Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster
Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster is a private foundation based in Hampton, Connecticut. In its 2025 filing, it reported 15 grants totaling $95,950, including awards to arts, educational, community, health-related, and other recipients.
Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster at a glance
In short: Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster gave $96K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in Massachusetts. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $95,950
- +15.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- +7.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,397
- +7.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $164,342
- -29.1% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (52% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster
- How to Apply
-
The filing directs applicants to submit a letter request to Lester Foster Foundation. It states that awards have no restrictions and that giving is not limited to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- None stated.
- Deadline
- None stated.
- Contact
Application contact: Lester Foster Foundation
Mailing address: 716 Pudding Hill Rd, Hampton, CT 06247
Phone: (860) 455-9892
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Chakour Music Institute ($50K). Together the top 10 received $73K.
Organizations only. It also paid 4 grants to individuals ($22,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
80 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 61 grants of 80 (76%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were reported as 52% to recipients in Massachusetts and 48% to recipients in Connecticut.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster gives
- Giving fell 95% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $83K (2024) to $2.1M (2022). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $96K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chakour Music Institute Amherst, MA | General Financial Assistance | $50,000 |
| 4 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $22,000 |
| Willimantic VFW Post 1724 Willimantic, CT | General Financial Assistance | $5,000 |
| Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz Hartford, CT | General Financial Assistance | $5,000 |
| Horizons Inc - Golf Tournament South Windham, CT | General Financial Assistance | $3,500 |
| Windham Hospital Golf CLA Willimantic, CT | General Financial Assistance | $3,000 |
| CT Audubon Society Fairfield, CT | General Financial Assistance | $2,500 |
| Temple Bnai Israel Willimantic, CT | General Financial Assistance | $1,200 |
| Soroptimist International Willimantic, CT | General Financial Assistance | $1,000 |
| Escu Foundation Inc Willimantic, CT | General Financial Assistance | $1,000 |
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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 | $164,342 | $21,838 | $96,969 | $95,950 | 15 | $95,950 | $21,038 | $7,778 |
| 2024 | $231,787 | $20,370 | $83,835 | $83,035 | 14 | $83,035 | $15,741 | $11,417 |
| 2023 | $292,355 | $-6,038 | $177,850 | $172,650 | 11 | $172,650 | $12,538 | $15,217 |
| 2022 | $449,539 | $347,264 | $2,082,328 | $2,073,795 | 22 | $2,074,231 | $316,357 | $71,169 |
| 2021 | $2,834,495 | $328,597 | $289,375 | $277,975 | 18 | $285,775 | $326,779 | $130,362 |
| 2020 | $2,768,140 | $75,046 | $286,572 | $284,100 | 17 | — | $72,195 | $134,878 |
| 2019 | $2,749,899 | $171,109 | $137,679 | $135,100 | 15 | — | $168,899 | $124,225 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster reported a distributable amount of $8K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants show support for varied organizations. Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz Inc. says its mission is to bring together local and international jazz musicians to share their talents and create community unity. Windham Hospital Foundation Inc. says its mission is to connect the community with the hospital and enhance resources supporting the hospital’s health care work.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 15 grants totaling $95,950. Grant amounts ranged from $750 to $50,000, with a median of $3,000. The largest awards included $50,000 to Chakour Music Institute, $10,000 to an individual recipient State University, and $5,000 each to Willimantic VFW Post 1724 and Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz. The filing also lists grants to individual recipients.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists David Foster and Mark Foster as trustees.
Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
David Foster
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Foster
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster
How much does Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster give each year?
Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster gave $96K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $83K across 14 grants.
What is Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster's typical grant size?
Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $6,397, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster give grants?
Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster gives mostly in Massachusetts: 52% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Connecticut (48%). The most frequent recipient cities were Willimantic, CT (6 grants).
Does Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (15 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster's largest grantees?
Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster's largest 2025 grantees include Chakour Music Institute ($50,000), Willimantic VFW Post 1724 ($5,000) and Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 4 grants to individuals ($22,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster?
Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster reported $164K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $96K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $8K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants show support for varied organizations. Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz Inc. says its mission is to bring together local and international jazz musicians to share their talents and create community unity. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster?
The filing directs applicants to submit a letter request to Lester Foster Foundation. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster's EIN?
Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-0630150. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 7, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 28, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lester-e-foster-and-phyllis-m-foster-morg_b2aeb02815b543658d954084c26b21b3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_810630150_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lester E Foster \& Phyllis M Foster funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lester-e-foster-and-phyllis-m-foster-morg_b2aeb02815b543658d954084c26b21b3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. 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 Lester E Foster & Phyllis M Foster'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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