Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc
Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc is a Norwalk, Connecticut-based public charity that supports water safety education and swimming lessons, including free or low-cost lessons for children in need. The foundation was established by Kim and Stew Leonard, Jr., following the 1989 drowning death of their son, Stew Leonard III.
Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc at a glance
In short: Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc gave $226K across 21 grants in 2024 (avg $11K), top state Connecticut. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $226,000
- -37.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 21
- +61.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $10,762
- -61.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $5,400,955
- +2.0% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (41% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 100 Westport Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06851
Phone: (203) 750-6121
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc
Who Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Fairfield YMCA ($24K). Together the top 10 received $138K.
Grant Size Distribution
59 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 58 grants of 59 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing shows grant dollars going to Connecticut (41%), New York (29%) and New Jersey (29%). The foundation’s swim lesson scholarship program lists Norwalk, Connecticut, and Clifton, New Jersey, as locations.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
How Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (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 $10K (2020) to $359K (2023). In 2024 it made 21 grants totaling $226K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfield YMCA Fairfield, CT | Swimming Program | $24,000 |
| YMCA of Long Island Glen Cove, NY | Swimming Program | $16,000 |
| Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut Brookfield, CT | Swimming Program | $16,000 |
| Wyckoff Family YMCA Wyckoff, NJ | Swimming Program | $15,000 |
| Trident Swim Foundation New York, NY | Swimming Program | $15,000 |
| Rye YMCA Rye, NY | Swimming Program | $12,000 |
| Ridgewood YMCA Ridgewood, NJ | Swimming Program | $10,000 |
| Norwalk Recreation and Parks Norwalk, CT | Swimming Program | $10,000 |
| Bronxworks Inc Bronx, NY | Swimming Program | $10,000 |
| Connecticut Institute for Communities Danbury, CT | Swimming Program | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $5,400,955 | $2,275,737 | $2,250,150 | $226,000 | 21 | $64,883 |
| 2023 | $5,297,214 | $2,063,618 | $1,683,121 | $359,300 | 13 | $77,397 |
| 2022 | $3,010,591 | $398,315 | $323,012 | $148,130 | 11 | $33,621 |
| 2021 | $3,599,060 | $391,031 | $248,255 | $150,800 | 13 | $67,134 |
| 2020 | $3,023,540 | $179,261 | $71,970 | $10,000 | 1 | $80,881 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The mission stated in the foundation’s 2024 filing is to “save lives, one swim lesson at a time” through water safety education. The filing describes support for free and low-cost swimming lessons for children in need, water safety education and related activities, and swimming lessons through Stewie the Duck Swim School.
Its 2024 grants included YMCAs, swim organizations and community-serving nonprofits. The grantees describe their own missions in varied terms: for example, the YMCA of Long Island says it works to nurture children’s potential, promote healthy living and foster social responsibility; BronxWorks says it helps individuals and families improve their economic and social well-being; and the Connecticut Institute for Communities describes itself as serving Western Connecticut communities and low-income residents.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 21 grants totaling $226,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,500 to $24,000, with a median of $10,000. The largest listed awards included $24,000 to Fairfield YMCA, $16,000 each to YMCA of Long Island and Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut, and $15,000 each to Wyckoff Family YMCA and Trident Swim Foundation. The listed grant purposes were swimming programs.
The foundation’s 2024 mid-year report separately says it awarded $400,000 in grants during 2024 through its partnership with Step Into Swim, supporting 40,000 free or low-cost lessons. The report names Norwalk Recreation and Parks, Rye YMCA and BronxWorks among organizations visited by foundation representatives; the filing lists awards of $10,000, $12,000 and $10,000, respectively, to those organizations.
The foundation’s filing describes a grant-payment and reporting process: after an application is approved, 80% of the grant is released. The grantee must submit a report after completing the funded program, including quotes, photos and a write-up documenting use of funds in accordance with the grant terms. Foundation personnel and the board review the report before the remaining 20% is released.
The foundation also offers swim lesson scholarships in partnership with Hope Floats Foundation for eligible children in Norwalk and Clifton. Its website says applicants should submit a complete application and that incomplete applications will not be considered. These scholarships fund lessons for participants, rather than grants to outside organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Stewart J. Leonard Jr. as president; Kimberly Kral Leonard as secretary; and Robert Kral, Blake Ann Leonard, Chase Alexandra Leonard and Ryann Leonard Grossbard as directors. The filing states that these officers and directors have a family relationship.
Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc is led by Stewart J. Leonard Jr., President on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Stewart J. Leonard Jr.
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Blake Ann Leonard
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chase Alexandra Leonard
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Kral
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ryann Leonard Grossbard
Director
On filings since 2023
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kimberly Kral Leonard
Secretary
Vice President → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/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 Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc
How much does Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc give each year?
Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc gave $226K across 21 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $359K across 13 grants.
What is Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc's typical grant size?
Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $10,762, across 21 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc give grants?
Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc's top state is Connecticut, with 41% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were New York (29%) and New Jersey (29%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (2 grants), Jersey City, NJ (2 grants) and Norwalk, CT (2 grants).
Does Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Swimming Program" (20 grants).
Who are Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc's largest grantees?
Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Fairfield YMCA ($24,000), YMCA of Long Island ($16,000) and Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut ($16,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc?
Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc reported $5.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.3M.
What does Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc fund?
The mission stated in the foundation’s 2024 filing is to “save lives, one swim lesson at a time” through water safety education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc?
Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc's EIN?
Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-3264276. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 7, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 12, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/stew-leonard-iii-water-safety-fd-inc-morg_407d1c6439ba428fb769a125575e0603
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_223264276_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/stew-leonard-iii-water-safety-fd-inc-morg_407d1c6439ba428fb769a125575e0603},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Stew Leonard III Water Safety FD 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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