Marie Leist Foundation Inc
Marie Leist Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Lewisburg, West Virginia. Its 2025 filing lists grants to organizations in West Virginia for projects and services including community facilities, scholarships, youth programs, and support for local residents.
Marie Leist Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Marie Leist Foundation Inc gave $53K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in West Virginia. 10% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $53,340
- +18.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,103
- +18.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $874,891
- +3.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (1 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- West Virginia (100% 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 Marie Leist Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The filing says to send a letter request explaining what the grant is needed for. Awards are restricted to 501(c)(3) organizations in Greenbrier and Pocahontas counties.
- Review Cycle
- Requests are accepted any time.
- Deadline
- Requests are accepted any time.
- Contact
Application contact: Sherry Ferrell
Mailing address: PO Box 591, Lewisburg, WV 24901
Phone: (304) 645-5414
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Marie Leist Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Ronceverte Development Corporation ($18K). Together the top 10 received $48K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($4,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
63 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 63 grants of 63 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars in 2025 went to recipients in West Virginia. The filing lists Greenbrier and Pocahontas County 501(c)(3) organizations as the eligible award recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Marie Leist Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 10 grantees (10%) 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 $250; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $250 first-time, $3K repeat.
- 70% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+18%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 110% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $45K (2023) to $56K (2019). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $53K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ronceverte Development Corporation Ronceverte, WV | Pickleball court fencing | $18,000 |
| City of Ronceverte Ronceverte, WV | Island Park tables and sail shade | $9,980 |
| Davis Elkins College Elkins, WV | Greenbrier & Pocahontas CountyScholarships | $6,000 |
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $4,000 |
| Gateway Industries Ronceverte, WV | PavilionPicnic Shelter | $3,500 |
| Ronceverte Lions Club Ronceverte, WV | Painting at Lions Clubgymnasium | $3,010 |
| Northern Greenbrier Latchkey Kids Frankford, WV | After School Program food crafts utilities | $2,500 |
| Ronceverte Public Library Ronceverte, WV | Printer software cables desks | $1,600 |
| Shepherds Ctr of Greenbrier Valley Lewisburg, WV | Support Programs & Services for Adults | $1,500 |
| Communities in School Gbr County Lewisburg, WV | Student Support Program | $1,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $874,891 | $100,387 | $72,873 | $53,340 | 13 | $54,590 | $82,104 | $49,525 |
| 2024 | $847,377 | $70,702 | $62,663 | $45,155 | 13 | $46,405 | $54,444 | $48,048 |
| 2023 | $839,338 | $30,586 | $61,985 | $45,000 | 17 | $46,250 | $17,020 | $44,819 |
| 2022 | $870,737 | $42,877 | $66,470 | $45,300 | 10 | $46,500 | $22,907 | $46,742 |
| 2021 | $894,330 | $114,317 | $70,014 | $50,000 | 10 | $51,150 | $95,453 | $53,585 |
| 2020 | $850,027 | $57,592 | $69,765 | $52,420 | 12 | — | $41,397 | $46,378 |
| 2019 | $862,200 | $50,868 | $74,873 | $55,825 | 11 | — | $33,320 | $48,304 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Marie Leist Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $50K 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 included support for recreational facilities, education, youth programming, and community services.
Among the recipients, Davis & Elkins College says its mission is “to prepare and inspire students for success and for thoughtful engagement in the world.” Gateway Industries describes its work as providing work-skills training and employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Greenbrier Valley Aquatic Center says it aims to provide a safe, inclusive, educational environment and promote water safety, wellness, and recreation.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 13 grants totaling $53,340. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $18,000, with a median grant of $2,500.
Notable 2025 grants included $18,000 to Ronceverte Development Corporation for pickleball court fencing; $9,980 to the City of Ronceverte for Island Park tables and a sail shade; $6,000 to Davis & Elkins College for Greenbrier and Pocahontas County scholarships; $4,000 to an individual recipient Community Tech College for Greenbrier County scholarships; and $3,500 to Gateway Industries for a pavilion picnic shelter.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Aulton D Smith as president; Kimberly Curry as vice president; JoAnn Leist and Sherry Ferrell as secretaries; Stephen Baldwin as treasurer; and Nathan Leist, Tina ONeill, Rebecca Curry, and Paige L Tolar as directors.
Marie Leist Foundation Inc is led by Aulton D Smith, President on every filing since 2021; none of the 9 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Aulton D Smith
President
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Nathan Leist
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Paige L Tolar
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Rebecca Curry
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Tina ONeill
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Sherry Ferrell
Secretary
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
$2K (2021) → $0 (2025)
JoAnn Leist
Secretary
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Kimberly Curry
Vice President
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Stephen Baldwin
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: David Smith (2019–2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Perry Pauley (2019–2020) — President
- Former: William Leist (2019–2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2022 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2022 filing was $2K, to Sherry Ferrell (Secretary).
Frequently asked questions about Marie Leist Foundation Inc
How much does Marie Leist Foundation Inc give each year?
Marie Leist Foundation Inc gave $53K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $45K across 13 grants.
What is Marie Leist Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Marie Leist Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $4,103, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Marie Leist Foundation Inc that year got $250 on average.
Where does Marie Leist Foundation Inc give grants?
Marie Leist Foundation Inc gives mostly in West Virginia: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Ronceverte, WV (5 grants) and Lewisburg, WV (5 grants).
Does Marie Leist Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Marie Leist Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Marie Leist Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Marie Leist Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Ronceverte Development Corporation ($18,000), City of Ronceverte ($9,980) and Davis Elkins College ($6,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($4,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Marie Leist Foundation Inc?
Marie Leist Foundation Inc reported $875K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $55K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $50K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Marie Leist Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for recreational facilities, education, youth programming, and community services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Marie Leist Foundation Inc?
The filing says to send a letter request explaining what the grant is needed for. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Marie Leist Foundation Inc's EIN?
Marie Leist Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3954960. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 8, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 28, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 28, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 2, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 2, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 8, 2024)
Live grants for the work Marie Leist Foundation Inc funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Marie Leist Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/marie-leist-foundation-inc-morg_05815f04f1d440fa9f5c07c28308df8f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203954960_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Marie Leist Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/marie-leist-foundation-inc-morg_05815f04f1d440fa9f5c07c28308df8f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Marie Leist Foundation Inc'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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