The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation
The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation is a private foundation based in Tucson, Arizona. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, most of them in Arizona.
The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation at a glance
In short: The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation gave $495K across 61 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in Arizona. 59% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $495,350
- +288.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 61
- +69.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $8,120
- +129.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $1,444,243
- -12.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 59% first-time grantees (36 of 61, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Arizona (75% 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 Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 6444 N Desert Wind Circle, Tucson, AZ 85750
Phone: (312) 368-1111
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Lutheran Social Services ($56K). Together the top 10 received $346K.
Grant Size Distribution
241 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 237 grants of 241 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Arizona organizations received 75% of grant dollars. Other listed recipient states were New York (8%), Ohio (4%), Washington, D.C. (3%), and Illinois (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 61 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation open to new grantees?
59%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 36 of 61 grantees (59%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 38% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 793% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 140% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $56K (2022) to $495K (2025). In 2025 it made 61 grants totaling $495K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lutheran Social Services Phoenix, AZ | General | $56,000 |
| University of AZ Foundation Tuscon, AZ | General | $55,000 |
| Scholarship a-Z Tucson, AZ | General | $50,000 |
| John Valenzuela Youth Center Tucson, AZ | General | $50,000 |
| Higher Ground Tucson, AZ | General | $30,000 |
| Lead Guitar Tucson, AZ | General | $30,000 |
| Flowing Wells Foundation Tucson, AZ | General | $30,000 |
| Step Student Expedition Program Tucson, AZ | General | $30,000 |
| Flagstaff Family Food Center Flagstaff, AZ | General | $7,500 |
| Flagstaff Shelter Services Flagstaff, AZ | General | $7,500 |
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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 | $1,444,243 | $351,769 | $551,562 | $495,350 | 61 | $537,961 | $20,668 | $384,050 |
| 2024 | $1,644,036 | $1,020,865 | $169,586 | $127,500 | 36 | $158,593 | $57,872 | $103,495 |
| 2023 | $792,757 | $3,771 | $97,209 | $86,500 | 41 | $86,500 | $9,465 | $63,246 |
| 2022 | $886,195 | $31,761 | $64,265 | $55,500 | 46 | $55,500 | $31,761 | $65,442 |
| 2021 | $918,699 | $119,027 | $75,135 | $65,100 | 57 | — | $119,027 | $64,219 |
| 2020 | $874,807 | $51,440 | $68,292 | $61,500 | 37 | — | $51,440 | $58,709 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation reported a distributable amount of $384K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations working in education, youth development, arts, food assistance, shelter, and humanitarian services. These are examples of grantees’ work, not stated foundation priorities. STEP Student Expedition Program describes its mission as helping underserved Arizona students enroll in and graduate from college. Lead Guitar says it provides free in-school guitar programs for students facing socioeconomic challenges or other barriers. Flagstaff Family Food Center describes its mission as “neighbors feeding neighbors, every day,” while Flagstaff Shelter Services says it offers shelter and pathways to dignity for people experiencing homelessness.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 61 grants totaling $495,350. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $56,000, with a median of $2,500.
Among the largest reported grants were $56,000 to Lutheran Social Services, $55,000 to University of AZ Foundation, $50,000 each to Scholarship A-Z and John Valenzuela Youth Center, and $30,000 each to Higher Ground, Lead Guitar, Flowing Wells Foundation, and STEP Student Expedition Program. Other reported grants included $7,500 each to Flagstaff Family Food Center and Flagstaff Shelter Services, and $5,000 to Heartland Human Care Services.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Philip J Lyons as president and treasurer, Carol J Lyons as secretary and vice president, and Michael Solheim as director.
The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation is led by Philip J. Lyons, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Philip J. Lyons
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Solheim
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carol J. Lyons
Secretary & V.p
On filings since 2020
5 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 Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation
How much does The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation give each year?
The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation gave $495K across 61 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $128K across 36 grants.
What is The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation's typical grant size?
The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $8,120, across 61 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation that year got $12K on average.
Where does The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation give grants?
The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation gives mostly in Arizona: 75% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Tucson, AZ (9 grants), Flagstaff, AZ (6 grants), New York, NY (6 grants) and Washington, DC (6 grants).
Does The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (61 of 61) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation's largest grantees?
The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Lutheran Social Services ($56,000), University of AZ Foundation ($55,000) and Scholarship a-Z ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation?
The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $538K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $384K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations working in education, youth development, arts, food assistance, shelter, and humanitarian services. These are examples of grantees’ work, not stated foundation priorities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation's EIN?
The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3488076. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Philip J & Carol J Lyons 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-philip-j-and-carol-j-lyons-foundation-morg_ecc5dae597994981ad402cec2424e253
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363488076_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Philip J \& Carol J Lyons Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-philip-j-and-carol-j-lyons-foundation-morg_ecc5dae597994981ad402cec2424e253},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Philip J & Carol J Lyons 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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