The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc
The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc is a private foundation focused on Education, based in Wayne, PA. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $65.0M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 8 grants totaling $1.6M. Net investment income was $2.1M.
The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc gave $1.6M across 8 grants in 2025 (avg $199K), mostly in Pennsylvania. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,591,360
- -16.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 8
- +166.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $198,920
- -68.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $64,991,491
- +5.5% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (96% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 8 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Schedule of Scholarship Recipients ($1.3M). Together the top 8 received $1.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
26 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 10 grants of 26 (38%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 8 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−3%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 97% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $982K (2020) to $2.3M (2023). In 2025 it made 8 grants totaling $1.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule of Scholarship Recipients Wayne, PA | Lenfest Scholarship Program | $1,276,295 |
| Schedule of Finalist Grants - Infor Wayne, PA | Lenfest Scholarship Program | $131,000 |
| Schedule of Special Education Expen Wayne, PA | Lenfest Scholarship Program | $104,065 |
| Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Cincinnati, OH | DAF Contributions | $30,000 |
| Vanguard Charitable Fund Warwick, RI | DAF Contributions | $20,000 |
| Edward Jones Investments Lancaster, PA | DAF Contributions | $10,000 |
| Raymond James Charitable Foundation St Petersburg, FL | DAF Contributions | $10,000 |
| Schwab Charitable Fund Orlando, FL | DAF Contributions | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $64,991,491 | $2,117,099 | $3,655,807 | $1,591,360 | 8 | $3,304,365 | $2,128,268 | $3,393,994 |
| 2024 | $61,592,355 | $2,335,498 | $3,931,277 | $1,899,219 | 3 | $3,597,148 | $2,073,080 | $2,845,827 |
| 2023 | $53,246,414 | $1,331,204 | $4,142,475 | $2,337,997 | 6 | $3,912,840 | $1,215,740 | $2,592,732 |
| 2022 | $50,975,682 | $2,010,486 | $2,819,184 | $1,633,354 | 6 | $2,441,434 | $2,181,328 | $2,994,390 |
| 2021 | $61,615,222 | $4,481,514 | $2,438,886 | $1,415,454 | 3 | — | $1,883,944 | $2,747,233 |
| 2020 | $45,551,663 | $6,221,743 | $2,112,384 | $981,737 | 3 | — | $5,856,117 | $2,213,788 |
| 2019 | $47,367,091 | $5,405,231 | $2,087,132 | $1,068,128 | 6 | — | $1,090,829 | $2,190,920 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $3.4M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc is led by Martha Denney, Executive Director on every filing since 2021; 2 of 12 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Martha Denney
Executive Director
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$87K (2021) → $259K (2025)
Marguerite Lenfest
President & Director
Director → President & Director, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mozelle W. Thompson
Board Chair & Director
Director → Board Chair & Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Larry Thi
Secretary & Director of Operations
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$81K (2024) → $100K (2025)
Joseph F. Huber
Director
Board Chair & Director → Board Vice Chair, 2023
Board Vice Chair → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Roger Lehecka
Director
Board Vice Chair → Board Chair & Director, 2023
Board Chair & Director → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jacques Steinberg
Vice Chair & Director
Director → Vice Chair & Director, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andy Dessel
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ashley Green Gautam
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bob Freund
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Perna
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Diane L. Myer
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (8)
- Former: Joseph W. Gordon (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Keith L. Leaphart (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Erin E. Crum (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Jessica Macleod (2021–2023) — Secretary
- Former: John Payne (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Joshua S Smith PhD (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Susannah Choitz (2019–2020) — Secretary
- Former: Suzi Nam (2019–2020) — Executive Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $259K, to Martha Denney (Executive Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc
How much does The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc give each year?
The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc gave $1.6M across 8 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.9M across 3 grants.
What is The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $198,920, across 8 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc give grants?
The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Wayne, PA (3 grants).
Does The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 8 grants with a stated purpose on The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "DAF Contributions" (5 grants) and "Lenfest Scholarship Program" (3 grants).
Who are The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Schedule of Scholarship Recipients ($1,276,295), Schedule of Finalist Grants - Infor ($131,000) and Schedule of Special Education Expen ($104,065), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 95% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc?
The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc reported $65.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.4M (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 is The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc?
The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc is a private foundation focused on Education, based in Wayne, PA. It holds $65.0M in total assets as of 2025.
What is The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-1810540. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 15, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 2, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 8, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders with grantees in common
The Philadelphia Award
Hershey, PA
Assets
$1.8M
Grants
2
Total Given
$25K
Forman Arts Initiative Inc
Philadelphia, PA
Assets
$86.4M
Grants
4
Total Given
$394K
Rubin Family Foundation
Conshohocken, PA
The foundation supports criminal justice reform, Jewish community initiatives, scholarships, and cancer research, with 2025 grants ranging from $10,000 to $500,000 (median $35,000). Its grants went to organizations in New York and Pennsylvania, mostly in New York. It gives only to preselected charities and does not accept unsolicited funding requests.
Assets
$546K
Grants
4
Total Given
$580K
Fierce Advocacy Fund Inc
Philadelphia, PA
Assets
$670K
Grants
9
Total Given
$67K
Ruth Rabstein Pellettieri Char Fdn
Lower Gywnedd, PA
The foundation supports 501(c)(3) organizations, with recent grants spanning historic preservation, education, reproductive health, public media, and anti-hate work. It gave $24,000 across 10 grants in 2024; awards ranged from $500 to $15,000, with a median of $1,000, and went to organizations in Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Ohio. Its filing says giving is not restricted to preselected organizations, but does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$433K
Grants
10
Total Given
$24K
Goldberg Family Foundation Inc
Boca Raton, FL
The Goldberg Family Foundation supports general program work across education, health, and charitable and cultural organizations, with most funding going to Florida and smaller shares to organizations in New York, Washington, D.C., Colorado, and Missouri. Its 2024 grants ranged from $720 to $250,000, with a median award of $7,500. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$15.0M
Grants
16
Total Given
$627K
More similar funders
More Funders in Pennsylvania
The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from The Lenfest Scholars Foundation 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.
The Lenfest Scholars Foundation Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?