Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc
Louisville Downtown Lions Charities Inc. is a public charity based in Louisville, Kentucky. Formed in 1990, it supports services for blind and visually impaired people and makes grants to charitable organizations, including organizations serving the general public.
Key facts about Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc
In short: Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc gave $257K across 16 grants in 2026 (avg $16K), mostly in Kentucky. 8% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 61-1176559
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2026
- Annual giving (2026)
- $257,053
- Grants made (2026)
- 16
- Average grant
- $16,066
- Median grant
- $10,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (1 of 12, 2026; small sample)
- Total assets
- $1,522,644
- Primary geography
- Kentucky (98% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2026; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2026 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$1.5M
+14.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$257K
-51.9% YoY
Grant Count
16
-20.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$16K
-39.9% YoY
Is Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 1 of 12 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2021–2026). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization states its mission is to “assist blind and visually impaired.” Its filing describes grants to charitable organizations providing services for blind and visually impaired people, as well as for the health and welfare of the general public.
The filing also describes direct activities: providing eyeglasses to indigent individuals, holding a holiday party and giving gifts to students at the Kentucky School for the Blind, distributing large-print calendars, and supplying materials for vision screenings for children ages 1 to 5. These are activities of the organization, not grants to outside applicants.
Examples of supported organizations include the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation, whose stated mission is to provide vision services through education, detection, prevention, treatment, and empowerment, with a focus on children and adults in financial need. Envision Blind Sports, a 2026 grantee, states that it provides physical activity for people who are blind or visually impaired. The grantee Waterfront Botanical Gardens states that it aims to develop an urban botanical garden and provide education, entertainment, community, and tourism.
Grantmaking
For filing year 2026, the filing data lists 16 grants totaling $257,053. The median grant was $10,000; amounts ranged from $4,500 to $53,000. Separately, the organization’s filing narrative says it made grants to 31 charitable organizations during the year ended June 30, 2026.
Among the listed 2026 grants were $53,000 to U of L Health Foundation for “TANGO YAG/SLT,” $33,000 to Visually Impaired Preschool Services for its preschool program, and three grants to the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation: $30,000 for a low vision center, $25,553 for general operations, and $10,000 for a low vision endowment fund. Other listed grants included $20,000 to The Salvation Army for a summer day camp program and $15,000 to the Kentucky School for the Blind Charitable Foundation for a greenhouse project.
The filing says volunteer board members generally monitor grants through visits to recipient organizations. When visits are impractical, the organization receives periodic newsletters and other information about how the donated funds were used.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In filing year 2026, 98% of grant dollars went to recipients in Kentucky and 2% to recipients in Pennsylvania. The listed grants include recipients in Louisville and Crestwood, Kentucky, and Mercer, Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $115K (2023) to $535K (2025). In 2026 it made 16 grants totaling $257K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation ($66K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $246K.
Grant Size Distribution
63 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 56 grants of 63 (89%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| U of L Health Foundation Louisville, KY | Tango YAG/SLT | $53,000 |
| Visually Impaired Preschool Services Inc Louisville, KY | Preschool Program | $33,000 |
| Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation Louisville, KY | Low Vision Center | $30,000 |
| Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation Louisville, KY | General Operations | $25,553 |
| The Salvation Army Louisville, KY | Summer Day Camp Program | $20,000 |
| KY School for the Blind Charitable Foundation Louisville, KY | KSB Greenhouse Project | $15,000 |
| Project Friendship Louisville, KY | General Operations | $10,000 |
| Waterfront Botanical Gardens Louisville, KY | General Operations | $10,000 |
| Whas Crusade for Children Louisville, KY | General Operations | $10,000 |
| Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation Louisville, KY | Low Vision Endowment Fund | $10,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant sum | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $1,522,644 | $368,389 | $325,408 | $257,053 | 16 |
| 2025 | $1,335,803 | $331,733 | $603,853 | $534,752 | 20 |
| 2024 | $1,509,951 | $402,803 | $312,948 | $222,183 | 15 |
The organization’s filing describes a board-designated endowment established from unrestricted funds to provide a permanent source of income for its charitable mission and activities. It says a percentage of the investments’ fair market value is withdrawn annually, while remaining income and gains are retained for future investment.
| Metric | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,522,644 | $1,335,803 | $1,509,951 |
| Revenue | $368,389 | $331,733 | $402,803 |
| Expenses | $325,408 | $603,853 | $312,948 |
| Net Investment Income | $66,941 | $51,438 | $110,023 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 30, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 26, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 24, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 22, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 26, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS August 18, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Mark Fietsch as president, Virgie Fietsch as vice president, Carol Dahmke as secretary, and Leon Thomas as treasurer. Directors listed are Mark Webster, Tom VanEtten, Fred Wright, Carla Ruschival, Dave Satterly, and Karen Abraham.
Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc is led by Mark Fietsch, President since 2026 (on filings since 2021); none of the 13 officers listed in 2026 report compensation.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Mark Fietsch
President
Director → Vice President, 2025
Vice President → President, 2026
On filings since 2021
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carla Ruschival
Director
Vice President → President, 2023
President → Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dave Satterly
Director
Vice President → President, 2024
President → Director, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Fred Wright
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Karen Abraham
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Webster
Director
President → Director, 2022
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tom Vanetten
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Adam Ruschival
Director
Vice President → President, 2025
President → Director, 2026
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charlotte Stengel
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kenny Jones
Director
On filings since 2025
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carol Dahmke
Secretary
On filings since 2021
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leon Thomas
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Virgie Fietsch
Vice President
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (6)
- Former: Ed Prescott (2021–2025) — Director
- Former: Laura Carter (2025) — Director
- Former: Chuck Schott (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: John Profitt (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Sharon Bensinger (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Charlotte Miller (2021) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: 1403 Northwind Road, Louisville, KY 40207
Phone: (502) 608-4485
Frequently asked questions about Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc
How much does Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc give each year?
Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc gave $257K across 16 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990. In 2025 it gave $535K across 20 grants.
What is Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc's typical grant size?
Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc's median grant in 2026 was $10,000, and its average grant was $16,066, across 16 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc that year got $10K on average.
Where does Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc give grants?
Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc gives mostly in Kentucky: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Louisville, KY (14 grants).
Does Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc give general operating support?
Yes: 38% of Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc's 2026 grants with a stated purpose (6 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2026 IRS Form 990.
Who are Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc's largest grantees?
Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc's largest 2026 grantees include Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation ($65,553 across 3 grants), U of L Health Foundation ($53,000) and Visually Impaired Preschool Services Inc ($33,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990. Together they received 59% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc?
Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $368K.
What does Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc fund?
The organization states its mission is to “assist blind and visually impaired.” Its filing describes grants to charitable organizations providing services for blind and visually impaired people, as well as for the health and welfare of the general public. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc?
Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc's EIN?
Louisville Downtown Lions Charitiesinc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-1176559. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2026.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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