Lightning Foundation
The Lightning Foundation is a public charity based in Tampa, Florida, formed in 1998. It says it invests its resources and leadership to enrich the people of Tampa Bay, focusing on basic human needs and improving lives. Its activities include supporting nonprofits and community programs, the Lightning Community Hero program, youth hockey programs, and employee volunteering.
Lightning Foundation at a glance
In short: Lightning Foundation gave $3.4M across 45 grants in 2025 (avg $77K), mostly in Florida. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,445,547
- +153.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 45
- +40.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $76,568
- +80.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $45,115
- Total assets
- $5,682,728
- +29.8% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Florida (96% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Lightning Foundation
- Review Cycle
- The website lists 2026–27 Community Hero submission deadlines of September 9, November 13, and January 15 at 5 p.m. The September 9, 2026 deadline has passed; the listed later dates are November 13, 2026 and January 15, 2027.
- Deadline
- The website lists 2026–27 Community Hero submission deadlines of September 9, November 13, and January 15 at 5 p.m.
- Contact
Mailing address: 401 Channelside Dr, Tampa, FL 33602
Phone: (813) 301-6500
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Lightning Foundation
Who Lightning Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Hillsborough Education Fund ($560K). Together the top 10 received $2.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
130 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 78 grants of 130 (60%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were reported as 96% to recipients in Florida, 2% in California, 1% in New York, and 1% in Connecticut. For the Community Hero program, the website specifies Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota counties for nominators, Heroes, and eligible organizations.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 45 itemized grants.
Cities
How Lightning Foundation gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $325K (2021) to $3.4M (2025). In 2025 it made 45 grants totaling $3.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hillsborough Education Fund Tampa, FL | General Donation | $560,000 |
| Heroes of the St Pete Police and Fire Rescue Inc St Petersburg, FL | General Donation | $360,000 |
| School Board of Hillsborough County Tampa, FL | General Donation | $250,000 |
| Tampa Metro Area YMCA Inc Tampa, FL | General Donation | $225,397 |
| Pinellas Education Foundation Largo, FL | General Donation | $200,000 |
| Hillsborough County Firefighters Charities Inc Tampa, FL | General Donation | $160,000 |
| Lynn Sowers Memorial Foundation Inc Tampa, FL | General Donation | $150,000 |
| Pasco Education Foundation Inc Land O Lakes, FL | General Donation | $140,000 |
| Pinellas County Sheriffs Office Foundation Inc Largo, FL | General Donation | $120,000 |
| Pasco Sheriff's Charities Port Richey, FL | General Donation | $110,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,682,728 | $9,225,093 | $8,593,364 | $3,445,547 | 45 | $114,807 |
| 2024 | $4,379,203 | $5,619,664 | $5,138,750 | $1,358,750 | 32 | $138,779 |
| 2023 | $3,939,302 | $5,417,268 | $4,979,594 | $1,276,171 | 32 | $93,295 |
| 2022 | $3,863,407 | $7,122,611 | $3,327,348 | $442,000 | 12 | $38 |
| 2021 | $1,743,482 | $3,116,313 | $2,505,632 | $324,750 | 9 | $9,342 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to invest its resources and leadership for the enrichment of the people of Tampa Bay, focusing on meeting basic human needs and enhancing lives. Its 2024 filing describes support for hundreds of nonprofits and programs, including charity-event sponsorships, donated auction and raffle items, player ticket opportunities, charity events, a USF program partnership, and volunteer activities.
The foundation’s website describes the Community Hero program as recognizing local volunteers and directing a grant to a charity of the selected Hero’s choice. The website says the designated organization receives a $50,000 grant. Its 2024 filing also describes Lightning Made hockey camps, clinics, and leagues for youth players.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of recipients. Hillsborough Education Foundation says its mission is to help ensure every Hillsborough County student receives an outstanding public education. The Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA says it works to build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all. Hillsborough County Firefighter Charities says it assists fallen emergency service personnel, while the Lynn Sowers Memorial Foundation says it provides financial assistance to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office employees facing unforeseen catastrophic events.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 45 grants totaling $3,445,547. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $560,000, with a median of $45,115. The largest listed grants included $560,000 to Hillsborough Education Fund, $360,000 to Heroes of the St Pete Police and Fire Rescue Inc, $250,000 to the School Board of Hillsborough County, and $225,397 to Tampa Metro Area YMCA Inc. The listed grants were reported with the purpose “general donation.”
The website describes the Community Hero nomination process. A nominator must be at least 13, live in one of seven specified Florida counties, submit one online nomination per season in English or Spanish, and provide the nominee’s contact information. A selected Hero must live in one of those counties, complete a publicity release, and provide information about the organization they want to receive the funds. To qualify for the $50,000 award, the organization must be a 501(c)(3) in good financial standing, have its headquarters and provide services in one of the listed counties (with an exception for local chapters of national organizations), and meet the other organizational criteria in the guidelines. The organization must also agree to a contract governing use of the funds and verification rights.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jeff Vinik as chairman and Craig Sher, Jennifer Lipschultz, Julie Ostrover, Julien Brisebois, Penny Vinik, and Steve Griggs as directors. Elizabeth Frazier is listed as executive director, Jay Feaster as secretary, and Jassen Cullimore as director of hockey development.
Lightning Foundation is led by Elizabeth Frazier, Executive Director on every filing since 2021; 5 of 13 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Elizabeth Frazier
Executive Director
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$42K (2021) → $374K (2025)
Jeff Vinik
Chairman
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jassen Cullimore
Director of Hockey Development
Director of Community Hockey & Development → Director of Hockey Development, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$117K (2023) → $195K (2025)
Joshua Dreith
Director of Community & Hockey Development
New on the 2025 filing
30 hrs/week
$141K (2025)
Sarah Costello
Director, Lightning Foundation & Community Events
New on the 2025 filing
30 hrs/week
$150K (2025)
Craig Sher
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julien Brisebois
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Penny Vinik
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steve Griggs
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Lipschultz
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julie Ostrover
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mathieu Garon
Assistant Hockey Director, Community & Hockey Development
Assistant Director of Community Hockey & Development → Assistant Hockey Director, Community & Hockey Development, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$109K (2023) → $192K (2025)
Jay Feaster
Secretary
On filings since 2022
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Jessica Merrick (2022) — Secretary
- Former: Jess Merrick (2021) — Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $374K, to Elizabeth Frazier (Executive Director). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Lightning Foundation
How much does Lightning Foundation give each year?
Lightning Foundation gave $3.4M across 45 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $1.4M across 32 grants.
What is Lightning Foundation's typical grant size?
Lightning Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $45,115, and its average grant was $76,568, across 45 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Lightning Foundation give grants?
Lightning Foundation gives mostly in Florida: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Tampa, FL (25 grants), Clearwater, FL (4 grants), St Petersburg, FL (2 grants) and Largo, FL (2 grants).
Does Lightning Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Lightning Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (45 of 45) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are Lightning Foundation's largest grantees?
Lightning Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Hillsborough Education Fund ($560,000), Heroes of the St Pete Police and Fire Rescue Inc ($360,000) and School Board of Hillsborough County ($250,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Lightning Foundation?
Lightning Foundation reported $5.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $9.2M.
What does Lightning Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to invest its resources and leadership for the enrichment of the people of Tampa Bay, focusing on meeting basic human needs and enhancing lives. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lightning Foundation?
Lightning Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Lightning Foundation's EIN?
Lightning Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 59-3542305. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Lightning Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lightning Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lightning-foundation-morg_2d9cec6e367942b19f4643db7a880b45
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_593542305_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lightning Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lightning-foundation-morg_2d9cec6e367942b19f4643db7a880b45},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Lightning 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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