The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc
The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Louisville, Kentucky. Its 2025 grants included support for universities, schools, and arts organizations, primarily in Kentucky.
Key facts about The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc
In short: The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc gave $741K across 26 grants in 2025 (avg $28K), mostly in Kentucky. 6% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 61-1189700
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $740,990
- Grants made (2025)
- 26
- Average grant
- $28,500
- Median grant
- $8,750
- New grantees (estimate)
- 6% first-time grantees (1 of 18, 2025)
- Total assets
- $553,578
- Primary geography
- Kentucky (94% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$554K
+104.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$741K
+0.1% YoY
Grant Count
26
+4.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$28K
-3.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $15K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
6%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 18 grantees (6%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $43K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 72% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 53% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants went to organizations whose work includes education and the arts. For example, West End School describes itself as a year-round boarding school for middle school boys, while Francis Parker School of Louisville describes its work as educating children from age 2 through grade 12. Bellarmine University says it provides undergraduate and graduate education in the liberal arts and professional studies. The Fund for the Arts describes its mission as contributing to the health of the arts community.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 26 grants totaling $740,990. The grants ranged from $200 to $300,000, with a median of $8,750. The largest listed grants were $300,000 to Northern KY University Foundation, $100,000 to the University of Kentucky, $50,000 to The Lexington Theatre Company, $50,000 to West End School, and $40,000 to Francis Parker School of Louisville. The listed purposes for these grants were general.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in Kentucky, 3% to New York, and 3% to Illinois. The filing also lists Pennsylvania and Connecticut at 0% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $483K (2022) to $741K (2025). In 2025 it made 26 grants totaling $741K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Northern KY University Foundation ($300K). Together the top 10 received $721K.
Grant Size Distribution
159 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 139 grants of 159 (87%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Northern KY University Foundation Highland Heights, KY | General | $300,000 |
| University of Kentucky Lexington, KY | General | $100,000 |
| The Lexington Theatre Company Georgetown, KY | General | $50,000 |
| West End School Louisville, KY | General | $50,000 |
| Francis Parker School of Louisville Louisville, KY | General | $40,000 |
| Bellarmine University Louisville, KY | General | $33,400 |
| Bellarmine University Louisville, NY | General | $25,000 |
| Catholic Education Foundation Louisville, KY | General | $25,000 |
| Northwestern Memorial Foundation Chicago, IL | General | $20,000 |
| University of Kentucky Lexington, KY | General | $15,600 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $740,990 | 26 |
| 2024 | $740,150 | 25 |
| 2023 | $696,200 | 34 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $553,578 | $271,223 | $660,829 |
| Revenue | $1,027,381 | $384,783 | $85,498 |
| Expenses | $745,026 | $774,554 | $749,751 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $740,990 | $740,150 | $696,200 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,053,396 | $165,264 | $452,255 |
| Distributable Amount | $14,686 | $55,998 | $77,619 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 2, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 3, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 19, 2026)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists W Bruce Lunsford as president/director, Mary B Ewing as secretary/treasurer, and Justin Vetter as director.
The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc is led by W. Bruce Lunsford, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
W. Bruce Lunsford
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Justin Vetter
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary B. Ewing
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$30K (2020) → $0 (2025)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $30K, to Mary B Ewing (Secretary/Treasurer).
Contact
Mailing address: 4360 Brownsboro Road 305, Louisville, KY 40207
Phone: (502) 357-7000
Frequently asked questions about The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc
How much does The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc give each year?
The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc gave $741K across 26 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $740K across 25 grants.
What is The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $8,750, and its average grant was $28,500, across 26 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc that year got $2K on average.
Where does The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc give grants?
The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc gives mostly in Kentucky: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Louisville, KY (14 grants) and Lexington, KY (6 grants).
Does The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (26 of 26) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Northern KY University Foundation ($300,000), University of Kentucky ($130,500 across 4 grants) and Bellarmine University ($58,900 across 3 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 66% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc?
The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc reported $554K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $741K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $15K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants went to organizations whose work includes education and the arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc?
The foundation states that it 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 W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc's EIN?
The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-1189700. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The W Bruce Lunsford Foundation Inc 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.
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