 |
| LNP Media Group Inc Philadelphia, PA | Support Public-Interest Investigative Journalism and Event Support | $295,080 |
| Foundation of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce Lancaster, PA | General operating support, capacity building for cbos, support for local chambers of commerce and business associations, event support and donor recommended grants from donor advised fund for tandem center for shared business success | $248,374 |
| Lancasterhistory Lancaster, PA | General operating support, museum pass program, event support, support for history and democracy student advisory group, and support for the thaddeus stevens & lydia hamilton smith center for history and democracy | $215,699 |
| Children Deserve a Chance Foundationattollo Lancaster, PA | General operating support, poetry cubed artistic project, and donor recommended grant from donor advised fund for capital campaign | $214,033 |
Ready to take the next step with Lancaster County Community Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $184,647,711 | $23,951,452 | $19,489,916 | $14,754,590 | 373 | $7,629,463 |
| 2023 | $168,826,782 | $20,208,618 | $16,083,356 | $11,628,030 | 364 | $5,762,920 |
| 2022 | $152,202,320 | $16,848,863 | $17,131,820 | $12,912,495 | 376 | $1,830,774 |
| 2021 | $177,498,708 | $104,729,352 | $21,613,512 | $18,001,547 | 442 | $14,719,324 |
| 2020 | $92,463,036 | $19,491,842 | $19,577,966 | $16,318,973 | 415 | $739,533 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s stated mission is “to embolden extraordinary community by investing in people and ideas that will shape the future of Lancaster County.” Its website describes an emphasis on equitable and inclusive opportunities.
The Foundation’s 2024 filing describes funding for community benefit organizations and programs, including ExtraGive, discretionary impact strategies, and grants from donor-advised, scholarship, field-of-interest, and designated funds. Its listed grantees illustrate a range of work: Lancaster County Conservancy describes a mission to preserve natural lands and waterways; Water Street Ministries describes serving people experiencing poverty and homelessness; and YWCA Lancaster describes a mission to eliminate racism and empower women. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the filing’s itemized grant schedule listed 373 grants totaling $14,754,590. The median grant was $18,695, with grants ranging from $5,020 to $1,050,000. Separately, the Foundation’s filing reports approximately $15 million in total grant dollars for the year, including about $8.5 million through ExtraGive, $1.5 million through discretionary impact strategies, and $5 million through its grantmaking program.
Among the largest itemized 2024 grants were $1,050,000 to Dayspring Christian Academy for donor-recommended grants from donor-advised funds for general operating support and a capital campaign; $542,402 to Lancaster County Conservancy for general operating support and specified conservation work; and $393,226 to Water Street Ministries for general operating support and specified program, event, and building support. Other large grants included $333,287 to Moravian Manor for general operating support, $316,798 to YWCA Lancaster for operating and program support, and $302,128 to Tenfold for operating support and a temporary homeless shelter.
The Foundation’s grants page says its general grant applications are closed and will reopen in March 2027. It lists Passion Grants, the John J. Snyder Fund for Historic Preservation, and Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 opportunities; Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 are closed. The page also points applicants to eligibility requirements and resources and to an online application portal. Eligibility requirements include serving Lancaster County residents without discrimination, current IRS 501(c)(3) status, applicable Pennsylvania charitable registration, annual IRS Form 990 filing, and a recent independent audit or financial review, among other conditions. Competitive grants typically do not fund new organizations, schools, capital campaigns or costs, political campaigns, pre-award expenses, cemetery associations, or religious causes that further a specific belief or agenda. The John J. Snyder Fund also serves Cumberland County, with a building-ownership requirement for the CBO; the Clean Water Fund may also grant to municipalities.
The Foundation’s website describes a Clean Water Fund Community Conservation Grant for education, outreach, and regional engagement projects, not implementation projects. A separate Clean Water Implementation Large Implementation Grant is listed as active, and the LGBTQ+ Giving Circle Grant is listed as active with awards of $2,500–$25,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Ms. Lydia Henry as chair, Mr. Steve Nieli as vice chair and treasurer, and Ms. Theresa Mongiovi as secretary. It also lists Mr. Rob Barber, Ms. Beth Brennan, Ms. Salena Coachman, Mr. Jeff Guindon, and Mr. Joe Hess as board members. Ms. Alison Van Harskamp is listed as past chair and Ms. Melisa Baez as a board member; both are noted as having ended their terms on December 31, 2024.
Lancaster County Community Foundation is led by Samuel J. Bressi, President & CEO on every filing since 2020; 7 of 21 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Samuel J. Bressi
President & CEO
On filings since 2020
36 hrs/week
$216K (2020) → $267K (2024)
Lydia Henry
Chair
Board Member → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Koser
Director of Programs
On filings since 2023
36 hrs/week
$102K (2023) → $120K (2024)
Ashlinn Masland-Sarani
Director of Forever Lancaster
New on the 2024 filing
36 hrs/week
$105K (2024)
Kim Shorter
COO
On filings since 2020
36 hrs/week
$111K (2020) → $170K (2024)
Tracy Cutler
Executive Vice President
On filings since 2020
36 hrs/week
$111K (2020) → $170K (2024)
Wayne Groff CPA
CFO
On filings since 2020
36 hrs/week
$116K (2020) → $175K (2024)
Nathan Hoover CPA
Controller
New on the 2024 filing
36 hrs/week
$104K (2024)
Alison Van Harskamp
Past Chair
Vice Chair → Chair, 2022
Chair → Past Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Judith Wubah
Board Member
On filings since 2020
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melisa Baez
Board Member
On filings since 2020
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Theresa Mongiovi
Secretary
Board Member → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2020
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Beth Brennan
Board Member
On filings since 2021
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joe Hess
Board Member
On filings since 2021
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Pedro Rivera
Board Member
On filings since 2021
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Fred Waller
Board Member
On filings since 2022
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Guindon
Board Member
On filings since 2022
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rob Barber
Board Member
On filings since 2023
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steve Nieli
Vice Chair & Treasurer
Treasurer → Vice Chair & Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2023
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alisa Jones
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Salena Coachman
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (9)
- Former: Alimayu Thrash (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Deepa Balepur (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Krista Showers (2020–2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Mary Renner (2020–2022) — Immediate Past Chair
- Former: Joseph Byorick (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Hale Krasne (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Jon Zuo (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Ryan Martin (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Steven Geisenberger (2020) — Immediate Past Chair
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $267K, to Mr Samuel J Bressi (President & CEO). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Lancaster County Community Foundation
How much does Lancaster County Community Foundation give each year?
Lancaster County Community Foundation gave $14.8M across 373 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $11.6M across 364 grants.
What is Lancaster County Community Foundation's typical grant size?
Lancaster County Community Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $18,695, and its average grant was $39,557, across 373 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lancaster County Community Foundation that year got $12K on average.
Where does Lancaster County Community Foundation give grants?
Lancaster County Community Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Lancaster, PA (178 grants), Lititz, PA (24 grants), Elizabethtown, PA (14 grants) and Ephrata, PA (12 grants).
Does Lancaster County Community Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 95% of Lancaster County Community Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (355 of 373) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Who are Lancaster County Community Foundation's largest grantees?
Lancaster County Community Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Dayspring Christian Academy ($1,050,000), Lancaster County Conservancy ($542,402) and Water Street Ministries ($393,226), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($26,932), which are not listed by name. Together they received 13% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Lancaster County Community Foundation?
Lancaster County Community Foundation reported $184.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $24.0M.
What does Lancaster County Community Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is “to embolden extraordinary community by investing in people and ideas that will shape the future of Lancaster County.” Its website describes an emphasis on equitable and inclusive opportunities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lancaster County Community Foundation?
The Foundation directs applicants to review its eligibility requirements and resources, then use its online grant portal to view, edit, and submit applications and related documents. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Lancaster County Community Foundation's EIN?
Lancaster County Community Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-0874857. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 1, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 24, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 1, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 8, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Lancaster County Community Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lancaster County Community Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lancaster-county-community-foundation-morg_1e49821a41274ef0a606d5f9f8e8cb10
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_200874857_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lancaster County Community Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lancaster-county-community-foundation-morg_1e49821a41274ef0a606d5f9f8e8cb10},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Lancaster County Community 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.
Lancaster County Community Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?