Lawson Family Charitable Foundation
The Lawson Family Charitable Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 1998 and based in Fort Myers, Florida. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with tax-exempt status since March 1998. It functions as a non-operating private foundation governed by a board of trustees.
Key facts about Lawson Family Charitable Foundation
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.
- EIN
- 36-4199442
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $372,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- Average grant
- $20,667
- Median grant
- $9,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 11% first-time grantees (2 of 18, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Iowa (45% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation operates on a preselected grantees basis only, meaning it does not accept unsolicited grant applications. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Quick answers 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.
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. 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
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.
Next steps with Lawson Family Charitable Foundation
- How to evaluate Lawson Family Charitable Foundation as a funder
Our grant prospecting guide: read the 990-PF, check fit, and decide whether to apply.
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Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$372K
+10.4% YoY
Grant Count
18
-14.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$21K
+28.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation does not maintain a publicly available mission statement. However, based on its grantmaking patterns, the foundation supports educational opportunities, programs benefiting children and families affected by autism, general fund support, and program upkeep at selected organizations.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
$5,000
How to Apply
**
Ready to take the next step with Lawson Family Charitable Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation distributes funding across multiple states, with primary focus on:
- Florida
- Iowa
- Illinois
- California
Iowa, Florida, and Illinois account for approximately 72% of all grants made. The foundation has supported 34 unique organizations across these regions.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 18 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of December 31, 2023:
- Total Assets: $6.13 million
- Total Revenues: $1.23 million
- Total Expenses: $420,000
- Total Liabilities: $0
- Total Giving: $341,000
Revenue Composition (2023):
- Grants and contributions: $220,952
- Investment income and dividends: $158,097
Asset Growth: Total assets have grown from $3 million in 2011 to $6.13 million in 2023.
Staffing: The foundation operates with limited staffing and no paid employees, relying entirely on volunteer trustees.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
104 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
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 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation is governed by five officers and trustees:
- John K Lawson (Trustee, Principal Officer)
- Suzanne D Lawson (Trustee)
- Robert J Lawson (Trustee)
- Jennifer Scavins (Trustee)
- Ann L Reed (Trustee)
All trustees serve without compensation and on a volunteer basis.
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.
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation maintains a website at lawsonfamilyfoundation.org and continues active grantmaking operations. Recent grant activity demonstrates ongoing support for educational institutions, community service organizations, and programs addressing autism and family services in its primary funding regions.
Lawson Family Foundation Fund Awards VOACC $100,641 Renewal Grant for Market\Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Lawson Family Charitable Foundation fund?
The foundation does not maintain a publicly available mission statement. However, based on its grantmaking patterns, the foundation supports educational opportunities, programs benefiting children and families affected by autism, general fund support, and program upkeep at selected organizations.
How do I apply for a grant from Lawson Family Charitable Foundation?
The foundation operates on a preselected grantees basis only, meaning it does not accept unsolicited grant applications. 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 ↑
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Lawson Family Charitable Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.