The Lynton Foundation
The Lynton Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, New York. It makes grants to charitable organizations; its 2025 recipients included Columbia University, New Orleans Book Festival, The Abyssinian Baptist Church, and Target ALS.
The Lynton Foundation at a glance
In short: The Lynton Foundation gave $311K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $31K), mostly in New York. 70% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $311,100
- +32.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +150.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $31,110
- -46.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $8,800
- Total assets
- $10,447,216
- +16.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 70% first-time grantees (7 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (92% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Lynton Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Co Carol Lynton - 33 W 81St Street, New York, NY 10024
Phone: (212) 840-3456
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Lynton Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Columbia University ($220K). Together the top 10 received $311K.
Grant Size Distribution
65 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 49 grants of 65 (75%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York and 8% to recipients in Louisiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Lynton Foundation open to new grantees?
70%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 10 grantees (70%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $77K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 30% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 57% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 70% 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 (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $98K (2023) to $2.6M (2020). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $311K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia University New York, NY | Achieve Charitable Purpose | $220,000 |
| New Orleans Book Festival New Orleans, LA | Achieve Charitable Purpose | $25,000 |
| The Abyssinian Baptist Church New York, NY | Achieve Charitable Purpose | $16,000 |
| New York Society Library New York, NY | Achieve Charitable Purpose | $15,000 |
| Target ALS New York, NY | Achieve Charitable Purpose | $10,000 |
| The Association of Pangasinenses in America Fdn Inc (Apafi) Woodside, NY | Achieve Charitable Purpose | $7,600 |
| Westchester Book Festival Katonah, NY | Achieve Charitable Purpose | $7,500 |
| Women in Need New York, NY | Achieve Charitable Purpose | $5,000 |
| Snack and Friends Inc New York, NY | Achieve Charitable Purpose | $2,500 |
| St Ann and St Lucy Catholic Church New York, NY | Achieve Charitable Purpose | $2,500 |
Ready to take the next step with The Lynton 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 | $10,447,216 | $1,418,409 | $347,589 | $311,100 | 10 | $315,898 | $488,865 | $451,567 |
| 2024 | $8,982,210 | $1,269,727 | $260,650 | $234,000 | 4 | $240,400 | $321,545 | $402,989 |
| 2023 | $8,377,429 | $1,152,590 | $120,685 | $98,041 | 9 | $104,215 | $213,932 | $334,510 |
| 2022 | $6,044,831 | $1,178,139 | $732,035 | $719,409 | 15 | $720,159 | $153,426 | $329,462 |
| 2021 | $10,365,279 | $1,785,693 | $1,640,227 | $1,613,633 | 27 | $1,613,733 | $843,772 | $538,985 |
| 2020 | $10,589,156 | $4,429,061 | $2,633,781 | $2,594,758 | 44 | — | $1,053,926 | $325,904 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lynton Foundation reported a distributable amount of $452K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $311,100. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $220,000, with a median of $8,800. The largest grants were $220,000 to Columbia University, $25,000 to New Orleans Book Festival, $16,000 to The Abyssinian Baptist Church, $15,000 to New York Society Library, and $10,000 to Target ALS. The stated purpose for each was “achieve charitable purpose.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Carol Lynton and Michael Lynton as trustees.
The Lynton Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Carol Lynton
Trustee
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Lynton
Trustee
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Lynton Foundation
How much does The Lynton Foundation give each year?
The Lynton Foundation gave $311K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $234K across 4 grants.
What is The Lynton Foundation's typical grant size?
The Lynton Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $8,800, and its average grant was $31,110, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Lynton Foundation that year got $12K on average.
Where does The Lynton Foundation give grants?
The Lynton Foundation gives mostly in New York: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Louisiana (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (7 grants).
Who are The Lynton Foundation's largest grantees?
The Lynton Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Columbia University ($220,000), New Orleans Book Festival ($25,000) and The Abyssinian Baptist Church ($16,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 84% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Lynton Foundation?
The Lynton Foundation reported $10.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $316K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $452K (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.
How do I apply for a grant from The Lynton Foundation?
The foundation 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 Lynton Foundation's EIN?
The Lynton Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3743511. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Lynton Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
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