Lawson Family Charitable Foundation
The Lawson Family Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Fort Myers, Florida. Its 2025 grants supported a range of charitable organizations, including educational institutions, community organizations, and groups serving people with disabilities.
Lawson Family Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Lawson Family Charitable Foundation gave $372K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $21K), top state Iowa. 11% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $372,000
- +10.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- -14.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $20,667
- +28.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $9,500
- Total assets
- $6,549,002
- +4.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 11% first-time grantees (2 of 18, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Iowa (45% 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 Lawson Family Charitable Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 13146 Coastal Links Ct, Fort Myers, FL 33908
Phone: (309) 269-0898
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lawson Family Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Iowa State University Foundation ($120K). Together the top 10 received $338K.
Grant Size Distribution
104 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 97 grants of 104 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went primarily to recipients in Iowa (45%) and Florida (37%), followed by Arizona (11%), Michigan (3%), and Virginia (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Lawson Family Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
11%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 18 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $23K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 89% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+15%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 88% 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 (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 $274K (2020) to $372K (2025). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $372K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa State University Foundation Ames, IA | Greater University Fund | $120,000 |
| Heights Foundation Fort Myers, FL | General Fund | $50,000 |
| Lee County United Way Fort Myers, FL | General Fund | $41,000 |
| Rainbow Acres Camp Verde, AZ | General Fund | $40,000 |
| Hand in Hand Bettendorf, IA | Educational | $30,000 |
| Sanibel Congregational Church Sanibel, FL | Support of Programs and Upkeep | $15,000 |
| The Legacy Foundation at Shell Point Fort Myers, FL | Support of Programs | $13,000 |
| Benjamin's Hope Holland, MI | Support for Children and Families Affected by Autism | $10,000 |
| Fish of Sanibel Captiva Inc Sanibel, FL | General Fund | $10,000 |
| Iowa State University Cyclone Club Ames, IA | Educational Opportunities | $9,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $6,549,002 | $912,450 | $463,592 | $372,000 | 18 | $372,000 | $492,098 | $422,507 |
| 2024 | $6,267,329 | $680,576 | $447,236 | $337,000 | 21 | $337,000 | $348,167 | $388,384 |
| 2023 | $6,133,478 | $1,232,424 | $419,655 | $341,000 | 23 | $341,000 | $936,365 | $320,353 |
| 2022 | $5,370,447 | $577,265 | $384,728 | $322,100 | 16 | $322,100 | $221,807 | $340,960 |
| 2021 | $5,270,670 | $620,295 | $348,470 | $297,200 | 26 | $297,200 | $208,860 | $325,124 |
| 2020 | $5,024,208 | $388,322 | $313,591 | $274,000 | 26 | — | $218,092 | $294,113 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lawson Family Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $423K 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 included support for education, general funds, conservation, and programs and services. The supported organizations describe their own work in varied terms: Hand in Hand says it empowers people of all abilities through inclusive programs and family support; Rainbow Acres describes providing a Christian community for adults with developmental disabilities; and Benjamin’s Hope describes offering fellowship, treatment, housing, and meaningful work for people with autism and other disabilities. These are the grantees’ missions, not stated missions of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 18 grants totaling $372,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $120,000, with a median of $9,500. Its largest listed grants included $120,000 to Iowa State University Foundation for the Greater University Fund, $50,000 to Heights Foundation for its general fund, $41,000 to Lee County United Way for its general fund, and $40,000 to Rainbow Acres for its general fund. Other listed grants included $30,000 to Hand in Hand for educational purposes, $15,000 to Sanibel Congregational Church for program support and upkeep, and $13,000 to The Legacy Foundation at Shell Point for program support.
The foundation also gave $10,000 to Benjamin’s Hope to support children and families affected by autism, $10,000 to FISH of Sanibel Captiva for its general fund, $9,000 to Iowa State University Cyclone Club for educational opportunities, $8,000 to Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation for conservation, and $5,000 to Mercy Chefs for support in disaster areas. Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation received $3,000 in 2025; the foundation describes its work as supporting educational, leadership, and philanthropic programs and members’ scholastic, professional, and service pursuits.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists these trustees: John K Lawson, Suzanne D Lawson, Robert Jlawson, Jennifer Scavins, and Ann L Reed.
Lawson Family Charitable Foundation's 2025 filing lists 5 officers; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ann L. Reed
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jennifer Scavins
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
John K. Lawson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Robert Jlawson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Suzanne D. Lawson
Trustee
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 Lawson Family Charitable Foundation
How much does Lawson Family Charitable Foundation give each year?
Lawson Family Charitable Foundation gave $372K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $337K across 21 grants.
What is Lawson Family Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Lawson Family Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $9,500, and its average grant was $20,667, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lawson Family Charitable Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Lawson Family Charitable Foundation give grants?
Lawson Family Charitable Foundation's top state is Iowa, with 45% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Florida (37%) and Arizona (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Fort Myers, FL (4 grants), Sanibel, FL (3 grants) and Ames, IA (2 grants).
Does Lawson Family Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 22% of Lawson Family Charitable Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 18) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Support of Programs" (4 grants).
Who are Lawson Family Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Lawson Family Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Iowa State University Foundation ($120,000), Heights Foundation ($50,000) and Lee County United Way ($41,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Lawson Family Charitable Foundation?
Lawson Family Charitable Foundation reported $6.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $372K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $423K (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 Lawson Family Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for education, general funds, conservation, and programs and services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lawson Family Charitable Foundation?
The foundation 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 Lawson Family Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Lawson Family Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4199442. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Lawson Family Charitable Foundation 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 29, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 11, 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)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Lawson Family Charitable Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lawson Family Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lawson-family-charitable-foundation-morg_dcc942f9a8f745c8b4c8ce310a05c5c3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_364199442_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lawson Family Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lawson-family-charitable-foundation-morg_dcc942f9a8f745c8b4c8ce310a05c5c3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Lawson Family Charitable 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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