Lilac Foundation
Lilac Foundation is a private foundation based in Washington Depot, Connecticut. In its 2024 filing, it reported giving $58,000 through 10 grants to charitable organizations, including schools and local organizations in Connecticut, New York, and Washington.
Lilac Foundation at a glance
In short: Lilac Foundation gave $58K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $6K), top state Washington. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $58,000
- +22.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $5,800
- +22.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,500
- Total assets
- $513,046
- -2.7% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Washington (47% 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 Lilac Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 124, Washington Depot, CT 06794
Phone: (561) 445-1822
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lilac Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 6 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Colgate University ($20K across 2 grants). Together the top 6 received $58K.
Grant Size Distribution
50 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 50 grants of 50 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 47% of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, 34% to recipients in New York, and 19% to recipients in Connecticut.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
How Lilac Foundation gives
- Giving grew 36% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 223% of 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $40K (2019) to $58K (2024). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $58K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Colgate University Hamilton, NY | Funding for the Colgate Fund | $15,000 |
| Taft School Watertown, CT | Funding to Support the School's Annual Fund | $10,000 |
| Epiphany School Seattle, WA | Funding for the School's Annual Fund | $7,000 |
| Seattle Academy Seattle, WA | Funding for the Academy's Annual Fund | $6,500 |
| Epiphany School Seattle, WA | Funding for gather raise the paddle for financial aid | $6,000 |
| Colgate University Hamilton, NY | Funding for the Parent Steering Committee | $5,000 |
| Seattle Academy Seattle, WA | Funding to support the academy's build bold upper school building fund | $5,000 |
| Seattle Academy Seattle, WA | Funding to support the academy's saas in the city program | $2,500 |
| After School Arts Program Inc (Asap) Washington Depot, CT | Funding to Support the Organization's General Charitable Purposes | $500 |
| Steep Rock Association Washington Depot, CT | Funding to Support the Organization's General Charitable Purposes | $500 |
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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 | $513,046 | $92,567 | $106,998 | $58,000 | 10 | $70,498 | $57,567 | $31,680 |
| 2023 | $527,477 | $60,629 | $60,652 | $47,500 | 10 | $56,124 | $56,101 | $31,168 |
| 2022 | $527,500 | $17,486 | $71,541 | $56,000 | 11 | $64,393 | $10,832 | $33,708 |
| 2021 | $581,555 | $46,025 | $58,424 | $42,500 | 9 | $50,326 | $38,442 | $37,303 |
| 2020 | $593,954 | $46,154 | $57,829 | $45,000 | 10 | — | $40,780 | $34,637 |
| 2019 | $605,668 | $45,039 | $55,065 | $40,000 | 8 | — | $38,771 | $35,898 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lilac Foundation reported a distributable amount of $32K for 2024 — 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 2024 grants included support for school annual funds, financial aid, a school building fund, a school program, and the general charitable purposes of two local organizations.
Grantees describe their own work in varied terms. Taft School says its mission is “to educate the whole student.” Epiphany School describes itself as an independent, coeducational day school serving children in the Seattle area, with a focus on supporting students as learners. Steep Rock Association says it conserves significant landscapes and riparian corridors around Washington, Connecticut, and connects the community with nature. After School Arts Program says it provides artistic opportunities, particularly for people in Northwest Connecticut, through workshops, events, and field trips.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $58,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $15,000, with a median grant of $5,500. The largest awards included $15,000 to Colgate University for the Colgate Fund; $10,000 to Taft School for its annual fund; $7,000 to Epiphany School for its annual fund; and $6,500 to Seattle Academy for its annual fund. Other listed grants included $6,000 to Epiphany School for financial aid and $5,000 to Colgate University for its Parent Steering Committee.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Rebecca Manville Risley, Emma Johnson Risley, and Robin Olin Risley as trustees.
Lilac Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Emma Johnson Risley
Trustee
On filings since 2019
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca Manville Risley
Trustee
On filings since 2019
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robin Olin Risley
Trustee
On filings since 2019
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Lilac Foundation
How much does Lilac Foundation give each year?
Lilac Foundation gave $58K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $48K across 10 grants.
What is Lilac Foundation's typical grant size?
Lilac Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,500, and its average grant was $5,800, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Lilac Foundation give grants?
Lilac Foundation's top state is Washington, with 47% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (34%) and Connecticut (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (5 grants), Hamilton, NY (2 grants) and Washington Depot, CT (2 grants).
Does Lilac Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 50% of Lilac Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (5 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Lilac Foundation's largest grantees?
Lilac Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Colgate University ($20,000 across 2 grants), Seattle Academy ($14,000 across 3 grants) and Epiphany School ($13,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 81% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Lilac Foundation?
Lilac Foundation reported $513K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $70K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $32K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Lilac Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for school annual funds, financial aid, a school building fund, a school program, and the general charitable purposes of two local organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lilac Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Lilac Foundation's EIN?
Lilac Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1613701. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Does Lilac Foundation 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 7, 2020)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lilac Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lilac-foundation-morg_146457ab97fa490ea32b80c1fdf2a945
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_311613701_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lilac Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lilac-foundation-morg_146457ab97fa490ea32b80c1fdf2a945},
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 Lilac 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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