Light the Candle Foundation Inc
Light the Candle Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Tampa, Florida. Its 2025 filing reports grants to organizations supporting youth, spiritual services, women’s support, food education and services, vision services, and education.
Light the Candle Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Light the Candle Foundation Inc gave $55K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Florida. 79% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $54,880
- +18.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- +100.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,920
- -40.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,811
- Total assets
- $2,499,139
- +5.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 79% first-time grantees (11 of 14, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Florida (96% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Light the Candle Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2909 W Knights Avenue, Tampa, FL 33611
Phone: (813) 766-4426
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Light the Candle Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was VYO USA Inc ($11K). Together the top 10 received $52K.
Grant Size Distribution
55 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 54 grants of 55 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing shows that 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in Florida, 2% to recipients in California, and 2% to recipients in a state not identified in the available data. The listed grants include recipients in Tampa and other Florida locations, as well as a recipient in Redding, California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Light the Candle Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
79%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 11 of 14 grantees (79%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 14% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 167% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 43% 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 (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $16K (2023) to $155K (2021). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $55K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| VYO USA Inc Tampa, FL | Youth Services | $11,000 |
| Sanatan Mandir Tampa Tampa, FL | Spiritual Services | $10,001 |
| Mary Martha House Ruskin, FL | Support Services/Women | $10,000 |
| Wellfed Community Tampa, FL | Food Education/Services | $5,000 |
| Brahma Kumans Miami, FL | Spiritual Support Services | $5,000 |
| Preserve Vision Clearwater, FL | Vision Education/Screenings/Services | $5,000 |
| Hindu University of America Groveland, FL | Educational and Spiritual Services | $2,369 |
| Iskcon Tampa Lutz, FL | Spiritual Services | $1,252 |
| Missionaries of Charity | Spiritual Services | $1,008 |
| Foundation Christian Academy Valrico, FL | Educational Services | $1,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Light the Candle Foundation Inc?
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 | $2,499,139 | $208,382 | $60,475 | $54,880 | 14 | $56,293 | $106,447 | $132,029 |
| 2024 | $2,371,682 | $1,029,745 | $62,821 | $46,250 | 7 | $47,716 | $928,450 | $100,695 |
| 2023 | $1,412,492 | $190,006 | $20,587 | $15,908 | 8 | $17,358 | $88,050 | $83,818 |
| 2022 | $1,334,112 | $69,969 | $24,616 | $20,560 | 9 | $21,665 | $67,969 | $80,129 |
| 2021 | $1,297,960 | $345,915 | $162,521 | $154,639 | 17 | $156,794 | $138,053 | $71,878 |
| 2020 | $1,272,724 | $243,355 | $50,237 | $48,211 | 10 | — | $134,775 | $50,806 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Light the Candle Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $132K for 2025 — 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for youth services, spiritual services, women’s support services, food education and services, vision education and screenings, and educational services.
Among its grantees, Hindu University of America describes its mission as providing an educational and spiritual bridge in Hindu thought and preparing students for service, leadership, and global engagement. Foundation Christian Academy describes its mission as providing educational experiences focused on academic excellence, community service, and civic responsibility in a Christian environment.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 14 grants totaling $54,880. Grants ranged from $250 to $11,000, with a median grant of $1,810. Notable grants included $11,000 to VYO USA INC for youth services; $10,001 to Sanatan Mandir Tampa for spiritual services; $10,000 to Mary Martha House for women’s support services; and $5,000 each to Wellfed Community, Brahma Kumans, and Preserve Vision for food education and services, spiritual support services, and vision education, screenings, and services, respectively. It also gave $2,369 to Hindu University of America and $1,000 to Foundation Christian Academy.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Saurabh K Chokshi as president; Sheela S Chokshi as secretary/treasurer; and Shashin S Chokshi and Sonia S Chokshi as directors.
Light the Candle Foundation Inc is led by Saurabh K. Chokshi, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Saurabh K. Chokshi
President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shashin S. Chokshi
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sonia S. Chokshi
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sheela S. Chokshi
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Light the Candle Foundation Inc
How much does Light the Candle Foundation Inc give each year?
Light the Candle Foundation Inc gave $55K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $46K across 7 grants.
What is Light the Candle Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Light the Candle Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $1,811, and its average grant was $3,920, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Light the Candle Foundation Inc that year got $4K on average.
Where does Light the Candle Foundation Inc give grants?
Light the Candle Foundation Inc gives mostly in Florida: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Tampa, FL (4 grants) and Ruskin, FL (2 grants).
Does Light the Candle Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on Light the Candle Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Spiritual Services" (5 grants).
Who are Light the Candle Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Light the Candle Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include VYO USA Inc ($11,000), Sanatan Mandir Tampa ($10,001) and Mary Martha House ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Light the Candle Foundation Inc?
Light the Candle Foundation Inc reported $2.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $56K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $132K (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 Light the Candle Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for youth services, spiritual services, women’s support services, food education and services, vision education and screenings, and educational services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Light the Candle Foundation Inc?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and 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 Light the Candle Foundation Inc's EIN?
Light the Candle Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-3476415. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Light the Candle Foundation Inc 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 26, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 10, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 10, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Light the Candle Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Light the Candle Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/light-the-candle-foundation-inc-morg_cd52c2a62fa34bc3a1685ec1f19354de
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_473476415_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Light the Candle Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/light-the-candle-foundation-inc-morg_cd52c2a62fa34bc3a1685ec1f19354de},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Light the Candle Foundation Inc'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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