Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable
Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable is a private foundation based in Louisville, Kentucky. It awarded 22 grants totaling $59,030 in 2024 to organizations in several states, including organizations working on environmental conservation, education, hunger relief, public media, and services for children and people who are blind or have low vision.
Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable at a glance
In short: Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable gave $59K across 22 grants in 2024 (avg $3K), mostly in Tennessee. 5% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $59,030
- +1.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 22
- +4.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $2,683
- -2.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $3,145
- Total assets
- $763,730
- -2.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 5% first-time grantees (1 of 22, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (56% 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 Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists Melanie Lykins as the contact. There is no prescribed application form, no deadline, and no restrictions on awards at present, according to the filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Melanie Lykins
Mailing address: 2401 Grey Fox Road, Louisville, KY 40205
Phone: (502) 456-4950
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Friends of Radnor Lake ($5K). Together the top 10 received $39K.
Grant Size Distribution
112 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 112 grants of 112 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 56% of grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee and 27% to recipients in Kentucky. Recipients in Washington, DC received 7%, Virginia recipients received 6%, and South Carolina recipients received 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable open to new grantees?
5%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 1 of 22 grantees (5%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 91% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+2%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 92% 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 (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 $58K (2023) to $68K (2022). In 2024 it made 22 grants totaling $59K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Friends of Radnor Lake Nashville, TN | To provide protection, maintenance and improvement of radnor lake | $5,000 |
| Vanderbilt Undergraduate Scholarship Nashville, TN | To Provide Undergraduate Scholarships | $5,000 |
| WPLN Nashville Public Radio Nashville, TN | To Support the Programming, Production and Education Outreach | $5,000 |
| Nashville Tree Foundation Nashville, TN | To preserve and enhance nashville's urban forests by planting trees and providing education | $4,500 |
| Nashville Public Television Channel 8 Nashville, TN | To Support the Programming, Production and Education Outreach | $4,000 |
| American Printing House for the Blind Louisville, KY | Creating accessible learning experiences through educational, workplace, and independent living products and services for people who are blind and low vision. | $3,145 |
| Dare to Care Louisville, KY | To work together to provide pathways to end hunger in our community | $3,145 |
| Honor Flights Arlington, VA | To celebrate America's veterans by inviting them to share in a day of honor at our nation's memorials. | $3,145 |
| Junior Achievement of Kentucky Louisville, KY | To provide free online resources to teachers and parents | $3,145 |
| National Park Foundation Washington, DC | To Protect Our Parks for Generations to Come | $3,145 |
Ready to take the next step with Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable?
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 | $763,730 | $60,078 | $80,321 | $59,030 | 22 | $61,478 | $41,235 | $66,761 |
| 2023 | $783,973 | $41,559 | $80,436 | $57,977 | 21 | $60,428 | $23,958 | $61,484 |
| 2022 | $822,873 | $90,707 | $92,035 | $67,955 | 22 | $72,447 | $71,062 | $62,464 |
| 2021 | $824,201 | $60,896 | $79,250 | $58,060 | 23 | $60,025 | $42,519 | $70,322 |
| 2020 | $841,355 | $31,586 | $74,834 | $60,532 | 24 | — | $19,705 | $59,450 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable reported a distributable amount of $67K 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 went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Friends of Radnor Lake says it supports the protection, maintenance, and improvement of Radnor Lake State Natural Area and public education about the area. Nashville Tree Foundation says it works to preserve and enhance Nashville’s urban forests through tree planting and public education. Dare to Care says it works to provide pathways to end hunger in its community. Other 2024 recipients included organizations focused on scholarships, public media, accessible learning, veterans, children, parks, and disaster response.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 22 grants totaling $59,030. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $5,000, with a median of $3,145.
Among its largest 2024 grants were $5,000 each to Friends of Radnor Lake, Vanderbilt Undergraduate Scholarship, and WPLN Nashville Public Radio; $4,500 to Nashville Tree Foundation; and $4,000 to Nashville Public Television Channel 8. Other recipients included American Printing House for the Blind, Dare to Care, Junior Achievement of Kentucky, and St Joseph Children’s Home, each receiving $3,145, as well as the National Park Foundation and Honor Flights, each receiving $3,145.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Melanie Lykins as president, secretary, and director; Andrea Lainhart as treasurer and director; and Melanie Clark as director.
Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable is led by Melanie Lykins, President, Secretary & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Melanie Lykins
President, Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrea Lainhart
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Melanie Clark
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable
How much does Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable give each year?
Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable gave $59K across 22 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $58K across 21 grants.
What is Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable's typical grant size?
Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable's median grant in 2024 was $3,145, and its average grant was $2,683, across 22 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable that year got $1K on average.
Where does Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable give grants?
Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable gives mostly in Tennessee: 56% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Kentucky (27%) and District of Columbia (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, TN (11 grants), Louisville, KY (5 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 22 grants with a stated purpose on Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable's largest grantees?
Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable's largest 2024 grantees include Friends of Radnor Lake ($5,000), Vanderbilt Undergraduate Scholarship ($5,000) and WPLN Nashville Public Radio ($5,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable?
Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable reported $764K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $61K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $67K (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 Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Friends of Radnor Lake says it supports the protection, maintenance, and improvement of Radnor Lake State Natural Area and public education about the area. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable?
The filing lists Melanie Lykins as the contact. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable's EIN?
Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-1356911. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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). Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/robert-w-and-elise-b-lykins-charitable-morg_fd1396619f8a470abb1552bbab198ed1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_611356911_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/robert-w-and-elise-b-lykins-charitable-morg_fd1396619f8a470abb1552bbab198ed1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Robert W and Elise B Lykins Charitable'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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