The Louise R Lester Foundation Inc
The Louise R Lester Foundation Inc is a private family foundation established in 2002 and based in Roanoke, Virginia. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to philanthropic grantmaking across multiple states in the Southeast and beyond.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$13.3M
-0.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$634K
+0.1% YoY
Grant Count
39
-9.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$16K
+10.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary funding interests include:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
- STEM Education
- Youth Education
- Environmental Education
- Scholarships and Higher Education
The foundation supports general operating support, educational programs, and specialized initiatives including the Seeds Project, Young Audiences Program, Young Life Summer Camp, Virtual Get Schooled Program, and TAP Tax Clinic.
Grantmaking
The foundation reports being open to new applicants.
Grant Range
** $500 to $75,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily supports organizations in:
- Virginia
- North Carolina
- West Virginia
- Idaho
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $13,318,525 to $13,374,043 (as of 2023-2024)
Annual Giving: $634,040 (2024)
Revenue: $512,837 (2023)
Expenses: $938,919 (2023)
Investment Income: $393,105 (2023)
Giving Rate: 5.9%
Number of Employees: 1 (B.J. Robertson, Executive Director)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $13,318,525 | $13,374,043 | $13,795,978 |
| Revenue | $890,859 | $512,837 | $479,468 |
| Expenses | $946,084 | $938,919 | $1,035,967 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $805,859 | $799,000 | $874,805 |
| Net Investment Income | $756,549 | $375,377 | $344,164 |
| Distributable Amount | $753,533 | $718,346 | $750,233 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
232 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Louise R Lester Foundation Inc
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Elaine R. Zopp – President (5 hours/week)
- Barry Robertson – Vice President (1 hour/week)
- B.J. Robertson – Executive Director (40 hours/week, $96,082 annual compensation)
- Suzanne R. Jones – Director (1 hour/week)
- Laura B. Robertson – Director (1 hour/week)
- Lindsey A. Coley – Secretary (1 hour/week)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELAINE R ZOPP | PRESIDENT | 5 | — |
| BARRY ROBERTSON | VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| B J ROBERTSON | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $100,843 |
| SUZANNE R JONES | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LAURA B ROBERTSON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LINDSEY A COLEY | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has made recent grants supporting food insecurity initiatives at Beaufort County Community College and provided scholarship funding to students. The foundation has also awarded grants to animal welfare organizations, including the SPCA of Martinsville Henry County, and continues to support educational expansion projects through organizations like the Frankie Lemmon Foundation.
The Louise R Lester Foundation Inc | CandidContact Information
Website: LRLFOUNDATION.ORG
Address: 3130 Chaparral Drive, Suite 108, Roanoke, VA 24018-4369
Phone: 540-595-7876
EIN: 54-2036566
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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