The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc
The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Founded in 1987 by financier and entrepreneur Reginald F. Lewis, it says its goal is to advance economic and social justice, particularly for African-American youth, by investing in youth and expanding opportunity.
The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc gave $895K across 58 grants in 2025 (avg $15K), top state Maryland. 44% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $895,180
- +45.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 58
- -4.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $15,434
- +53.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $24,895,423
- +3.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 44% first-time grantees (25 of 57, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (49% 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 Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Its filing says to submit a grant request in writing; awards are restricted to 501(c)(3) charitable organizations that are public charities.
- Review Cycle
- None listed.
- Deadline
- None listed.
- Contact
Application contact: The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc
Mailing address: 115 East 57Th Street, New York, NY 10022
Phone: (212) 756-8900
Website: https://reginaldflewis.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Barack Obama Foundation ($180K). Together the top 10 received $516K.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($78,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
285 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 271 grants of 285 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 49% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland, 25% to New York, 20% to Washington, D.C., and 2% each to Massachusetts and Nebraska. The foundation’s website also describes support for organizations and programs beyond the United States.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 58 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
44%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 25 of 57 grantees (44%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $21K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 44% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 60% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 74% 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 (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $614K (2024) to $2.2M (2022). In 2025 it made 58 grants totaling $895K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Barack Obama Foundation Washington, DC | Support the foundation's programs, especially those of youth and citizen engagement | $180,000 |
| The Loyola School Baltimore, MD | Educate Baltimore City Children of Slender Means | $79,500 |
| 2 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $78,000 |
| Maryland African American Museum Corporation Baltimore, MD | Support for Museum Programs | $53,500 |
| National Urban League New York, NY | Community Action | $50,000 |
| University of Baltimore Baltimore, MD | Support Students | $27,000 |
| Dance Theatre of Harlem New York, NY | Support Children's Programs | $25,680 |
| Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater New York, NY | Support the Ailey Dance Camp for Students | $25,000 |
| Innovation Works Baltimore, MD | Address persistent poverty across baltimore and support transformative solutions for same | $25,000 |
| Mercy Health Foundation Baltimore, MD | Support the Mead Maternal Health Program | $25,000 |
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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 | $24,895,423 | $2,135,287 | $1,380,144 | $895,180 | 58 | $1,141,715 | $1,924,878 | $1,537,995 |
| 2024 | $24,140,280 | $1,828,355 | $1,063,847 | $613,945 | 61 | $877,518 | $1,633,571 | $1,426,197 |
| 2023 | $23,375,772 | $926,148 | $1,324,012 | $626,850 | 48 | $1,124,568 | $740,496 | $1,346,751 |
| 2022 | $23,773,636 | $2,670,360 | $2,692,772 | $2,214,350 | 54 | $2,404,562 | $2,421,691 | $1,592,601 |
| 2021 | $23,796,048 | $3,888,214 | $1,366,267 | $1,012,000 | 64 | — | $3,672,702 | $1,522,742 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $1.5M 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 stated mission is to be a force for economic and social justice in the United States and beyond, particularly for African-American youth. It says it seeks to address the consequences and legacy of institutional discrimination by investing in youth.
Its grants include support for education, youth programs, arts and culture, health, community action and neighborhood development. Among supported organizations, the Children’s Orchestra Society describes its mission as teaching children music through education, instruction and performance opportunities; Dance Theatre of Harlem says it enriches the lives of young people and adults through the arts. Innovation Works describes its work as developing sustainable neighborhood economies and supporting social enterprises and family-wage jobs. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 58 grants totaling $895,180. Awards ranged from $400 to $180,000, with a median grant of $5,000. In 2024, it reported 61 grants totaling $613,945; in 2023, 48 grants totaling $626,850.
Among the largest reported grants in 2025 were $180,000 to the Barack Obama Foundation for its programs, especially youth and citizen engagement; $79,500 to The Loyola School to educate Baltimore City children of slender means; $75,000 to an individual recipient Loyola Academy for its scholarship program; $53,500 to the Maryland African American Museum Corporation for museum programs; and $50,000 to the National Urban League for community action. Other 2025 grants included $27,000 to the University of Baltimore to support students and $25,000 each to Mercy Health Foundation, OrchKids, Innovation Works and the Second Chance College Program.
The foundation also announced a $5 million commitment to the Barack Obama Foundation in 2022 to support its programs, including My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, the Girls Opportunity Alliance and the Obama Presidential Center. It reports having given $30 million in grants since its founding, as of December 2019.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Loida N. Lewis as chair; Christina Lewis Halpern as vice chair and treasurer; Beverly A. Cooper as vice president and secretary; and Anthony S. Fugett as director.
The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc is led by Loida N. Lewis, Chair since 2025 (on filings since 2021); 1 of 4 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Loida N. Lewis
Chair
Chair & Director → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anthony S. Fugett
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Beverly A. Cooper
Vice President & Secretary
Vice President Secretary & Director → Vice President & Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2021
37.5 hrs/week
$112K (2021) → $175K (2025)
Christina Lewis Halpern
Vice Chair & Treasurer
Treasurer & Director → Director, 2024
Director → Vice Chair & Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $175K, to Beverly a Cooper (VP & Secretary).
Frequently asked questions about The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc
How much does The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc give each year?
The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc gave $895K across 58 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $614K across 61 grants.
What is The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $15,434, across 58 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc that year got $9K on average.
Where does The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc give grants?
The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc's top state is Maryland, with 49% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (25%) and District of Columbia (20%). The most frequent recipient cities were Baltimore, MD (22 grants), New York, NY (17 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants) and Chicago, IL (2 grants).
Does The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Occasionally: 2% of The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 58) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include The Barack Obama Foundation ($180,000), The Loyola School ($79,500) and Maryland African American Museum Corporation ($53,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($78,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc?
The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc reported $24.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.5M (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.
What does The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to be a force for economic and social justice in the United States and beyond, particularly for African-American youth. It says it seeks to address the consequences and legacy of institutional discrimination by investing in youth. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc?
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3429965. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 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 May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-reginald-f-lewis-foundation-inc-morg_50787359ffc1448a8909e7e8c7984fb8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133429965_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-reginald-f-lewis-foundation-inc-morg_50787359ffc1448a8909e7e8c7984fb8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc'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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