Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr
Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr is a private foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 2025, it reported 10 grants totaling $260,000, with recipients including organizations serving people who are blind or have vision loss, a public library, and an animal-transport organization.
Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr at a glance
In short: Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr gave $260K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $26K), top state New York. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $260,000
- -3.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +11.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $26,000
- -12.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $13,000
- Total assets
- $5,652,571
- -1.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (2 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (46% 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 Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 185, Pittsburgh, PA 15230-0185
Phone: (412) 234-0023
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Guiding Eyes for the Blind ($75K). Together the top 10 received $260K.
Grant Size Distribution
52 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 37 grants of 52 (71%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 2025, 46% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 29% to Pennsylvania, 19% to New Jersey, and 6% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 10 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $31K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $16K repeat.
- 60% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−18%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 91% 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 (2021–2025). 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 $260K (2025) to $318K (2023). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $260K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Guiding Eyes for the Blind Yorkville Heights, NY | General Operating | $75,000 |
| Western Pa School for Blind Children Pittsburgh, PA | General Operating | $65,000 |
| The Seeing Eye Morristown, NJ | General Operating | $50,000 |
| Guide Dog Foundation Smithtown, NY | General Operating | $16,500 |
| Freedom Guide Dogs Cassvile, NY | General Operating | $16,000 |
| Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA | General Operating | $10,000 |
| National Braille Press Boston, MA | General Operating | $7,500 |
| Helen Keller Services for the Blind Brooklyn, NY | General Operating | $7,500 |
| Perkins School for the Blind Watertown, MA | General Operating | $7,500 |
| Pilots to the Rescue Brooklyn, NY | General Operating | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr?
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 | $5,652,571 | $225,573 | $335,654 | $260,000 | 10 | $285,627 | $185,117 | $313,997 |
| 2024 | $5,761,767 | $443,667 | $334,660 | $268,000 | 9 | $293,529 | $396,679 | $284,096 |
| 2023 | $5,654,014 | $29,560 | $388,512 | $317,500 | 10 | $343,195 | $104,856 | $332,247 |
| 2022 | $5,955,418 | $656,411 | $391,368 | $317,500 | 11 | $338,126 | $613,797 | $322,725 |
| 2021 | $5,699,297 | $899,517 | $336,671 | $305,000 | 12 | — | $880,834 | $303,490 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr reported a distributable amount of $314K 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 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. Guiding Eyes for the Blind says it provides guide dogs to people with vision loss to support greater independence. National Braille Press says it promotes literacy among blind children through Braille and provides access to information for blind people. Perkins School for the Blind says it serves children and young adults with multiple disabilities, their families, and professionals through education, accessibility, professional development, and innovation.
Other 2025 grantees describe their work as fostering literacy and connections with neighbors (Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh) and transporting at-risk animals to improve their chances of adoption (Pilots to the Rescue).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 10 grants totaling $260,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $75,000, with a median of $13,000. The largest grants were $75,000 to Guiding Eyes for the Blind, $65,000 to Western PA School for Blind Children, and $50,000 to The Seeing Eye. Other grants included $16,500 to Guide Dog Foundation, $16,000 to Freedom Guide Dogs, $10,000 to Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, $7,500 each to National Braille Press, Helen Keller Services for the Blind, and Perkins School for the Blind, and $5,000 to Pilots to the Rescue. Each grant was listed for general operating purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists BNY Mellon N A as trustee.
Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr's only listed officer is BNY Mellon N A, Trustee on every filing since 2022 (compensated).
Officers on the 2025 filing
BNY Mellon N A
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
$52K (2022) → $64K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: BNY Mellon NA (2021) — Trustee
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $64K, to BNY Mellon N a (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr
How much does Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr give each year?
Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr gave $260K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $268K across 9 grants.
What is Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr's typical grant size?
Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr's median grant in 2025 was $13,000, and its average grant was $26,000, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr that year got $6K on average.
Where does Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr give grants?
Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr's top state is New York, with 46% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (29%) and New Jersey (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Pittsburgh, PA (2 grants) and Brooklyn, NY (2 grants).
Does Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr's largest grantees?
Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr's largest 2025 grantees include Guiding Eyes for the Blind ($75,000), Western Pa School for Blind Children ($65,000) and The Seeing Eye ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 73% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr?
Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr reported $5.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $286K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $314K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. Guiding Eyes for the Blind says it provides guide dogs to people with vision loss to support greater independence. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr's EIN?
Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 25-6440597. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr accept unsolicited proposals?
No, 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lappe-bowman-j-b-for-b-l-fdn-char-tr-morg_828bbfcb626a41f7b30b4de8e13b68e3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_256440597_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lappe-bowman-j-b-for-b-l-fdn-char-tr-morg_828bbfcb626a41f7b30b4de8e13b68e3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr'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.
Lappe-Bowman J B for B-L Fdn-Char Tr down — hundreds of funders to go?