The Lef Foundation
The LEF Foundation is a private family foundation with offices in New England and California. Established in 1986, it operates as a 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Calistoga, California, with a staff of two employees.
Key facts about The Lef Foundation
- EIN
- 68-0070194
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $584,600
- Grants made (2025)
- 56
- Average grant
- $10,439
- Median grant
- $3,750
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (14 of 44, 2025)
- Total assets
- $7,194,118
- Primary geography
- New York (28% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 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 The Lef Foundation funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Lef Foundation's 56 itemized 2025 grants were New York (28%), Massachusetts (26%) and California (22%). The most frequent recipient cities were Albuquerque, NM (7 grants), San Francisco, CA (6 grants), New York, NY (6 grants) and Cambridge, MA (4 grants). 11% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
Is The Lef Foundation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 14 of 44 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 25% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 46% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 164% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2025). 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 The Lef Foundation
- How to evaluate The Lef Foundation as a funder
Our grant prospecting guide: read the 990-PF, check fit, and decide whether to apply.
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Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$7.2M
-0.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$585K
+17.0% YoY
Grant Count
56
+9.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$10K
+6.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lef Foundation reported a distributable amount of $484K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The LEF Foundation's primary mission centers on supporting independent documentary filmmakers and advancing the field of moving image arts. The foundation is deeply rooted in arts funding and emphasizes:
- Individual creative voices: Supporting artists in developing their unique artistic perspective and creating work that is provocative, heartfelt, and challenging in both style and substance
- Artistic risk-taking: Funding nascent vision and creative experimentation in form and content, including playfulness and provocation in filmmaking
- Creative growth and capacity-building: Nurturing the evolution of individual artists and recognizing the ripple effects within the broader creative community
- Diversity in all forms: Considering how supported projects reflect the diversity of the filmmaker community
Grantmaking
The Moving Image Fund, launched in 2001, provides funding for New England-based independent documentary filmmakers across all phases of production—from early development through completion. The fund also supports career development programming for filmmakers in the region.
Review Cycle
have included awards such as 13 grants totaling $52,500 and 14 grants totaling $270,000 in support of feature-length documentary works
Ready to take the next step with The Lef Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
- New England: Primary funding region for the Moving Image Fund, supporting independent documentary filmmakers based in the region
- California: LEF maintains an office in California with separate grantmaking operations
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 56 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Fiscal Year 2024 (ending June 30):
- Revenue: $533,348
- Expenses: $833,551
- Total Assets: $7.24 million
- Total Liabilities: $31,500
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $7,194,118 | $7,237,697 | $7,561,197 |
| Revenue | $831,985 | $533,348 | $296,843 |
| Expenses | $927,282 | $833,553 | $936,751 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $791,481 | $717,522 | $749,655 |
| Net Investment Income | $692,702 | $440,586 | $188,892 |
| Distributable Amount | $483,611 | $483,206 | $463,839 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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 2025
Grant Size Distribution
316 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Lef Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest recipients include Uniondocs ($75,000), Filmmakers Collaborative Inc ($50,000), Center for Independent Documentary Inc ($45,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| UNIONDOCS Ridgewood, NY | FUNDS IN SUPPORT OF MILTON GUILLN'S PROJECT MY SKIN AND I AS PART OF THE FSC-LEF FELLOWSHIP | $75,000 |
| FILMMAKERS COLLABORATIVE INC San Francisco, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT OF FILMMAKERS | $50,000 |
| CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY INC Sharon, MA | FUNDING FOR THE FOLLOWING:UNRESTRICTED GIFT IN SUPPORT OF CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY, AND INDEPENDENT WORKS BY SIOBHAN LANDRY, CAROLINA BORRAS, BROOKE SAIS, AND THE COMPLETION OF "THE DREAMERS AND I" | $45,000 |
| POINTS NORTH INSTITUTE Camden, ME | A GRANT IN SUPPORT OF THE LEF/CIFF FELLOWSHIP | $40,000 |
| WOMEN MAKE MOVIES INC - AMANDA KOWA New York, NY | PROGRAM SUPPORT OF AMANDA KOWALSKI'S PROJECT, "OUT IN THE MOUNTAINS (WORKING TITLE)" | $32,500 |
| COLOR CONGRESS Oakland, CA | FUNDS IN SUPPORT OF COLOR CONGRESS'S WORK TO STRENGTHEN BIPOC-LED MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS (1 OF 2) | $25,000 |
| MILTON GUILLEN Cambridge, MA | FUNDS IN SUPPORT OF MILTON GUILLEN'S PROJECT, MY SKIN AND I. | $25,000 |
| SARA ARCHAMBAULT Cambridge, MA | PROGRAM SUPPORT OF SARA ARCHAMBAULT'S PROJECT, "THE RIVER". | $25,000 |
| DOCUMENTARY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INC Watertown, MA | UNRESTRICTED GIFT IN SUPPORT OF DOCUMENTARY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES | $25,000 |
| EXPERIMENTAL SOUND STUDIO - JODIE M Chicago, IL | PROGRAM SUPPORT OF JODIE MACK'S PROJECT, "EARLY MOURNING, TARPON SPRINGS" | $25,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.
From 2025 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lauren Finneran | Director | 0.25 | — |
| Sarah Treeson | Director | 0.25 | — |
| Byron Kuth | Vice President/Treasurer | 0.25 | — |
| Lyda Kuth | President | 10 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation maintains active communication with stakeholders through regular newsletters covering LEF New England news and grant announcements. Recent grant cycles have continued to support feature-length documentary works by New England-based filmmakers, with announcements issued for Summer/Fall 2024 grantees.
The LEF Foundation has awarded 13 Moving Image Fund grants ...Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Lef Foundation fund?
The LEF Foundation's primary mission centers on supporting independent documentary filmmakers and advancing the field of moving image arts. The foundation is deeply rooted in arts funding and emphasizes: • **Individual creative voices**: Supporting artists in developing their unique artistic perspective and creating work that is provocative, heartfelt, and challenging in both style and substance • **Artistic risk-taking**: Funding nascent vision and creative experimentation in form and content,…
How do I apply for a grant from The Lef Foundation?
The Moving Image Fund, launched in 2001, provides funding for New England-based independent documentary filmmakers across all phases of production—from early development through completion. The fund also supports career development programming for filmmakers in the region. **Grant Activity:** • Since inception, the Moving Image Fund has awarded over 500 grants totaling more than $5.5 million to New England-based independent filmmakers • Recent grant cycles have included awards such as 13 grants…
Where does The Lef Foundation make grants?
• **New England**: Primary funding region for the Moving Image Fund, supporting independent documentary filmmakers based in the region • **California**: LEF maintains an office in California with separate grantmaking operations
What size grants does The Lef Foundation award?
In 2025, The Lef Foundation awarded 56 grants totaling $585K — an average of about $10K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Lef Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, The Lef Foundation reported a distributable amount of $484K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Lef Foundation's EIN?
The Lef Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 68-0070194. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Lef Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Lef Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.