The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for
The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for the Arts is a private foundation based in Winchester, Virginia. Established in 1992, it provides arts education opportunities to residents of the Northern Shenandoah Valley through scholarships for individual study and grants for arts organizations.
The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for at a glance
In short: The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for gave $189K across 55 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Virginia. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $188,793
- +5.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 55
- +12.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,433
- -6.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $1,957,407
- +0.6% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Virginia (71% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for
- Contact
Application contact: Marion Park Lewis Foundation For Th
Mailing address: 1520 Commerce St 116, Winchester, VA 22601
Phone: (540) 336-7242
Email: info@mplf-arts.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Theatre Christopher Newport Univers ($12K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $74K.
Organizations only. It also paid 6 grants to individuals ($15,550), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
246 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 246 grants of 246 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Applicants must reside in, and organizations must be located in, the Northern Shenandoah Valley. The foundation defines the area as Winchester and Harrisonburg, Virginia, and the Virginia counties of Frederick, Clarke, Warren, Shenandoah, Page, and Rockingham, plus Jefferson and Berkeley counties in West Virginia.
In 2025, 71% of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia, 8% to Pennsylvania, 5% to New York, and 4% each to Utah and West Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 55 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for gives
- 38% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+14%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 97% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $128K (2020) to $189K (2025). In 2025 it made 55 grants totaling $189K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Theatre James Madison University FB Harrisonburg, VA | To Promote Education for the Arts | $10,000 |
| Art 2 Moore College of Art and Desi Philadelphia, PA | To Promote Education for the Arts | $9,000 |
| Music Royal College of Music FBO Ch Winchester, VA | To Promote Education for the Arts | $9,000 |
| Dance 2 Shenandoah University FBO L Winchester, VA | To Promote Education for the Arts | $7,000 |
| Dance 2 University of Utah FBO Anna Salt Lake City, UT | To Promote Education for the Arts | $7,000 |
| Theatre Christopher Newport Univers Newport News, VA | To Promote Education for the Arts | $7,000 |
| Art 2 James Madison University FBO Harrisonburg, VA | To Promote Education for the Arts | $5,000 |
| Dance 2 Point Park University FBO C Pittsburgh, PA | To Promote Education for the Arts | $5,000 |
| Dance 2 Radford University FBO Lian Radford, VA | To Promote Education for the Arts | $5,000 |
| Dance 2 Shenandoah University FBO a Winchester, VA | To Promote Education for the Arts | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for?
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 | $1,957,407 | $213,873 | $204,134 | $188,793 | 55 | $188,793 | $212,048 | $194,717 |
| 2024 | $1,946,168 | $209,769 | $191,097 | $179,846 | 49 | $179,846 | $208,097 | $185,454 |
| 2023 | $1,922,496 | $137,370 | $179,896 | $163,843 | 48 | $163,843 | $135,885 | $160,340 |
| 2022 | $1,965,022 | $188,496 | $159,237 | $166,050 | 47 | $149,210 | $187,588 | $161,800 |
| 2021 | $1,935,763 | $70,205 | $171,187 | $165,600 | 47 | $165,030 | $71,454 | $181,455 |
| 2020 | $2,036,745 | $73,694 | $139,942 | $127,779 | 44 | — | $81,708 | $152,461 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for reported a distributable amount of $195K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation was established to support arts education in the Northern Shenandoah Valley. Its website describes scholarships for students of music, theater, dance, painting, sculpture, and creative writing, as well as grants to area arts organizations.
Awards support specific educational projects that develop an artist’s or nonprofit group’s participants’ talent and knowledge. Individuals may seek support for training in the U.S. or abroad, courses of study, or study or work with art companies or individual artists. Organizational awards are for specific educational projects that engage participants in developing artistic skills or provide a distinctive enhancement of the arts experience in the community.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation awarded 55 grants totaling $188,793. Grants ranged from $500 to $10,000, with a median of $3,000. The largest listed awards included $10,000 to an individual recipient Madison University FB and $9,000 each to Art 2 Moore College of Art and Desi and Music Royal College of Music FBO Ch. The listed grant purposes describe support “to promote education for the arts.”
The foundation’s website describes a 2026–27 application cycle that opened January 15, 2026. That cycle is past. The website gives a March 16 postmark deadline for organizational applications and a March 15 deadline for individual applications; the 2025 filing also states March 15. The website says applications are submitted by mail in three copies using the applicable application form. It says panel decisions are mailed by June 10.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists:
- Marjorie S. Lewis — President
- John P. Lewis — Vice President
- David P. Lewis — Secretary
- Howard P. Lewis — Treasurer
The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for is led by Marjorie S. Lewis, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Marjorie S. Lewis
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
David P. Lewis
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Howard P. Lewis
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
John P. Lewis
Vice President
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 The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for
How much does The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for give each year?
The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for gave $189K across 55 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $180K across 49 grants.
What is The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for's typical grant size?
The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $3,433, across 55 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for give grants?
The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for gives mostly in Virginia: 71% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Pennsylvania (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Winchester, VA (16 grants), Harrisonburg, VA (5 grants), Richmond, VA (3 grants) and Shepherdstown, WV (3 grants).
Does The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 55 grants with a stated purpose on The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Promote Education for the Arts" (35 grants).
Who are The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for's largest grantees?
The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for's largest 2025 grantees include Theatre Christopher Newport Univers ($12,000 across 2 grants), Theatre James Madison University FB ($10,000) and Art 2 Moore College of Art and Desi ($9,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 6 grants to individuals ($15,550), which are not listed by name. Together they received 16% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for?
The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for reported $2.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $189K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $195K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for fund?
The foundation was established to support arts education in the Northern Shenandoah Valley. Its website describes scholarships for students of music, theater, dance, painting, sculpture, and creative writing, as well as grants to area arts organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for?
The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for's EIN?
The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-1620612. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Similar funders in Virginia
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
Lansdowne, VA
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation funds education programs that help exceptionally promising students with financial need, including college access, academic enrichment, and support for talented students. Its 2025 grants ranged from $6 to $515,000, with a median of $7,702; it funds across the United States, with most grant dollars going to Virginia. It does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and directs applicants to its website for current application instructions and eligibility.
Assets
$940.1M
Grants
1,419
Total Given
$25.1M
Donors Trust Inc
Alexandria, VA
Donors Trust supports charities and programs in social welfare, health, the environment, economics, governance, foreign relations, and arts and culture, with a strong emphasis on conservative and libertarian policy and education groups. Its 2024 grants had a median of $50,000, though awards ranged from $5,038 to $35 million, and recipients were concentrated in Washington, D.C., Virginia, New York, Texas, and California. It does not accept unsolicited requests; donor-advisors recommend grants through their accounts.
Assets
$1.4B
Grants
919
Total Given
$282.1M
The Community Foundation Inc
Richmond, VA
The Community Foundation funds health and wellness, education, economic prosperity, and community vibrancy, along with other causes through donor-advised and field-of-interest funds. In 2024, grants ranged from $5,100 to $1,795,000, with a median of $25,000; 78% of grant dollars went to Virginia recipients. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$852.4M
Grants
917
Total Given
$61.8M
America's Charities
Chantilly, VA
AMERICA’S CHARITIES routes donor-directed workplace giving to member charities and provides emergency assistance to eligible employees and people affected by disasters; its reported grants are fiscal-agent disbursements, not awards selected through an application process. In 2025 it reported 808 grants totaling $16.4 million, ranging from $5,000 to $515,354 (median $9,664), to recipients across the United States, with the largest shares going to Pennsylvania, California, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Arizona. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$36.2M
Grants
808
Total Given
$16.4M
Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation
Richmond, VA
Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation funds eligible 501(c)(3) organizations working in health and human services, education, arts and culture, civic and community development, and the environment within its operating area. Its 2024 grants ranged from $100 to $1 million, with a median of $5,000; it accepts unsolicited requests during spring and fall cycles.
Assets
$2.3M
Grants
773
Total Given
$16.4M
Foster Foundation
Brookneal, VA
Assets
$18.6M
Grants
686
Total Given
$1.3M
More similar funders
More Funders in Virginia
The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for'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.
The Marion Park Lewis Foundation for down — hundreds of funders to go?