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Tw Lewis Foundation

SCOTTSDALE, AZ EIN: 86-0989236 Website

The T.W. Lewis Foundation is a private, independent 501(c)(3) foundation based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Established in 2000 by Tom Lewis and his wife Jan, the foundation operates as a grantmaking organization with no direct charitable activities. The foundation was granted tax-exempt status in May 2002.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$10.2M

-20.5% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.4M

+27.8% YoY

Grant Count

56

+12.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$43K

+14.1% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Tw Lewis Foundation reported a distributable amount of $553K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

Mission Statement: The purpose of the T.W. Lewis Foundation is to help children and families in need, impact youth through Christian education, support civic minded causes in our community, strengthen America, and build God's Kingdom.

Core Values: The foundation operates according to six core values:

  • Honesty – Telling the truth, not cheating or stealing, being honest in all interactions
  • Integrity – Showing consistent character in words and actions by saying what is believed and doing what is said
  • Hard work – Going the extra mile voluntarily to get the job done right and working with a sense of urgency
  • Reliability – Making good on commitments, following up as expected, and being dependable
  • Achievement – Setting goals, striving to improve, and getting results
  • Compassion – Understanding other people's point of view by showing empathy, decency, and kindness for others

Primary Funding Areas: The foundation primarily funds general purpose grants with focus areas including education, human services, human rights, social justice, and higher education. The foundation makes no program-related investments and carries on no direct charitable activities.

Grantmaking

The foundation reports that all administrative expenses are allocated to grantmaking activities, with other expenses properly allocated to investment activities.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds nonprofit organizations in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area. However, grantmaking also extends to organizations in Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Grant Distribution by State

22states
+14 more states

Cities

AlexandriaArlingtonAtlantaAvondaleCave CreekChandlerChapel HillDallasDaytonGig HarborGilbertGlendaleGoodyearHillsdaleHockessinIndianapolisKansas CityLexingtonLouisvilleMerrifield

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

  • Total Assets: $10,183,302
  • Total Revenues: $559,430
  • Total Expenses: $3,193,781
  • Total Liabilities: $10,000

Historical Data (2023):

  • Revenue: $2.08M
  • Expenses: $2.71M
  • Total Assets: $12.8M
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$1M$3M$4M$5M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$10,183,302$12,803,499$14,496,094
Revenue$559,430$2,075,161$1,297,457
Expenses$3,193,781$2,712,174$2,098,066
Qualifying Distributions$3,190,252$2,710,802$2,041,952
Net Investment Income$548,454$2,063,040$1,221,446
Distributable Amount$553,443$654,081$759,824

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$1M$2M$3M$4M43 grants202048 grants202147 grants202250 grants202356 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

ST VINCENT DE PAUL$110KVALLEYWISE$101KALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM$100KAMERICA FIRST POLICY INS…$100KAMERICAN STUDIO$100KCONSERVATIVE PARTNERSHIP…$100KHERITAGE FOUNDATION$100KPHOENIX RESCUE MISSION$70KARIZONA FRIENDS OF FOSTE…$60KYOUNG AMERICA'S FOUNDATION$60K

Grant Size Distribution

238 grants across all recorded years

146<$50K52$50–100K34$100–250K4$250–500K1$500K–1M1$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include St Vincent De Paul ($110,000), Valleywise ($100,600), Alliance Defending Freedom ($100,000).

RecipientPurposeAmount
ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM SCOTTSDALE, AZGENERAL PURPOSE$100,000
AMERICA FIRST POLICY INSTITUTE ARLINGTON, VAGENERAL PURPOSE$100,000
AMERICAN PHILANTHROPIC HOCKESSIN, DEGENERAL PURPOSE$10,000
AMERICAN STUDIO GIG HARBOR, WAGENERAL PURPOSE$100,000
ARIZONA FRIENDS OF FOSTER CHILDREN FOUNDATION PHOENIX, AZGENERAL PURPOSE$60,000
ARIZONA HELPING HANDS SCOTTSDALE, AZGENERAL PURPOSE$50,000
BALLET ARIZONA PHOENIX, AZGENERAL PURPOSE$10,000
CENTER FOR THE RIGHTS OF ABUSED CHILDREN PHOENIX, AZGENERAL PURPOSE$30,000
CHAMA PEAK LAND ALLIANCE PAGOSA SPRINGS, COGENERAL PURPOSE$10,000
CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF PHOENIX PHOENIX, AZWIC PROGRAM$25,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Tom Lewis founded the T.W. Lewis Company in 1991 and established the T.W. Lewis Foundation in 2000 with his wife Jan. The foundation is guided by Tom Lewis's core values and philosophy of treating people with respect, dealing honestly and fairly, being courteous and trustworthy, and keeping commitments.

Contact Information:

Staff: The foundation operates with 2 employees.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

DANA FINGLETONDIRECTOR$14K

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
THOMAS LEWIS SRCHAIRMAN2
JANET LEWISVICE PRESIDENT1
JOHN JACKSONTREASURER1
NICOLE HOPLINDIRECTOR1
JEREMY BEERDIRECTOR1
DANA FINGLETONDIRECTOR4$14,000

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The T.W. Lewis Foundation has made a substantial gift to Grand Canyon University to support a new student success center. The foundation has also been active in raising funds to help those in need, raising over $50,000 for community support initiatives.

Grand Canyon University receives substantial gift from T.W. Lewis Foundation

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Tw Lewis Foundation fund?

**Mission Statement:** The purpose of the T.W. Lewis Foundation is to help children and families in need, impact youth through Christian education, support civic minded causes in our community, strengthen America, and build God's Kingdom. **Core Values:** The foundation operates according to six core values: • Honesty – Telling the truth, not cheating or stealing, being honest in all interactions • Integrity – Showing consistent character in words and actions by saying what is believed and doin…

How do I apply for a grant from Tw Lewis Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Made 43 grants in 2024 • Total giving in 2024: $2,405,269 • Typical award range: $100,000–$400,000 **Recent Grants (2024):** • The Society of St Vincent de Paul Phoenix Diocesan Council (SVdP): $110,000 (General Purpose) • The Heritage Foundation: $100,000 (General Purpose) • Alliance Defending Freedom: $100,000 (General Purpose) The foundation reports that all administrative expenses are allocated to grantmaking activities, with other expenses properly allocated to invest…

Where does Tw Lewis Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds nonprofit organizations in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area. However, grantmaking also extends to organizations in Virginia and the District of Columbia.

What size grants does Tw Lewis Foundation award?

In 2024, Tw Lewis Foundation awarded 56 grants totaling $2.4M — an average of about $43K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Tw Lewis Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Tw Lewis Foundation reported a distributable amount of $553K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Tw Lewis Foundation's EIN?

Tw Lewis Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 86-0989236. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Explore Open Grants

Browse active grant opportunities in Tw Lewis Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database

Related Funders

Similar funders by location and focus area

Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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