The Lyman Family Foundation
The Lyman Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Rancho Santa Fe, California. It makes grants to charitable organizations; its 2025 grants were predominantly to organizations in California.
The Lyman Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Lyman Family Foundation gave $87K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in California. 36% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $86,656
- +40.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- +40.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,190
- +0.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,218,174
- +0.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (5 of 14, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (99% 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 Lyman Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 676046, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067
Phone: (858) 695-2001
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Lyman Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance ($27K). Together the top 10 received $85K.
Grant Size Distribution
54 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 54 grants of 54 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 1% to recipients in Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Lyman Family Foundation open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 14 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $7K repeat.
- 50% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 140% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 182% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $33K (2020) to $87K (2025). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $87K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance San Diego, CA | Wildlife Grant | $27,000 |
| Horizon Christian Fellowship Rancho Santa Fe, CA | Religious Grant | $12,000 |
| San Diego Rescue Mission San Diego, CA | Religious Grant | $10,000 |
| PROMISES2KIDS San Diego, CA | General Grant | $9,000 |
| Axeals Foundation San Pedro, CA | Health Grant | $7,500 |
| The Old Globe San Diego, CA | Arts Grant | $7,156 |
| Manchester Family Foundation San Diego, CA | General Grant | $5,000 |
| San Diego Symphony San Diego, CA | Arts Grant | $5,000 |
| Abraham Path Initiation Newtown, PA | Wildlife Grant | $1,000 |
| Trojan League of SD Los Angeles, CA | General Grant | $1,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Lyman Family 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,218,174 | $810,537 | $89,531 | $86,656 | 14 | $88,093 | $809,099 | $48,300 |
| 2024 | $1,213,178 | $151,010 | $65,400 | $61,700 | 10 | $63,550 | $149,160 | $33,695 |
| 2023 | $748,992 | $160,584 | $53,184 | $50,500 | 12 | $51,842 | $159,242 | $29,776 |
| 2022 | $611,704 | $-246,492 | $38,275 | $36,050 | 8 | $37,163 | $1,068 | $30,867 |
| 2021 | $728,334 | $-208,145 | $44,975 | $42,750 | 10 | $43,862 | — | $38,473 |
| 2020 | $656,217 | $-75,219 | $35,185 | $33,250 | 7 | — | $33,844 | $23,292 |
| 2019 | $470,357 | $-135,089 | $57,360 | $53,450 | 13 | — | $2,601 | $32,905 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lyman Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $48K 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 2024 filing describes its direct charitable activity as grantmaking. Its 2025 grants included purposes identified as wildlife, religious, general, health, and arts grants.
Among its 2025 grantees, the San Diego Rescue Mission says its mission is to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness through a holistic approach to rehabilitation and recovery. axeALS Foundation says it raises awareness and funding for patient-centered ALS treatment and a cure. CUREBOUND says it accelerates cancer research and invests in adult and pediatric cancer research. The CHP 11-99 Foundation says it provides benefits to California Highway Patrol employees and scholarships to their dependents. Seacrest Foundation says it supports services for San Diego County’s elderly community.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $86,656 in 14 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $27,000, with a median of $5,000. Larger grants included $27,000 to San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, $12,000 to Horizon Christian Fellowship, $10,000 to San Diego Rescue Mission, $9,000 to Promises2Kids, $7,500 to axeALS Foundation, and $7,156 to The Old Globe.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Steven A. Lyman is listed as president on the 2025 filing.
The Lyman Family Foundation is led by Steven A. Lyman, President on every filing since 2019 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Steven A. Lyman
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Vicki Jo Lyman (2019–2022) — CFO & Secretary
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Lyman Family Foundation
How much does The Lyman Family Foundation give each year?
The Lyman Family Foundation gave $87K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $62K across 10 grants.
What is The Lyman Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Lyman Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $6,190, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Lyman Family Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does The Lyman Family Foundation give grants?
The Lyman Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Diego, CA (8 grants).
Does The Lyman Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 36% of The Lyman Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (5 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Health Grant" (3 grants).
Who are The Lyman Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Lyman Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance ($27,000), Horizon Christian Fellowship ($12,000) and San Diego Rescue Mission ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Lyman Family Foundation?
The Lyman Family Foundation reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $88K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $48K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Lyman Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes its direct charitable activity as grantmaking. Its 2025 grants included purposes identified as wildlife, religious, general, health, and arts grants. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Lyman Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Lyman Family Foundation's EIN?
The Lyman Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-2019997. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Lyman Family 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 18, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 7, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 8, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Lyman Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Lyman Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-lyman-family-foundation-morg_64e69854ad62487093f43904e4b8defc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_202019997_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Lyman Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-lyman-family-foundation-morg_64e69854ad62487093f43904e4b8defc},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Lyman Family 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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