Mark C Lemons Foundation
The Mark C Lemons Foundation is a private foundation based in Santa Monica, California. In 2024, it gave $512,537 through 34 grants, primarily to organizations in California, with additional grants to organizations in Utah, Indiana, Connecticut, and Virginia.
Mark C Lemons Foundation at a glance
In short: Mark C Lemons Foundation gave $513K across 34 grants in 2024 (avg $15K), mostly in California. 29% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $512,537
- +14.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 34
- +6.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $15,075
- +8.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $7,310,594
- +2.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 29% first-time grantees (10 of 34, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (79% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Mark C Lemons Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3029 Wilshire Blvd 200, Santa Monica, CA 90403
Phone: (310) 828-7547
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Mark C Lemons Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was University of Southern California ($144K). Together the top 10 received $335K.
Grant Size Distribution
119 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 111 grants of 119 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 79% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 9% to Utah, 6% to Indiana, 5% to Connecticut, and 1% to Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 34 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Mark C Lemons Foundation open to new grantees?
29%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 34 grantees (29%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $18K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $11K repeat.
- 62% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 35% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 110% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $301K (2020) to $513K (2024). In 2024 it made 34 grants totaling $513K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA | General Support | $143,500 |
| Kappa Alpha Theta Indianapolis, IN | General Support | $30,865 |
| National Charity League Santa Barbara, CA | General Support | $25,000 |
| Park City Community Fdn Park City, UT | General Support | $25,000 |
| The Forman School Litchfield, CT | General Support | $25,000 |
| Naturebridge San Francisco, CA | General Support | $20,000 |
| All for Kids Los Angeles, CA | General Support | $20,000 |
| Aaple Academy Foundation Santa Barbara, CA | General Support | $15,500 |
| Las Madrinas Los Angeles, CA | General Support | $15,000 |
| Rod Dedeaux Foundation Los Angeles, CA | General Support | $15,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $7,310,594 | $838,445 | $641,328 | $512,537 | 34 | $548,809 | $468,931 | $497,593 |
| 2023 | $7,148,412 | $633,692 | $581,025 | $446,809 | 32 | $491,890 | $259,019 | $440,628 |
| 2022 | $7,105,653 | $724,862 | $622,700 | $462,000 | 24 | $516,353 | $300,295 | $446,226 |
| 2021 | $6,999,490 | $742,890 | $496,634 | $378,500 | 18 | $420,695 | $383,071 | $465,432 |
| 2020 | $6,779,987 | $598,830 | $435,572 | $300,600 | 11 | — | $270,919 | $393,513 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mark C Lemons Foundation reported a distributable amount of $498K for 2024 — 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 2024 grants included general support for organizations working in areas such as youth education, outdoor and environmental learning, community services, children’s health, and youth baseball. These are examples drawn from grantees’ own descriptions, not stated focus areas of the foundation.
For example, NatureBridge describes its mission as connecting young people with the natural world and inspiring environmental stewardship. AAPLE Academy Foundation says it supports an alternative course of study, educational enrichment, and college and career services for students at San Marcos High School. The Rod Dedeaux Foundation describes work to create opportunities for at-risk youth in baseball, education, and life. Las Madrinas says it supports Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, medical research, and other charitable enterprises.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 34 grants totaling $512,537. Grant amounts ranged from $1,010 to $143,500, with a median grant of $10,000. The largest award was $143,500 to the University of Southern California for general support. Other notable grants included $30,865 to Kappa Alpha Theta and $25,000 each to National Charity League, Park City Community Foundation, and The Forman School, all for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Mark C Lemons is listed as trustee on the 2024 filing.
Mark C Lemons Foundation is led by Mark C. Lemons, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Mark C. Lemons
Trustee
On filings since 2020
15 hrs/week
$35K (2021) → $35K (2024)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $35K, to Mark C Lemons (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Mark C Lemons Foundation
How much does Mark C Lemons Foundation give each year?
Mark C Lemons Foundation gave $513K across 34 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $447K across 32 grants.
What is Mark C Lemons Foundation's typical grant size?
Mark C Lemons Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $15,075, across 34 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Mark C Lemons Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does Mark C Lemons Foundation give grants?
Mark C Lemons Foundation gives mostly in California: 79% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Utah (9%) and Indiana (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Barbara, CA (16 grants), Los Angeles, CA (5 grants), Santa Barabara, CA (3 grants) and Park City, UT (2 grants).
Does Mark C Lemons Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Mark C Lemons Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (34 of 34) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Mark C Lemons Foundation's largest grantees?
Mark C Lemons Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include University of Southern California ($143,500), Kappa Alpha Theta ($30,865) and National Charity League ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Mark C Lemons Foundation?
Mark C Lemons Foundation reported $7.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $549K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $498K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Mark C Lemons Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included general support for organizations working in areas such as youth education, outdoor and environmental learning, community services, children’s health, and youth baseball. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mark C Lemons Foundation?
The foundation 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 Mark C Lemons Foundation's EIN?
Mark C Lemons Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-4712282. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Mark C Lemons 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Mark C Lemons Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mark-c-lemons-foundation-morg_689819de0cc24340b03db7fd59d37e14
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_954712282_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Mark C Lemons Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mark-c-lemons-foundation-morg_689819de0cc24340b03db7fd59d37e14},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Mark C Lemons 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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