Phillip & Edith Leonian Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker New York, NY EIN: 36-3204862 Website

The Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation is a private foundation established in 1983, with locations in both Chicago, Illinois and New York City, New York. The foundation holds 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and operates as a family foundation dedicated to supporting photographic education and documentary photography initiatives across the United States.

Key facts about Phillip & Edith Leonian Foundation

EIN: 36-3204862
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $514,300
Grants made (2024): 42
Average grant: $12,245
Median grant: $9,250
New grantees (estimate): 38% first-time grantees (16 of 42, 2024)
Total assets: $4,262,317
Primary geography: New York (57% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
How to apply: The foundation maintains an active grants portal with annual application deadlines. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated June 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Phillip & Edith Leonian Foundation funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Phillip & Edith Leonian Foundation's 42 itemized 2024 grants were New York (57%), Texas (11%) and Illinois (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (10 grants), Houston, TX (4 grants), Philadelphia, PA (3 grants) and Bronx, NY (2 grants). 76% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.

Is Phillip & Edith Leonian Foundation open to new grantees?

38%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 16 of 42 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $15K. How we count

Medians: $5K first-time, $13K repeat.

60% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−2%). Method
In 2024 it paid out 155% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2019–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Next steps with Phillip & Edith Leonian Foundation

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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$4.3M

-7.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$514K

-9.2% YoY

Grant Count

+16.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$12K

-22.2% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Phillip & Edith Leonian Foundation reported a distributable amount of $452K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

Primary funding focus areas include:

Arts and culture
Photography education
Documentary photography
Arts access and participation

Grantmaking

Review Cycle

. The 2025 grants portal was open through March 15, 2025. Organizations must have tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status to apply, or individuals and small organizations may utilize fiscal sponsors. Applicants are directed to review Application Information on the foundation's website to determine if their project qualifies for funding.

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation funds organizations across all states in the United States, with particular activity in New York, Texas, and Pennsylvania.

Grant Distribution by State

New York $296K (57%)

Texas $56K (11%)

Illinois $44K (8%)

Pennsylvania $27K (5%)

Oregon $25K (5%)

All other $68K (13%)

Share of all 42 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

Cities

New YorkChicagoHoustonBronxBrooklynPhiladelphiaEvanstonLibertyPortlandJeffersonvilleRochesterSanta FeWoodstockLos AngelesPittsburghAtlantaOaklandSan DiegoTakoma ParkWilmington

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Most Recent Financial Data (2024):

Total Assets: $4,262,317
Total Revenues: $410,826
Total Expenses: $748,884
Total Giving: $566,674 (2023 data)

Historical Assets (2023):

Total Assets: $4.6 million
Total Liabilities: $0

Staffing: The foundation operates with 1 full-time employee.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$4,262,317	$4,600,375	$5,013,273
Revenue	$410,826	$389,120	$267,245
Expenses	$748,884	$802,018	$766,908
Qualifying Distributions	$699,771	$755,027	$688,958
Net Investment Income	$361,713	$330,966	$214,253
Distributable Amount	$452,114	$436,638	$469,309

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

March 2, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

166 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Bronx Documentary Center ($50,000), Fotofest International ($30,000), Nyc Salt ($30,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
BRONX DOCUMENTARY CENTER Bronx, NY	GENERAL SUPPORT	$50,000
FOTOFEST INTERNATIONAL Houston, TX	GENRAL SUPPORT	$30,000
NYC SALT New York, NY	GERERAL SUPPORT	$30,000
EDDIE ADAMS WORKSHOP ORGANIZATION INC Jeffersonville, NY	GENERAL SUPPORT	$25,000
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY Chicago, IL	GENERAL SUPPORT	$25,000
OREGON CENTER FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS-DBA BLUE SKY GALLERY Portland, OR	GENERAL SUPPORT	$25,000
UNITED PHOTO INDUSTRIES Brooklyn, NY	GENERAL SUPPORT	$25,000
WILLIAM EUGENE SMITH MEMORIAL FUND CO INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY New York, NY	GENERAL SUPPORT	$25,000
CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY AT WOODSTOCK Kingston, NY	GENERAL SUPPORT	$15,000
EN FOCO INC Bronx, NY	GENERAL SUPPORT	$15,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Judith Lane - Executive Director
Allan J Reich - Assistant Secretary, Vice President, Director

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Allan J Reich	Asst. Secretary, VP, Director	5	$20,000
Judith Lane	President, Executive Director, Directo	20	$60,000
Anne Wilkes Tucker	Chairperson, Director	5	$20,000

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2025

The foundation maintains an active grants program with regular application cycles. The 2025 grants portal opened in January 2025 with a March 15, 2025 deadline. The foundation takes pride in the relationships it has fostered with its grant recipients since its founding in 2009.

Empowering Lives: 2026 Grants from Phillips Charitable Foundation - Phillips

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Phillip & Edith Leonian Foundation fund?

The foundation's mission is to help fund important endeavors promoting photographic education and documentary photography across the United States. Its goal is to raise awareness of and appreciation for the field of photography, as well as for the photographers themselves. Primary funding focus areas include: • Arts and culture • Photography education • Documentary photography • Arts access and participation

How do I apply for a grant from Phillip & Edith Leonian Foundation?

The foundation maintains an active grants portal with annual application deadlines. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

Where does Phillip & Edith Leonian Foundation make grants?

The foundation funds organizations across all states in the United States, with particular activity in New York, Texas, and Pennsylvania.

What size grants does Phillip & Edith Leonian Foundation award?

In 2024, Phillip & Edith Leonian Foundation awarded 42 grants totaling $514K — an average of about $12K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Phillip & Edith Leonian Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Phillip & Edith Leonian Foundation reported a distributable amount of $452K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Phillip & Edith Leonian Foundation's EIN?

Phillip & Edith Leonian Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3204862. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.