The Herbert and Patricia Lessow
The Herbert and Patricia Lessow is a private foundation based in New York, NY. In 2024, it reported 16 grants totaling $71,000 to charitable organizations.
The Herbert and Patricia Lessow at a glance
In short: The Herbert and Patricia Lessow gave $71K across 16 grants in 2024 (avg $4K), mostly in New York. 38% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $71,000
- -31.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 16
- +6.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $4,438
- -35.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,750
- Total assets
- $69,667
- -27.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (6 of 16, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (57% 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 The Herbert and Patricia Lessow
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 40 East 88Th St, New York, NY 10128
Phone: (631) 721-5999
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Herbert and Patricia Lessow funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was MVP Basketball Camp ($15K). Together the top 10 received $66K.
Grant Size Distribution
63 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 62 grants of 63 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 57% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 21% to California, 14% to Maryland, 3% to New Jersey, and 2% to Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Herbert and Patricia Lessow open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 16 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 63% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 31% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above 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 $21K (2020) to $103K (2023). In 2024 it made 16 grants totaling $71K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| MVP Basketball Camp White Plains, NY | General Support | $15,000 |
| Parents Center Santa Cruz, CA | General Support | $15,000 |
| Johns Hopkins Center for American Baltimore, MD | General Support | $10,000 |
| Leopold Schepp Foundation New York, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| Hearts and Homes for Refugees Pelham, NY | General Support | $5,000 |
| Westchester Youth Alliance Chappaqua, NY | General Support | $4,000 |
| American Liver Foundation West Orange, NJ | General Support | $2,000 |
| Keep Katonah, NY | General Support | $2,000 |
| Sunrise Association Oceanside, NY | General Support | $1,500 |
| STEAM Leadership Chicago, IL | General Support | $1,500 |
Ready to take the next step with The Herbert and Patricia Lessow?
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 | $69,667 | $46,446 | $72,550 | $71,000 | 16 | $72,550 | $1,446 | $1,552 |
| 2023 | $95,771 | $16 | $104,900 | $103,000 | 15 | $104,900 | $16 | $7,514 |
| 2022 | $200,655 | $93,012 | $88,537 | $82,300 | 12 | $88,537 | $12 | $11,942 |
| 2021 | $196,180 | $150,006 | $55,087 | $54,000 | 15 | $55,087 | $6 | $4,831 |
| 2020 | $101,261 | $60,004 | $22,294 | $21,000 | 5 | — | $4 | $2,577 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Herbert and Patricia Lessow reported a distributable amount of $2K 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, Parents Center describes its work as providing crisis intervention, referrals, and counseling to people experiencing family or personal crises. Hearts and Homes for Refugees says it builds communities to welcome, assist, and advocate for refugees. Westchester Youth Alliance describes its work as empowering high school students through community service, dialogue, and cultural awareness.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $71,000. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $15,000, with a median grant of $1,750. Its largest reported grants were $15,000 each to MVP Basketball Camp in White Plains, New York, and Parents Center in Santa Cruz, California. Other notable grants were $10,000 each to Johns Hopkins Center for American in Baltimore, Maryland, and Leopold Schepp Foundation in New York, New York; and $5,000 to Hearts and Homes for Refugees in Pelham, New York. The listed grants were for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Patricia Lessow as “VICE PRESIDE” and Andrew J Greene as “PRESIDENT/TR.”
The Herbert and Patricia Lessow is led by Andrew J. Greene, President since 2022 (on filings since 2020); none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Andrew J. Greene
President
Treasurer & Secretary → President, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patricia Lessow
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Herbert Lessow (2020–2021) — President
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 The Herbert and Patricia Lessow
How much does The Herbert and Patricia Lessow give each year?
The Herbert and Patricia Lessow gave $71K across 16 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $103K across 15 grants.
What is The Herbert and Patricia Lessow's typical grant size?
The Herbert and Patricia Lessow's median grant in 2024 was $1,750, and its average grant was $4,438, across 16 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Herbert and Patricia Lessow that year got $3K on average.
Where does The Herbert and Patricia Lessow give grants?
The Herbert and Patricia Lessow gives mostly in New York: 57% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (21%) and Maryland (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (3 grants).
Does The Herbert and Patricia Lessow give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Herbert and Patricia Lessow's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (16 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Herbert and Patricia Lessow's largest grantees?
The Herbert and Patricia Lessow's largest 2024 grantees include MVP Basketball Camp ($15,000), Parents Center ($15,000) and Johns Hopkins Center for American ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Herbert and Patricia Lessow?
The Herbert and Patricia Lessow reported $70K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $73K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Herbert and Patricia Lessow fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Parents Center describes its work as providing crisis intervention, referrals, and counseling to people experiencing family or personal crises. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Herbert and Patricia Lessow?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Herbert and Patricia Lessow's EIN?
The Herbert and Patricia Lessow's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-6961145. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Herbert and Patricia Lessow 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
Live grants for the work The Herbert and Patricia Lessow funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Herbert and Patricia Lessow's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
The New York Community Trust
New York, NY
The New York Community Trust funds nonprofit programs in areas such as arts, education, health, the environment, workforce development, and youth development, including projects that improve services, build organizational capacity, or advance policy and systems change. Its competitive grants mainly serve New York City, Long Island, and Westchester, with some national and international environmental funding; the 2024 median grant was $20,000. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$3.5B
Grants
2,748
Total Given
$193.8M
Community Foundation of North Texas (Tax
Fort Worth, TX
The foundation supports nonprofits and community projects in areas including animal welfare, nonprofit capacity building, first responders, land conservation, neighborhood development, opportunity and access, and scholarships. In 2024, grants ranged from $5,100 to $1.5 million, with a median of $14,250; its service area covers 11 North Texas counties. It accepts applications for some competitive grant programs through its online portal, but donor-advised grants are not open to nonprofit applications.
Assets
$544.9M
Grants
872
Total Given
$41.3M
Herman Goldman Foundation
Wilmington, DE
The Herman Goldman Foundation supports a range of charitable causes, with recent grants going to arts, education, social services, health, housing, animal care, and civil liberties organizations; these are not stated formal priorities. Its 2025 grants ranged from $1,000 to $30,000, with a median of $5,000, and went mainly to New York organizations. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$12.0M
Grants
81
Total Given
$615K
The Lawrence Foundation
New York, NY
The Lawrence Foundation funds housing, community development, education, health, and workforce development, primarily in New York, with some grants elsewhere. Its 2024 grants ranged from $1,150 to $250,000, with a median of $50,000. It gives only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$76.5M
Grants
69
Total Given
$3.5M
The Ford Foundation
New York, NY
The Ford Foundation funds organizations and initiatives working to reduce inequality and advance social justice, including work on civic engagement, civil rights, climate justice, disability rights, and technology and society. In 2024, its grants ranged from $45 to $15 million, with a median of $100,000, supporting work in the U.S. and internationally. It says most grants are identified by the foundation and it does not accept unsolicited proposals by mail, email, or phone; limited opportunities may be offered separately.
Assets
$17.5B
Grants
4,007
Total Given
$844.7M
The Simons Foundation Inc
New York, NY
The Simons Foundation funds research and public engagement in mathematics and the physical, life, autism, and neuroscience sciences. In 2024, it made 1,727 grants, with a median award of $72,000 and amounts ranging from $1,480 to $20 million, supporting organizations in the U.S. and internationally. It states that it funds only preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$4.5B
Grants
1,727
Total Given
$272.0M
More Funders in New York
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Herbert and Patricia Lessow funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-herbert-and-patricia-lessow-morg_d5821e958fd446418537d417a4548de2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_826961145_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Herbert and Patricia Lessow funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-herbert-and-patricia-lessow-morg_d5821e958fd446418537d417a4548de2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 The Herbert and Patricia Lessow'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 Herbert and Patricia Lessow down — hundreds of funders to go?