The Lida Foundation
The Lida Foundation is a private foundation based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its 2024 grants supported organizations and activities including performing arts, conservation, reproductive health, and community philanthropy.
The Lida Foundation at a glance
In short: The Lida Foundation gave $476K across 24 grants in 2024 (avg $20K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 25% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $475,500
- -0.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 24
- -52.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $19,813
- +107.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $5,665,792
- -0.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (6 of 24, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (93% 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 Lida Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation has no application form. It requires details about the purpose of the grant and verification of the donee’s tax-exempt status. Awards are limited to 501(c)(3) public charities, with no stated restrictions by geographic area, charitable field, kind of institution, or other factors. The foundation says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- There are no submission deadlines.
- Deadline
- There are no submission deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: Linda S Glickstein
Mailing address: 504 West Mermaid Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19118-4206
Phone: (215) 247-5578
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Lida Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Wilma Theater ($97K). Together the top 10 received $371K.
Grant Size Distribution
237 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 232 grants of 237 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went primarily to recipients in Pennsylvania (93%), with 5% going to Colorado, 1% to New York, and less than 1% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Lida Foundation open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 24 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. With only 24 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $18K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 63% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 22% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 72% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $476K (2024) to $607K (2021). In 2024 it made 24 grants totaling $476K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wilma Theater Philadelphia, PA | Theatrical Production | $96,500 |
| Friends of the Wissahickon Inc Philadelphia, PA | $30,000 for pedestrian bridge construction and $25,500 to conserve natural beauty and the wildness of wissahickon valley and to stimulate public interest therein | $55,000 |
| Opera Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA | Committed to embracing innovation and developing opera for the 21st century | $34,500 |
| Morris Arboretum of the Univ of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA | $27,500 for outreach coordinator and $3,500 in general support to inspire an understanding of the relationship between plants, people, and place through education, research, and horticultural display | $30,000 |
| Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania PA Philadelphia, PA | To protect and enhance reproductive freedom, increase access to reproductive health services and information, and promote sexual health. | $30,000 |
| Aspen Community Foundation Basalt, CO | Builds philanthropy and supports nonprofit organizations by connecting donors to community needs, building permanent charitable funds and bringing people together to solve community problems | $25,000 |
| Balletx Philadelphia, PA | Balletx expands the vocabulary of contemporary ballet for all audiences through innovative performances, world premiere choreography, dance education, and community programs | $25,000 |
| Bearded Ladies Cabaret Philadelphia, PA | An experimental cabaret group devoted to exploiting all possibilities of intimate, homemade theatre through beautiful songs, tricked-out costume changes, drag, and virtuostic prop construction | $25,000 |
| Fringearts Philadelphia, PA | The organization's primary exempt purpose is to implement charitable and educational activities through presentation of performing arts. | $25,000 |
| The Pennsylvania Ballet Association DBA Philadelphia Ballet Philadelphia, PA | For student tickets in order to cultivate an enduring appreciation for dance through world class performances | $25,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $5,665,792 | $481,480 | $515,747 | $475,500 | 24 | $479,347 | $446,806 | $668,137 |
| 2023 | $5,704,007 | $340,888 | $508,759 | $478,550 | 50 | $482,110 | $311,038 | $552,878 |
| 2022 | $5,876,437 | $287,247 | $572,740 | $533,750 | 53 | $536,769 | $259,977 | $552,776 |
| 2021 | $6,159,139 | $551,083 | $647,496 | $606,750 | 55 | $609,350 | $499,317 | $600,740 |
| 2020 | $6,256,095 | $379,625 | $558,743 | $533,950 | 55 | — | $356,857 | $478,418 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lida Foundation reported a distributable amount of $668K 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 included support for theatrical production, opera, dance, music, film, environmental conservation, reproductive health services, and community philanthropy.
The grantees describe their work in varied terms. Opera Philadelphia says it produces grand opera and educational programs; BalletX says it presents contemporary ballet, dance education, and community programs; and the Philadelphia Orchestra Association says it shares the transformative power of music with the widest audience. The Aspen Community Foundation says it connects donors to community needs and supports nonprofits. These are grantees’ descriptions of their own missions, not stated priorities of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 24 grants totaling $475,500. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $96,500, with a median of $10,000. Among the largest were $96,500 to Wilma Theater for theatrical production; $55,000 to Friends of the Wissahickon for pedestrian bridge construction and conservation; and $34,500 to Opera Philadelphia for its work developing opera for the 21st century. Other notable grants included $30,000 each to Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania, and $25,000 each to Aspen Community Foundation, BalletX, Bearded Ladies Cabaret, FringeArts, the Pennsylvania Ballet Association (doing business as Philadelphia Ballet), and the Philadelphia Orchestra Association.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Linda S. Glickstein and David L. Glickstein as trustees.
The Lida Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
David L. Glickstein
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Linda S. Glickstein
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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 The Lida Foundation
How much does The Lida Foundation give each year?
The Lida Foundation gave $476K across 24 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $479K across 50 grants.
What is The Lida Foundation's typical grant size?
The Lida Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $19,813, across 24 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Lida Foundation that year got $18K on average.
Where does The Lida Foundation give grants?
The Lida Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Colorado (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (21 grants).
Does The Lida Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 4% of The Lida Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 24) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Lida Foundation's largest grantees?
The Lida Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Wilma Theater ($96,500), Friends of the Wissahickon Inc ($55,000) and Opera Philadelphia ($34,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Lida Foundation?
The Lida Foundation reported $5.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $479K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $668K (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 does The Lida Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for theatrical production, opera, dance, music, film, environmental conservation, reproductive health services, and community philanthropy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Lida Foundation?
The foundation has no application form. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Lida Foundation's EIN?
The Lida Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-2706456. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Lida Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-lida-foundation-morg_3fa6978b98364c9d9de4d8594436352d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_232706456_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Lida Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-lida-foundation-morg_3fa6978b98364c9d9de4d8594436352d},
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 The Lida 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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