The Lily Foundation
The Lily Foundation is a private foundation based in Wayne, Pennsylvania. Its 2024 filing lists grants to charitable organizations, including arts, education, health, social-service, and environmental organizations.
The Lily Foundation at a glance
In short: The Lily Foundation gave $963K across 23 grants in 2024 (avg $42K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 35% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $962,760
- +17.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 23
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $41,859
- +17.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $30,000
- Total assets
- $8,086,598
- -3.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 35% first-time grantees (8 of 23, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (86% 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 Lily Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Contact
Mailing address: 200 W Lancaster Avenue 202, Wayne, PA 19087-4046
Phone: (610) 964-0331
Website: https://thelilyfoundation.org.uk
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Lily Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Anthony Wayne Theater ($250K). Together the top 10 received $773K.
Grant Size Distribution
106 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 74 grants of 106 (70%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 86% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania, 10% to New York, 3% to Florida, and 1% to Washington.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Lily Foundation open to new grantees?
35%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 23 grantees (35%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $44K; repeat grants $41K. How we count
Medians: $16K first-time, $38K repeat.
- 65% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 42% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 170% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $676K (2021) to $963K (2024). In 2024 it made 23 grants totaling $963K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Anthony Wayne Theater Wayne, PA | General | $250,000 |
| Germantown Academy Fort Washington, PA | General | $100,000 |
| Helpusadoptorg New York, NY | General | $100,000 |
| A Better Chance Ardmore, PA | General | $50,000 |
| Philabundance Philadelphia, PA | General | $50,000 |
| Planned Parenthood of Se Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA | General | $50,000 |
| Riverbend Environmental Education Center Gladwyne, PA | General | $50,000 |
| Women's Law Project Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA | General | $50,000 |
| Theatre Horizon Norristown, PA | General | $37,760 |
| Peter's Place Radnor, PA | General | $35,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Lily Foundation?
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 | $8,086,598 | $745,364 | $1,069,939 | $962,760 | 23 | $962,760 | $696,968 | $567,457 |
| 2023 | $8,411,173 | $391,666 | $919,635 | $820,000 | 23 | $820,000 | $300,986 | $534,812 |
| 2022 | $8,955,820 | $630,776 | $863,192 | $771,000 | 22 | $771,000 | $519,000 | $561,649 |
| 2021 | $9,188,236 | $985,168 | $769,574 | $675,850 | 20 | $675,850 | $862,846 | $623,193 |
| 2020 | $8,972,642 | $411,494 | $990,045 | $912,700 | 18 | — | $289,037 | $391,759 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lily Foundation reported a distributable amount of $567K 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
The foundation says it works toward a world in which people with mitochondrial disease have a voice, access to treatment and support, and ultimately a cure. Its research strategy emphasizes improving diagnosis and finding treatments. The foundation says its annual research call considers clinical and preclinical studies by UK-based researchers when the studies could realistically reduce symptoms, improve quality of life, or lengthen patients’ lives. It says applications are evaluated by an international expert peer-review panel using criteria that include patient benefit, scientific merit, research quality, and feasibility.
Its 2024 grants also went to organizations with other charitable missions. For example, Helpusadopt.org describes its work as awarding adoption grants; Philabundance says it works to address hunger and food waste; and A Better Chance says it seeks to increase the number of well-educated young people of color prepared for leadership roles. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 23 grants totaling $962,760. Grants ranged from $1,500 to $250,000, with a median of $30,000. The largest grants included $250,000 to Anthony Wayne Theater; $100,000 each to Germantown Academy and Helpusadopt.org; and $50,000 each to A Better Chance, Philabundance, Planned Parenthood of SE Pennsylvania, Riverbend Environmental Education Center, and Women’s Law Project Philadelphia. The listed grant purposes were “general.”
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Separately, its website describes an annual research funding call for UK-based researchers studying mitochondrial disease; it says studies are subject to expert peer review and must also be approved by the Health Research Authority.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Robert L McNeil III and Jane McNeil as trustees.
The Lily Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jane McNeil
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Robert L. McNeil III
Trustee
On filings since 2020
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 Lily Foundation
How much does The Lily Foundation give each year?
The Lily Foundation gave $963K across 23 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $820K across 23 grants.
What is The Lily Foundation's typical grant size?
The Lily Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $30,000, and its average grant was $41,859, across 23 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Lily Foundation that year got $44K on average.
Where does The Lily Foundation give grants?
The Lily Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 86% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (9 grants) and West Chester, PA (2 grants).
Does The Lily Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Lily Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (23 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Lily Foundation's largest grantees?
The Lily Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Anthony Wayne Theater ($250,000), Germantown Academy ($100,000) and Helpusadoptorg ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 47% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Lily Foundation?
The Lily Foundation reported $8.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $963K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $567K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Lily Foundation fund?
The foundation says it works toward a world in which people with mitochondrial disease have a voice, access to treatment and support, and ultimately a cure. Its research strategy emphasizes improving diagnosis and finding treatments. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Lily Foundation?
The Lily Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines. Check thelilyfoundation.org.uk for any change to that policy.
What is The Lily Foundation's EIN?
The Lily Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-6854621. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Lily 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 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Lily Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-lily-foundation-morg_b96e1787df26457a9a7fe96574df8487
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_526854621_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Lily Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-lily-foundation-morg_b96e1787df26457a9a7fe96574df8487},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Lily 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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