Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Norfolk, VA EIN: 54-6051523
Community and economic developmentCommunity improvementCommunity service

The Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation is a private foundation based in Norfolk, Virginia. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, primarily in Virginia, including organizations addressing homelessness and poverty, food needs, disability services, youth programs, and community needs.

Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation at a glance

In short: Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation gave $47K across 30 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Virginia. 7% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$47,125
+4.1% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
30
-3.2% vs 2024
Average grant
$1,571
+7.6% vs 2024
Median grant
$500
Total assets
$596,902
-4.8% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
7% first-time grantees (2 of 30, 2025)
Primary geography
Virginia (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 Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Contact

Mailing address: 327 W 21St Street Ste 203, Norfolk, VA 23517
Phone: (757) 729-2388

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Forkids Inc: $10KForkids Inc$10KUnion Mission: $10KUnion Mission$10KFood Bank of Se Virginia: $8KFood Bank of Se Virginia$8KHope House Foundation: $2KHope House Foundation$2KUrban Renewal Center: $2KUrban Renewal Center$2KEdmarc Hospice for Children: $2KEdmarc Hospice for Children$2KFriends of Lambert's Point Park: $2KFriends of Lambert's PointPark$2KLions Medical Eye Bank of: $1KLions Medical Eye Bank of$1KSt Mary's Catholic Church: $1KSt Mary's Catholic Church$1KOperation Blessing: $1KOperation Blessing$1K

The largest 2025 recipient was Forkids Inc ($10K). Together the top 10 received $38K.

Grant Size Distribution

142 grants across all recorded years

142<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 142 grants of 142 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia. The remaining grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan (2%), Maryland (1%), and California (1%).

Grant Distribution by State

8states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.

Cities

NorfolkVirginia BeachChesapeakeBaltimorePortsmouthRochester HillsSan FranciscoArlingtonCharlottesvilleDavieIrmoWilliamsburgBridgewaterCarl StreamGainesvilleNew YorkRoanoke

Is Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation open to new grantees?

7%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 2 of 30 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $2K. How we count

Medians: $1K first-time, $500 repeat.

  • 93% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+14%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 112% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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

$0$20K$40K$60K28 grants2020 23 grants2021 29 grants2022 29 grants2023 31 grants2024 30 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $36K (2020) to $56K (2021). In 2025 it made 30 grants totaling $47K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Forkids Inc Chesapeake, VAUnrestricted$10,000
Union Mission Norfolk, VAUnrestricted$10,000
Food Bank of Se Virginia Norfolk, VAUnrestricted$8,000
Hope House Foundation Norfolk, VAUnrestricted$2,000
Urban Renewal Center Norfolk, VAUnrestricted$2,000
Edmarc Hospice for Children Portsmouth, VAUnrestricted$1,500
Friends of Lambert's Point Park Norfolk, VAUnrestricted$1,500
Lions Medical Eye Bank of Norfolk, VAUnrestricted$1,000
St Mary's Catholic Church Norfolk, VAFood Program$1,000
Operation Blessing Virginia Beach, VAUnrestricted$1,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$596,902$26,034$56,362$47,12530$48,460$17,721$43,253
2024$627,230$50,134$52,897$45,25031$45,750$42,880$41,049
2023$629,993$54,621$49,745$43,50029$43,500$48,204$37,875
2022$625,117$31,154$47,597$41,50029$41,250$23,655$40,378
2021$642,015$79,197$62,580$56,12523$56,125$73,045$40,553
2020$624,943$31,783$41,819$36,15028—$25,896$36,013

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation reported a distributable amount of $43K 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 show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, FORKIDS says its mission is to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty for families and children through crisis response, shelter, housing, economic mobility, and education programs across Hampton Roads. Hope House Foundation says it supports people with disabilities to live in their own homes and participate fully in their communities. Other supported organizations describe missions involving food assistance, services for people who are blind or visually impaired, postsecondary education advising, wetlands protection, and assistance to visually impaired Virginians.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 30 grants totaling $47,125. Grants ranged from $125 to $10,000, with a median of $500. The largest listed grants were $10,000 each to FORKIDS Inc. and Union Mission, and $8,000 to Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia. Other grants included $2,000 each to Hope House Foundation and Urban Renewal Center, and $1,500 each to EDMARC Hospice for Children and Friends of Lambert’s Point Park.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Chip Dodson and Jonathan Clark as trustees.

Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Chip Dodson

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Jonathan Clark

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    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 Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation

How much does Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation give each year?

Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation gave $47K across 30 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $45K across 31 grants.

What is Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation's typical grant size?

Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $500, and its average grant was $1,571, across 30 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation that year got $1K on average.

Where does Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation give grants?

Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation gives mostly in Virginia: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Norfolk, VA (16 grants), Chesapeake, VA (4 grants) and Virginia Beach, VA (4 grants).

Does Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 87% of Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (26 of 30) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation's largest grantees?

Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Forkids Inc ($10,000), Union Mission ($10,000) and Food Bank of Se Virginia ($8,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 59% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation?

Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation reported $597K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $48K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $43K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation?

The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation's EIN?

Lions Club of Norfolk Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-6051523. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Does Lions Club of Norfolk 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

(6)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS December 9, 2022)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 26, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 24, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 3, 2025)
  6. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 29, 2026)

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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from Lions Club of Norfolk 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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