Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation
The Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation is a private foundation based in Saratoga Springs, New York. Its 2024 filing reports 15 grants totaling $479,600 to organizations in New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation at a glance
In short: Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation gave $480K across 15 grants in 2024 (avg $32K), mostly in New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $479,600
- +42.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 15
- +200.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $31,973
- -52.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $8,318,912
- +28.8% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- New York (70% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; it states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: Co Rcm 321 Broadway 300, Saratoga Springs, NY 10185-5016
Phone: (518) 886-3993
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was SCO Family of Services ($155K). Together the top 10 received $478K.
Grant Size Distribution
33 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 22 grants of 33 (67%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 70% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 19% to Connecticut, and 10% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
How Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation gives
- 45% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 108% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 107% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $231K (2021) to $497K (2022). In 2024 it made 15 grants totaling $480K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| SCO Family of Services Garden City, NY | General Operating Support | $155,000 |
| Brooklyn Law School Brooklyn, NY | General Operating Support | $100,000 |
| Warren Land Trust Warren, CT | General Operating Support | $50,000 |
| Warren Volunteer Fire Company Warrem, CT | General Operating Support | $30,000 |
| Education Dev Center Waltham, MA | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| Education Dev Center Waltham, MA | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| NY Public Radio New York, NY | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| NY Public Radio New York, NY | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| Robin Hood Foundation New York, NY | General Operating Support | $15,000 |
| Lake Waramaug Task Force New Preston, CT | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8,318,912 | $4,035,329 | $609,842 | $479,600 | 15 | $494,254 | $496,962 | $462,210 |
| 2023 | $6,461,205 | $613,026 | $460,874 | $336,000 | 5 | $356,900 | $521,654 | $360,035 |
| 2022 | $6,417,378 | $427,289 | $638,876 | $496,895 | 11 | $546,343 | $336,757 | $402,384 |
| 2021 | $6,628,965 | $598,932 | $354,279 | $230,750 | 1 | — | $570,007 | $380,889 |
| 2020 | $6,384,312 | $244,476 | $636,030 | $472,855 | 1 | — | $166,118 | $363,112 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation reported a distributable amount of $462K 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
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations whose work, as described by the organizations themselves, includes social services, land and water conservation, fire and emergency medical services, education, public radio, law, and the performing arts. For example, SCO Family of Services says it works with vulnerable New Yorkers affected by poverty, neglect, abuse, or developmental and mental health challenges. Warren Land Trust says it is dedicated to preserving Warren’s rural character, farmland, open space, and natural resources.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 15 grants totaling $479,600. Grants ranged from $2,100 to $155,000, with a median grant of $25,000. The largest reported awards included $155,000 to SCO Family of Services, $100,000 to Brooklyn Law School, $50,000 to Warren Land Trust, and $30,000 to Warren Volunteer Fire Company. The listed grant purposes were general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Lee G. Vance and Cynthia K. Vance as trustees.
Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Cynthia K. Vance
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lee G. Vance
Trustee
On filings since 2020
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.
Frequently asked questions about Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation
How much does Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation give each year?
Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation gave $480K across 15 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $336K across 5 grants.
What is Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation's typical grant size?
Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $31,973, across 15 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation give grants?
Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation gives mostly in New York: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Connecticut (19%) and Massachusetts (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (7 grants) and Waltham, MA (2 grants).
Does Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (15 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation's largest grantees?
Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include SCO Family of Services ($155,000), Brooklyn Law School ($100,000) and Education Dev Center ($50,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation?
Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation reported $8.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $494K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $462K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations whose work, as described by the organizations themselves, includes social services, land and water conservation, fire and emergency medical services, education, public radio, law, and the performing arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; it states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation's EIN?
Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3789060. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Lee and Cynthia Vance 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). Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lee-and-cynthia-vance-foundation-morg_083a764892a546ce8c3894717972e2e5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133789060_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lee-and-cynthia-vance-foundation-morg_083a764892a546ce8c3894717972e2e5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Lee and Cynthia Vance 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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