Lawson Valentine Foundation
The Lawson Valentine Foundation is a private foundation based in Princeton, New Jersey. Its grantmaking supports grassroots community-based organizers and advocates, low-wage workers, and other change agents working with people of color, low-income youth, immigrants, refugees, and other underserved populations.
Lawson Valentine Foundation at a glance
In short: Lawson Valentine Foundation gave $328K across 63 grants in 2024 (avg $5K), top state Massachusetts. 29% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $328,200
- -35.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 63
- -1.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $5,210
- -34.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $4,000
- Total assets
- $15,148,739
- +3.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 29% first-time grantees (18 of 63, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (21% 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 Lawson Valentine Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Submit a Letter of Inquiry through the website’s form; follow the website’s guidelines for deadlines, grant limitations, and restrictions. Full proposals are submitted through the grantee portal when invited.
- Contact
Application contact: Lawson Valentine Foundation
Mailing address: 14 Thomson Place, Pittsfield, MA 01201-7025
Phone: (860) 570-0728
Email: info@lawsonvalentine.org
Website: https://lawsonvalentine.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lawson Valentine Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Alternatives for Community & Environment ($20K). Together the top 10 received $136K.
Grant Size Distribution
310 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 306 grants of 310 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says it typically funds in the Northeast. It says international funding is conducted only through two trusted partners. Its 2024 grants also went to recipients in states including Massachusetts, New York, California, Georgia, and New Hampshire.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 63 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Lawson Valentine Foundation open to new grantees?
29%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 18 of 63 grantees (29%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 56% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 42% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 74% 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 (2020–2024). 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 $328K (2024) to $675K (2020). In 2024 it made 63 grants totaling $328K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Alternatives for Community & Environment Roxbury, MA | General Purpose | $20,000 |
| Conservation Law Foundation Boston, MA | General Purpose | $20,000 |
| Grassroots International Boston, MA | General Purpose | $20,000 |
| New England Grassroots Environmental Fund Newmarket, NH | General Purpose | $20,000 |
| Eastern Woodland Lacrosse Haw River, NC | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| Seventh Gen Fund for Indigenous People Eureka, CA | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| The Descendants Project Vacherie, LA | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| Thousand Currents San Francisco, CA | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| Everyday Democracy Hartford, CT | General Purpose | $8,500 |
| Hartbeat Ensemble Hartford, CT | General Purpose | $7,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Lawson Valentine Foundation?
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 | $15,148,739 | $3,269,615 | $654,228 | $328,200 | 63 | $500,418 | $3,091,385 | $678,226 |
| 2023 | $14,648,162 | $562,112 | $832,586 | $506,500 | 64 | $720,759 | $448,865 | $691,246 |
| 2022 | $13,909,723 | $949,125 | $880,216 | $540,000 | 58 | $768,459 | $830,637 | $713,032 |
| 2021 | $17,435,984 | $1,530,015 | $851,869 | $566,500 | 59 | $731,039 | $1,403,231 | $814,430 |
| 2020 | $16,219,025 | $1,092,980 | $948,576 | $675,200 | 66 | — | $982,016 | $704,162 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lawson Valentine Foundation reported a distributable amount of $678K 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
The foundation’s mission is to support advocacy, organizing, policy, and leadership development related to food systems—including local sustainable agriculture, food sovereignty, and workers’ rights—as well as environmental justice. It says it advances this work through grants, by advising and connecting grantees, and by influencing peers in philanthropy.
Grantees illustrate the range of supported work. Grassroots International says it connects people in the U.S. with global movements defending land, water, food, and related rights through grantmaking, social action, and philanthropic leadership. Conservation Law Foundation says it uses law, science, and markets to protect New England’s environment and build healthy, resilient communities. The Descendants Project says it champions the voice and well-being of the Black descendant community. Hartbeat Ensemble says it creates theater connecting communities across barriers including class, race, geography, and gender.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 63 grants totaling $328,200. Grants ranged from $500 to $20,000, with a median of $4,000. Notable grants included $20,000 each to Alternatives for Community & Environment, Conservation Law Foundation, Grassroots International, and New England Grassroots Environmental Fund; and $10,000 each to Eastern Woodland Lacrosse, Seventh Gen Fund for Indigenous People, The Descendants Project, and Thousand Currents.
The foundation says it develops long-standing relationships with partner organizations and funds by invitation. Organizations whose missions align with its work may introduce themselves through the Letter of Inquiry form; the foundation asks that LOIs not be sent by mail or email. Current grantees and organizations invited to submit a full proposal use a password-protected grantee portal.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Lucy Miller, Paul E Vawter Jr, Valentine Doyle, Mark Lindeman, Kolu Zigbi, Margaret Lindeman, and Melanie Renee Allen as trustees; Allen Doyle as trustee and chair; and Elizabeth Corsa as executive director and treasurer.
Lawson Valentine Foundation is led by Elizabeth Corsa, Executive Director & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; 1 of 9 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Elizabeth Corsa
Executive Director & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$85K (2021) → $85K (2024)
Allen Doyle
Trustee & Chair
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kolu Zigbi
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$76K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Valentine Doyle
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$27K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Lucy Miller
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Lindeman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul E. Vawter Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Margaret Lindeman
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Melanie Renee Allen
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $85K, to Elizabeth Corsa (Exec Director/Treasurer).
Frequently asked questions about Lawson Valentine Foundation
How much does Lawson Valentine Foundation give each year?
Lawson Valentine Foundation gave $328K across 63 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $507K across 64 grants.
What is Lawson Valentine Foundation's typical grant size?
Lawson Valentine Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $4,000, and its average grant was $5,210, across 63 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lawson Valentine Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Lawson Valentine Foundation give grants?
Lawson Valentine Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 21% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (19%) and California (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Atlanta, GA (8 grants), Princeton, NJ (5 grants), New York, NY (4 grants) and Brooklyn, NY (4 grants).
Does Lawson Valentine Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Lawson Valentine Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (63 of 63) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Lawson Valentine Foundation's largest grantees?
Lawson Valentine Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Alternatives for Community & Environment ($20,000), Conservation Law Foundation ($20,000) and Grassroots International ($20,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Lawson Valentine Foundation?
Lawson Valentine Foundation reported $15.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $500K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $678K (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 Valentine Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to support advocacy, organizing, policy, and leadership development related to food systems—including local sustainable agriculture, food sovereignty, and workers’ rights—as well as environmental justice. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lawson Valentine Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Lawson Valentine Foundation's EIN?
Lawson Valentine Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6920044. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Lawson Valentine 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lawson Valentine Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lawson-valentine-foundation-morg_47d96584664a4e95a26d45021c9c8322
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_136920044_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lawson Valentine Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lawson-valentine-foundation-morg_47d96584664a4e95a26d45021c9c8322},
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 Lawson Valentine 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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