LVA Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Lincolnshire, IL EIN: 36-3930242

LVA Foundation is a private foundation based in Lincolnshire, Illinois. In its 2025 filing, it reported making 10 grants totaling $75,019, all described as general charitable gifts.

LVA Foundation at a glance

In short: LVA Foundation gave $75K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), top state California. 30% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$75,019
-18.9% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
10
+0.0% vs 2024
Average grant
$7,502
-18.9% vs 2024
Median grant
$6,000
Total assets
$538,635
-5.2% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
30% first-time grantees (3 of 10, 2025; small sample)
Primary geography
California (39% 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 LVA Foundation

How to Apply

The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Requests should be directed to Larry A. Smith and include descriptive information about the organization, its purpose, and its current sources of funding. The filing states there are no restrictions on awards.

Review Cycle
None stated.
Deadline
None stated.
Contact

Application contact: Larry A Smith
Mailing address: 475 Half Day Road Suite 500, Lincolnshire, IL 60069
Phone: (847) 247-8959

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

Who LVA Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Amici per Cortona: $17KAmici per Cortona$17KFuller Theological Seminary: $16KFuller Theological Seminary$16KYouth with a Mission: $13KYouth with a Mission$13KFirst Things: $12KFirst Things$12KUnited World Mission: $10KUnited World Mission$10KCongo Initiative: $2KCongo Initiative$2KMiscellaneous grants under 1000: $2KMiscellaneous grants under1000$2KBaan Phak Ping: $1KBaan Phak Ping$1KThe Chicago Help Initiative: $1KThe Chicago Help Initiative$1KSophos Africa: $1KSophos Africa$1K

The largest 2025 recipient was Amici per Cortona ($17K). Together the top 10 received $75K.

Grant Size Distribution

55 grants across all recorded years

55<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 55 grants of 55 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The 2025 filing reports that grant dollars went to recipients in California (39%), North Carolina (16%), Florida (15%), and Illinois (4%); it also lists an unidentified state category accounting for 25%. The listed grants include recipients in California, Florida, North Carolina, Illinois, Connecticut, and recipients whose locations are not provided.

Grant Distribution by State

8states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.

Cities

CharlotteLake View TerraceLincolnshireNew YorkPasadenaDurhamChicagoMedinaDeerfieldNaplesLake ForestWheatonBaltimoreNew HavenSacramento

Is LVA Foundation open to new grantees?

30%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 3 of 10 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $8K. How we count

Medians: $1K first-time, $10K repeat.

  • 70% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving fell 20% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 229% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2018–2025). 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$50K$100K$150K7 grants2018 11 grants2020 10 grants2021 10 grants2022 15 grants2023 10 grants2024 10 grants2025

From 2018 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $75K (2025) to $112K (2020). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $75K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Amici per Cortona general charitable gift$17,405
Fuller Theological Seminary Pasadena, CAgeneral charitable gift$16,000
Youth with a Mission Lake View Terrace, CAgeneral charitable gift$13,000
First Things Naples, FLGeneral charitable gift$11,500
United World Mission Charlotte, NCGeneral Charitable gift$10,000
Congo Initiative Durham, NCGeneral Charitable Gifts$2,000
Miscellaneous grants under 1000 Lincolnshire, ILGeneral charitable gift$1,854
Baan Phak Ping General charitable gift$1,260
The Chicago Help Initiative Chicago, ILGeneral charitable gift$1,000
Sophos Africa New Haven, CTGeneral charitable gift$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$538,635$57,781$87,559$75,01910$75,019$45,280$32,807
2024$568,413$21,518$99,404$92,47410$92,474$14,588$34,101
2023$646,299$12,092$100,262$95,27115$95,271$15,681$35,479
2022$734,469$265$100,621$94,05510$95,849$16,536$39,642
2021$834,825$81,373$103,842$95,73610$98,610$76,141$46,898
2020$857,294$40,375$116,823$111,57211—$35,822$45,762
2018$1,023,254$65,451$91,585$87,2647—$63,630$53,113

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, LVA Foundation reported a distributable amount of $33K 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 went to organizations with varied charitable work. Fuller Theological Seminary describes itself as preparing students for Christian vocations through religious learning, psychology, and marriage and family therapy. Youth With A Mission describes work receiving and processing fruits and vegetables, making dried soup mixes, and shipping them to organizations around the world to help feed people in need. The Chicago Help Initiative describes efforts to connect people in need with food, health services, shelter, and employment.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the foundation made 10 grants totaling $75,019. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $17,405, with a median of $6,000. Among the largest were Amici per Cortona ($17,405), Fuller Theological Seminary ($16,000), Youth With A Mission ($13,000), First Things ($11,500), and United World Mission ($10,000). The filing describes these awards as general charitable gifts.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Larry A. Smith, Victoria C. Smith, and Jeffery L. Mowery as directors.

LVA Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Jeffery L. Mowery

    Director

    On filings since 2018

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Larry A. Smith

    Director

    On filings since 2018

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Victoria C. Smith

    Director

    On filings since 2018

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2018–2025. "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 LVA Foundation

How much does LVA Foundation give each year?

LVA Foundation gave $75K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $92K across 10 grants.

What is LVA Foundation's typical grant size?

LVA Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $6,000, and its average grant was $7,502, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from LVA Foundation that year got $6K on average.

Where does LVA Foundation give grants?

LVA Foundation's top state is California, with 39% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were North Carolina (16%) and Florida (15%).

Does LVA Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of LVA Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are LVA Foundation's largest grantees?

LVA Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Amici per Cortona ($17,405), Fuller Theological Seminary ($16,000) and Youth with a Mission ($13,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is LVA Foundation?

LVA Foundation reported $539K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $75K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $33K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does LVA Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied charitable work. Fuller Theological Seminary describes itself as preparing students for Christian vocations through religious learning, psychology, and marriage and family therapy. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from LVA Foundation?

The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is LVA Foundation's EIN?

LVA Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3930242. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2018–2025.

Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

Data update history

(8)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2018 (received by the IRS May 15, 2019)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 11, 2021)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 10, 2022)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 10, 2024)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 27, 2025)
  7. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 14, 2026)
  8. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2018–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). LVA Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lva-foundation-morg_7b440222af60495381f06f42d873a108

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363930242_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{LVA Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/lva-foundation-morg_7b440222af60495381f06f42d873a108},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 LVA 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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