Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP logo

Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP

Private foundation · Grantmaker Chesterfield, MO EIN: 42-1557485 Website

Light A Single Candle Foundation NF is a private foundation based in Chesterfield, Missouri. It supports poverty relief through partnerships focused on food security, economic development, and helping individuals, families, and communities move toward self-determination and an improved standard of living.

Key facts about Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP

In short: Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP gave $550K across 16 grants in 2024 (avg $34K), mostly in Missouri. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
42-1557485
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024)
$549,984
Grants made (2024)
16
Average grant
$34,374
Median grant
$30,000
Total assets
$3,879,911
Primary geography
Missouri (61% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
Yes
How to apply
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Full details ↓
Deadline
The website lists June 27 and September 12, 2026, as past submission deadlines.

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$3.9M

-5.4% YoY

Annual Giving

$550K

-79.8% YoY

Grant Count

16

-48.4% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$34K

-60.9% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP reported a distributable amount of $191K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

How Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP gives

  • 13% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving grew 15614% from 2021 to 2024. Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 430% 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.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation describes its mission as keeping hope alive through sustainable solutions to poverty. Its stated focus areas include food support, food security and sustainability; microbusiness and economic development; and development of individuals, families, and communities toward self-determination and an improved standard of living.

Its 2024 grantees illustrate a range of work. Help for Haiti describes its mission as feeding and educating children and supporting them until they have employment skills. Northside Community Housing says it provides affordable housing for low- to moderate-income residents and opportunities to improve lives and revitalize the community. Prosperity Connection describes its work as promoting economic success through financial education and access to financial products and services. Lift for Life Gym says it offers St. Louis children a safe, enriching environment for physical, social, and personal development. Natun Guatemala describes its work as supporting Maya Indigenous communities through educational, nutritional, and sustainable development projects.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $549,984. Grants ranged from $400 to $100,000, with a median grant of $30,000. Notable awards included $100,000 to Fathers & Families Support Center for employment development and training; $78,084 to Cross International for “Children of La Hoye Seeds of Hope”; $72,000 to Help for Haiti for financial independence for Haitian youth; and $50,000 each to Northside Community Housing, Community Foundation of West Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri, and Justine Petersen.

Review Cycle

The website lists June 27 and September 12, 2026, as past submission deadlines. The next listed deadline is January 9, 2027, for proposals to be reviewed in February. It says proposals received after a deadline will be reviewed at the following meeting.

How to Apply

The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Its website invites prospective new partners to submit a Letter of Inquiry; first-time applicants must register and submit one before being advised about next steps. Established partners can log in to submit a request. For St. Louis-area proposals, first-time applicants are asked to contact the foundation before applying, and requests over $5,000 require a site visit. The website says St. Louis-area applicants must be U.S.-based 501(c)(3) public charities with projects in the City of St. Louis or North St. Louis County. International applicants must be U.S.-based 501(c)(3) public charities, have staff or partners on the ground, and involve the local community in project development and implementation. The website lists schools, churches, healthcare entities and initiatives, governments, for-profit organizations, individuals, and non-501(c)(3) organizations among those it does not fund. Separately, the foundation’s 2024 filing says awards are generally limited to organizations supporting work in developing countries, including churches, orphanages, schools, and healthcare facilities, and describes its geographic areas as international, Greater Metropolitan St. Louis, and West Central Illinois.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation identifies three geographic areas: international, Greater Metropolitan St. Louis, and West Central Illinois. Its international grant guidelines list the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Its St. Louis guidelines specify projects in the City of St. Louis or North St. Louis County. The foundation’s 2024 grants went to recipients in Missouri, Florida, New Hampshire, Illinois, and California; 61% of grant dollars went to Missouri recipients, 14% to Florida, 13% to New Hampshire, 9% to Illinois, and 3% to California.

Grant Distribution by State

13states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.

Cities

St. LouisPompano BeachWashingtonBoiseBostonBufordChesterfieldChicagoDenverEurekaLaguna BeachNaplesPine LawnQuincyRidgefieldRyeScarboroughSherburneSpringfield

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$1M$2M$3M2 grants2019 1 grant2020 2 grants2021 4 grants2022 31 grants2023 16 grants2024

From 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $715 (2020) to $2.7M (2023). In 2024 it made 16 grants totaling $550K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Fathers & Families Support Center: $100KFathers & Families SupportCenter$100KCross International: $78KCross International$78KHelp for Haiti: $72KHelp for Haiti$72KNorthside Community Housing: $50KNorthside Community Housing$50KCommunity Foundation of WC & Ne MO: $50KCommunity Foundation of WC &Ne MO$50KJustine Petersen: $50KJustine Petersen$50KBoys & Girls Club of St Louis: $45KBoys & Girls Club of St Louis$45KLovethelou: $35KLovethelou$35KProsperity Connection: $25KProsperity Connection$25KLift for Life Gym: $15KLift for Life Gym$15K

The largest 2024 recipient was Fathers & Families Support Center ($100K). Together the top 10 received $520K.

Grant Size Distribution

54 grants across all recorded years

30<$50K15$50–100K6$100–250K3$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 30 grants of 54 (56%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Fathers & Families Support Center St. Louis, MOEmployment Development & Training$100,000
Cross International Pompano Beach, FLChildren of La Hoye Seeds of Hope$78,084
Help for Haiti Rye, NHFinancial Independence Haitian Youth$72,000
Northside Community Housing St. Louis, MOThe Legacy Homes Program$50,000
Community Foundation of WC & Ne MO Quincy, ILGrants Manager - Capacity Bldg Post$50,000
Justine Petersen St. Louis, MOContractor Line of Credit$50,000
Boys & Girls Club of St Louis St. Louis, MOSupporting Youth: Workforce Develop$45,000
Lovethelou St. Louis, MOMentoring$35,000
Prosperity Connection St. Louis, MOGeneral Operational Support$25,000
Lift for Life Gym St. Louis, MOTeen Mentoring$15,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Grants reported Grant count
2024 $549,984 16
2023 $2,722,034 31
2022 $48,836 4
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$1M$2M$3M$4M2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$3,879,911$4,100,863$5,467,782
Revenue$110,770$1,506,470$577,576
Expenses$835,660$2,916,848$690,581
Qualifying Distributions$820,675$2,890,019$665,332
Net Investment Income$94,948$989,805$75,718
Distributable Amount$190,733$245,713$288,603

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 30, 2020)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 5, 2023)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 21, 2024)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 9, 2025)
  7. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists Patrick F Tracy as director/president; M Jane Tracy as director/secretary; Ryan P Tracy as director/vice president; Patrick J Smith as executive director; and Lauren Tracy Clough, Kimberly Plank, Kevin Bird, and Joseph Rupp as directors. The filing notes that Kimberly Plank left in December 2024.

Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP is led by Patrick F. Tracy, Director & President on every filing since 2019; 5 of 8 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Patrick F. Tracy

    Director & President

    On filings since 2019

    10 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ryan P. Tracy

    Director & Vice President

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    $6K (2019) → $6K (2024)

  • Kevin Bird

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    2 hrs/week

    $6K (2021) → $6K (2024)

  • Lauren Tracy Clough

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    2 hrs/week

    $6K (2021) → $6K (2024)

  • Joseph Rupp

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    2 hrs/week

    $5K (2023) → $6K (2024)

  • Kimberly Plank Left

    Director

    New on the 2024 filing

    2 hrs/week

    $6K (2024)

  • M. Jane Tracy

    Director & Secretary

    On filings since 2019

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Patrick J. Smith

    Executive Di

    On filings since 2019

    36 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (3)
  • Former: Kimberly Plank (2019–2023) — Director
  • Former: William Metzinger (2019–2022) — Director & Treasurer
  • Former: Diana Tracy Bittner (2019–2020) — Director

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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

Ryan P Tracy — Director/VP/: $6KRyan P TracyDirector/VP/$6KLauren Tracy Clough — Director: $6KLauren Tracy CloughDirector$6KKimberly Plank Left 122024 — Director: $6KKimberly Plank Left…Director$6KKevin Bird — Director: $6KKevin BirdDirector$6KJoseph Rupp — Director: $6KJoseph RuppDirector$6K

The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $6K, to Ryan P Tracy (Director/VP/). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Contact

Application contact: Patrick J Smith
Mailing address: 17050 Baxter Road Suite 125, Chesterfield, MO 63005
Phone: (636) 778-3071
Email: info@lightasinglecandle.net
Website: https://lightasinglecandle.org

Frequently asked questions about Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP

How much does Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP give each year?

Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP gave $550K across 16 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.7M across 31 grants.

What is Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP's typical grant size?

Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP's median grant in 2024 was $30,000, and its average grant was $34,374, across 16 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Where does Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP give grants?

Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP gives mostly in Missouri: 61% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Florida (14%) and New Hampshire (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (9 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).

Does Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP give general operating support?

Yes: 31% of Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (5 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP's largest grantees?

Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP's largest 2024 grantees include Fathers & Families Support Center ($100,000), Cross International ($78,084) and Help for Haiti ($72,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 45% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP?

Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP reported $3.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $821K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $191K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP fund?

The foundation describes its mission as keeping hope alive through sustainable solutions to poverty. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP?

The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP's EIN?

Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 42-1557485. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.

Does Light a Single Candle Foundation NFP accept unsolicited proposals?

Yes, 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.

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