The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc
The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, with grant dollars going to recipients in Texas and Colorado.
The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc gave $471K across 30 grants in 2025 (avg $16K), mostly in Texas. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $470,889
- +10.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 30
- -9.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $15,696
- +21.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $11,425,011
- +1.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (4 of 28, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Texas (86% 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 Lightner Sams Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states on its 2025 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Legacy Counseling Center Inc ($30K). Together the top 10 received $240K.
Grant Size Distribution
164 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 164 grants of 164 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 86% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas and 14% to recipients in Colorado.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 28 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $17K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $18K repeat.
- 79% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+8%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 94% 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 (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $426K (2024) to $580K (2020). In 2025 it made 30 grants totaling $471K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Legacy Counseling Center Inc Dallas, TX | Technology Needs fund | $30,000 |
| Judis House Aurora, CO | General & Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| New Hope Equine Assisted Therapy Argyle, TX | General & Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| North Texas Food Bank Plano, TX | General & Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Valley Zoological Society Chartered May 1968 Brownsville, TX | Mundo Huasteco y Totonaco project | $25,000 |
| Dallas CASA Dallas, TX | Volunteer training program | $20,000 |
| Dallas Pets Alive Dallas, TX | Dogs Matter fund | $20,000 |
| Genesis Womens Shelter & Support Dallas, TX | General & Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Metro Crisis Services Inc Denver, CO | Caring Connect fund | $20,000 |
| Morgan Adams Foundation Denver, CO | General & Unrestricted | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Lightner Sams 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 | $11,425,011 | $905,875 | $741,921 | $470,889 | 30 | $576,165 | $786,732 | $614,232 |
| 2024 | $11,261,057 | $1,461,953 | $685,834 | $426,400 | 33 | $531,570 | $1,351,051 | $573,660 |
| 2023 | $10,484,938 | $308,013 | $687,045 | $455,500 | 33 | $559,672 | $226,779 | $539,498 |
| 2022 | $10,863,970 | $-595,534 | $717,985 | $435,570 | 34 | $550,514 | $187,555 | $552,322 |
| 2021 | $12,177,489 | $3,092,865 | $710,025 | $439,520 | 34 | $579,095 | $2,995,966 | $569,466 |
| 2020 | $9,794,648 | $-2,709,303 | $955,927 | $579,562 | 36 | — | $242,965 | $567,172 |
| 2019 | $13,459,878 | $298,452 | $853,096 | $569,511 | 40 | — | $203,645 | $718,003 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $614K 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 available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants include organizations working in areas such as food access, grief support, therapeutic services for people with special needs, crisis care, child advocacy, domestic-violence support, LGBTQIA+ health and wellness, and animal welfare. These are grantees’ stated missions, not stated focus areas of the foundation.
For example, North Texas Food Bank describes its mission as closing the hunger gap in North Texas; Judi’s House describes its work as helping grieving children and families find connection and healing; and New Hope Equine Assisted Therapy describes its work as enhancing the well-being of individuals with special needs through therapeutic riding. Other 2025 recipients describe providing crisis care, advocating for children affected by abuse and neglect, supporting survivors of domestic violence, offering LGBTQIA+-affirming resources, and working to eliminate the killing of companion animals.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 30 grants totaling $470,889. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $30,000, with a median of $15,000. It reported 33 grants totaling $426,400 in 2024 and 33 grants totaling $455,500 in 2023.
Among its largest 2025 grants were $30,000 to Legacy Counseling Center Inc. for its Technology Needs fund; $25,000 each to Judi’s House, New Hope Equine Assisted Therapy, North Texas Food Bank, and Valley Zoological Society; and $20,000 each to Dallas CASA, Dallas Pets Alive, Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support, Metro Crisis Services, Morgan Adams Foundation, and Resource Center of Dallas.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The officers and trustees listed on the 2025 filing are Charles Derek Adleta (director, trustee, president); Kristin Lightner (director, trustee, treasurer); Larry F Lightner (trustee, vice president); Robin H Lightner (trustee); Sue B Lightner (director, trustee, vice president); and Kamala A Lightner-Scammahorn (director, trustee, secretary).
The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc is led by Charles Derek Adleta, Director, Trustee & President since 2025 (on filings since 2019); 3 of 6 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Charles Derek Adleta
Director, Trustee & President
Director, Trustee, Secretary & Treasurer → Director, Trustee, Secretary, Treasurer & President, 2024
Director, Trustee, Secretary, Treasurer & President → Director, Trustee & President, 2025
On filings since 2019
6 hrs/week
$19K (2019) → $19K (2025)
Kristin Lightner
Director, Trustee & Treasurer
Trustee → Director & Trustee, 2021
Director & Trustee → Director, Trustee & Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
$2K (2023) → $3K (2025)
Larry F Lightner
Trustee & Vice President
President & Trustee → Trustee, President & Vice President, 2024
Trustee, President & Vice President → Trustee & Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2019
6 hrs/week
$42K (2019) → $24K (2025)
Sue B Lightner
Director, Trustee & Vice President
Trustee & Vice President → Director, Trustee, Vice President & Paid Employe, 2021
Director, Trustee, Vice President & Paid Employe → Director, Trustee & Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2019
6 hrs/week
$16K (2019) → $0 (2025)
Kamala A Lightner-Scammahorn
Director, Trustee & Secretary
Trustee → Director & Trustee, 2021
Director & Trustee → Director, Trustee & Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robin H Lightner
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Earl Sams Lightner (2019) — Trustee
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 $24K, to Larry F Lightner (Trustee, VP). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc
How much does The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc give each year?
The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc gave $471K across 30 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $426K across 33 grants.
What is The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $15,696, across 30 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc that year got $15K on average.
Where does The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc give grants?
The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc gives mostly in Texas: 86% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Colorado (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Dallas, TX (15 grants), Plano, TX (3 grants), Denver, CO (2 grants) and Van, TX (2 grants).
Does The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 33% of The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 30) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Legacy Counseling Center Inc ($30,000), Sky Ranches Inc ($30,000 across 2 grants) and Judis House ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc?
The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc reported $11.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $576K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $614K (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 Lightner Sams Foundation Inc fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc?
The foundation states on its 2025 filing that it 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 Lightner Sams Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-2555622. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 13, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-lightner-sams-foundation-inc-morg_2b495970a8414c7eb16fa4b81346f17a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_752555622_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Lightner Sams Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-lightner-sams-foundation-inc-morg_2b495970a8414c7eb16fa4b81346f17a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Lightner Sams 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.
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