The Lewis and Butler Foundation
The Lewis and Butler Foundation is a private foundation based in Richmond, Virginia. It makes grants to public charities and does not carry on direct charitable activities itself.
The Lewis and Butler Foundation at a glance
In short: The Lewis and Butler Foundation gave $371K across 31 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), mostly in Virginia. 13% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $370,850
- -4.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 31
- -3.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $11,963
- -1.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,522,826
- -14.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (4 of 31, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (81% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Lewis and Butler Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 919 E Main Street 950, Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: (804) 643-4080
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Lewis and Butler Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Virignia Museum of Fine Arts ($115K). Together the top 10 received $289K.
Grant Size Distribution
138 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 128 grants of 138 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 81% of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia and 12% to recipients in the District of Columbia. Recipients in New York and Maryland each received 3%, and recipients in Florida received 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Lewis and Butler Foundation open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 31 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $13K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 84% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+5%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 347% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $312K (2021) to $390K (2024). In 2025 it made 31 grants totaling $371K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Virignia Museum of Fine Arts Richmond, VA | Operating Support | $115,000 |
| Jewish Community Federation of Richmond Richmond, VA | Operating Support | $52,250 |
| Weinstein Jewish Community Center Richmond, VA | Operating Support | $40,000 |
| Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company Washington, DC | Operating Support | $15,000 |
| Youth Learning as Citizens Environmental Scientist Washington, DC | Operating Support | $15,000 |
| Virginia Repertory Theatre Richmond, VA | Operating Support | $12,000 |
| Congregation Beth Ahabah Richmond, VA | Operating Support | $10,000 |
| The Studio Theatre Washington, DC | Operating Support | $10,000 |
| United Way of Greater Richmond Richmond, VA | Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Visual Arts of Richmond Richmond, VA | Operating Support | $10,000 |
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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 | $1,522,826 | $136,383 | $387,253 | $370,850 | 31 | $370,850 | $127,794 | $106,730 |
| 2024 | $1,773,696 | $119,258 | $410,195 | $389,600 | 32 | $389,600 | $111,101 | $113,412 |
| 2023 | $2,064,633 | $57,352 | $373,633 | $359,100 | 25 | $359,100 | $48,529 | $123,664 |
| 2022 | $2,380,914 | $349,323 | $374,021 | $354,600 | 27 | $354,671 | $330,395 | $145,051 |
| 2021 | $2,405,612 | $227,144 | $326,628 | $311,600 | 23 | — | $207,912 | $145,088 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lewis and Butler Foundation reported a distributable amount of $107K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s own mission is not stated. Its 2025 grantees included performing arts organizations, a community foundation, a United Way, and organizations working on issues such as hunger, the Chesapeake Bay, and environmental science.
The grantees describe their work in their own terms. Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company says it creates theatre experiences that engage diverse artists and audiences with the world in unexpected and challenging ways. Virginia Repertory Theatre says its mission is to entertain, challenge, and uplift communities through live theatre. United Way of Greater Richmond says it mobilizes local communities to help people in need and create opportunities for people to thrive.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 31 grants totaling $370,850. Grants ranged from $500 to $115,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The listed grant purposes were operating support.
Among the largest grants were $115,000 to Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, $52,250 to Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, and $40,000 to Weinstein Jewish Community Center. Other grants included $15,000 each to Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and Youth Learning as Citizens Environmental Scientist, and $12,000 to Virginia Repertory Theatre.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Frances A. Lewis as president and director, Susan L. Butler as vice president and director, and Andrew M. Lewis as secretary and director.
The Lewis and Butler Foundation is led by Frances A. Lewis, President & Director on every filing since 2021; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Frances A. Lewis
President & Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Andrew M. Lewis
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Susan L. Butler
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Lewis and Butler Foundation
How much does The Lewis and Butler Foundation give each year?
The Lewis and Butler Foundation gave $371K across 31 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $390K across 32 grants.
What is The Lewis and Butler Foundation's typical grant size?
The Lewis and Butler Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $11,963, across 31 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Lewis and Butler Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Lewis and Butler Foundation give grants?
The Lewis and Butler Foundation gives mostly in Virginia: 81% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Richmond, VA (17 grants), Washington, DC (4 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does The Lewis and Butler Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Lewis and Butler Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (31 of 31) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Lewis and Butler Foundation's largest grantees?
The Lewis and Butler Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Virignia Museum of Fine Arts ($115,000), Jewish Community Federation of Richmond ($52,250) and Weinstein Jewish Community Center ($40,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Lewis and Butler Foundation?
The Lewis and Butler Foundation reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $371K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $107K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Lewis and Butler Foundation fund?
The foundation’s own mission is not stated. Its 2025 grantees included performing arts organizations, a community foundation, a United Way, and organizations working on issues such as hunger, the Chesapeake Bay, and environmental science. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Lewis and Butler Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Lewis and Butler Foundation's EIN?
The Lewis and Butler Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-6061170. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does The Lewis and Butler Foundation 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 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Lewis and Butler Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-lewis-and-butler-foundation-morg_e3166af9c63e47d18c5ffbab39e7d036
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_546061170_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Lewis and Butler Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-lewis-and-butler-foundation-morg_e3166af9c63e47d18c5ffbab39e7d036},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Lewis and Butler Foundation'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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