Leeway Foundation
Leeway Foundation is a private foundation based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It supports women, trans, and gender nonconforming artists and cultural producers working at the intersection of art, culture, and social change, with grantmaking focused on people living in Greater Philadelphia.
Leeway Foundation at a glance
In short: Leeway Foundation gave $493K across 157 grants in 2024 (avg $3K), mostly in Pennsylvania. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $493,421
- -6.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 157
- +6.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $3,143
- -11.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,250
- Total assets
- $20,011,798
- +0.1% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (100% 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 Leeway Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2024 filing states that an application is available online and that restrictions on awards are noted in the grant guidelines.
- Review Cycle
- The 2024 filing lists March 1 and August 1. The 2026 Art and Change Grant deadline of August 3 and Transformation Award Stage 2 deadline of September 28 have passed.
- Deadline
- The 2024 filing lists March 1 and August 1.
- Contact
Application contact: The Leeway Foundation
Mailing address: 1315 Walnut Street Suite 832, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: (215) 545-4078
Website: https://leeway.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
5 open opportunities from Leeway Foundation
Art and Change Grant
Leeway Foundation
Amount
Up to US $2,500
Deadline
Deadline not published
Leeway Foundation: Community Care Fund (CCF)
Leeway Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Leeway x Fleisher Visual Artist Residency Grant
Leeway Foundation
Amount
US $3,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Leeway Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Cair Philadelphia ($25K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $166K.
Grant Size Distribution
468 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 466 grants of 468 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Leeway’s website identifies its service area as Greater Philadelphia: Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties. The 2024 filing reports that all grant dollars went to Pennsylvania recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 157 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Leeway Foundation gives
- 36% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 199% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 145% 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 $165K (2020) to $584K (2022). In 2024 it made 157 grants totaling $493K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cair Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA | 2024 Ipmf Mar | $15,000 |
| Datts Lakesha Philadelphia, PA | 2024 Ipmf Mar | $15,000 |
| Waselchuk Lori Ann Philadelphia, PA | 2024 Ipmf Mar | $15,000 |
| Butterly Jacob Philadelphia, PA | 2024 Impf Mar | $15,000 |
| Jackson Gabriel Gabby Philadelphia, PA | 2024 Ipmf Mar | $15,000 |
| Edwards Ivery Hazel Philadelphia, PA | LTA 2024 | $15,000 |
| Souada Nadia Mateo Souada Philadelphia, PA | LTA 2024 | $15,000 |
| Kazi Nazia Azra Liaqat Khan Philadelphia, PA | LTA 2024 | $15,000 |
| Lung Yvonne Philadelphia, PA | LTA 2024 | $15,000 |
| Iloh Candice Philadelphia, PA | 2024 LTA | $15,000 |
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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 | $20,011,798 | $866,463 | $1,735,925 | $493,421 | 157 | $1,360,078 | $450,171 | $940,304 |
| 2023 | $19,995,051 | $1,706,617 | $1,468,867 | $524,895 | 148 | $1,202,840 | $87,415 | $884,282 |
| 2022 | $17,679,451 | $1,036,239 | $1,437,073 | $584,380 | 141 | $1,251,234 | $50,047 | $940,771 |
| 2021 | $21,419,863 | $2,789,289 | $1,354,641 | $165,000 | 11 | $1,168,848 | $521,467 | $30,152 |
| 2020 | $18,714,345 | $483,202 | $1,004,472 | $165,000 | 11 | — | $87,657 | $822,523 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Leeway Foundation reported a distributable amount of $940K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Leeway’s stated mission is to support women and trans* artists and cultural producers whose work connects art, culture, and social change. Its programs include awards and grants for art-for-social-change projects, media work with social justice or cultural organizations, and emergency assistance for existing Leeway grant and award recipients.
The foundation’s website describes its primary grantmaking programs as serving artists and cultural producers living in Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties. The Art and Change Grant guidelines describe awards for projects by women, trans*, and/or gender nonconforming artists and cultural producers. The Media Artist + Activist Residency is described as supporting media artists working with social justice or cultural organizations.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, Leeway reported 157 grants totaling $493,421. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $15,000, with a median of $1,250. All reported grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania. The largest reported grant to an organization was $15,000 to CAIR Philadelphia; other grants at the maximum amount went to individual recipients.
The foundation’s website describes the Leeway Transformation Award as an unrestricted $15,000 award and the Art and Change Grant as a $5,000 grant. Its Media Artist + Activist Residency description offers $25,000 grants. The Community Care Fund provides up to $1,250 in emergency assistance to Leeway grant and award recipients, so it is limited to existing recipients rather than open to outside applicants. The website also describes Leeway x Fleisher and Leeway x NextFab residencies for past Leeway grantees.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Amy Sadao and Eli Vandenberg as co-chairs; Gretjen Clausing as treasurer; Carolyn Chernoff as secretary; and Germaine Ingram, Kristi Poling, Tierra Rich, Tina Morton, Rasheedah Phillips, and Maori Holmes as board members.
Leeway Foundation's 2024 filing lists 12 officers; 1 of 12 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Denise Brown Former
Executive Di
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$170K (2024)
Amy Sadao
Co-Chair
Board Member → Co-Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carolyn Chernoff
Secretary
Board Member → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eli Vandenberg
Co-Chair
Board Member → Co-Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Germaine Ingram
Board Member
Board Member → Acting Secretary, 2021
Acting Secretary → Board Member, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gretjen Clausing
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rasheedah Phillips
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tierra Rich
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tina Morton
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kristi Poling
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maori Holmes
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Pia Agrawal
Executive Di
New on the 2024 filing
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Amadee Braxton (2020–2023) — President
- Former: Denise Brown (2020–2023) — Executive Di
- Former: Ezra Berkely Nepon (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Erika Guadalupe Nunez (2020–2022) — Board Member
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 $170K, to Denise Brown Former (Executive Di).
Frequently asked questions about Leeway Foundation
How much does Leeway Foundation give each year?
Leeway Foundation gave $493K across 157 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $525K across 148 grants.
What is Leeway Foundation's typical grant size?
Leeway Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,250, and its average grant was $3,143, across 157 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Leeway Foundation give grants?
Leeway Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (157 grants).
Does Leeway Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 157 grants with a stated purpose on Leeway Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "2024 LTA Sample" (30 grants), "2024 CCF" (27 grants) and "2024 ACG" (25 grants).
Who are Leeway Foundation's largest grantees?
Leeway Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Cair Philadelphia ($25,000 across 2 grants), Cerin Nathalie Talie ($17,600 across 3 grants) and Violante Ximena ($17,600 across 3 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 12% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Leeway Foundation?
Leeway Foundation reported $20.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $940K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Leeway Foundation fund?
Leeway’s stated mission is to support women and trans* artists and cultural producers whose work connects art, culture, and social change. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Leeway Foundation?
The foundation’s 2024 filing states that an application is available online and that restrictions on awards are noted in the grant guidelines. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Leeway Foundation's EIN?
Leeway Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-2727140. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 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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