W L Lyons Brown Jr Charitable Foundation
The W L Lyons Brown Jr Charitable Foundation is a private, family-led charitable foundation based in Louisville, Kentucky. Established in 1994, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization dedicated to philanthropic giving across the United States.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$35.7M
-2.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$4.8M
+9.6% YoY
Grant Count
65
-23.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$74K
+43.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation supports diverse initiatives across multiple subject areas, including Education, Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking, and Human Services. The foundation does not specify particular subject areas of exclusive focus, maintaining a broad approach to charitable giving.
Grantmaking
The foundation distributes approximately $4.3 to $4.8 million annually. Grant awards typically range from $100 to $1,466,836, with significant variation in award sizes. The foundation's grantmaking activity reflects consistent annual distributions, with recent fiscal year expenses of approximately $4.65 million.
Ready to take the next step with W L Lyons Brown Jr Charitable Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports initiatives across a wide geographic area throughout the United States, including major urban centers such as New York City, Miami, and Denver, as well as smaller communities. States with documented funding activity include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, and Wyoming.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $35.7 to $36.7 million
Annual Giving: $4.3 to $4.8 million
Annual Revenue: Approximately $4.33 million (2023)
Annual Expenses: Approximately $4.65 million (2023)
Total Liabilities: $0 (2023)
The foundation maintains a healthy financial position with no outstanding liabilities and consistent annual distributions relative to its asset base.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $35,719,942 | $36,709,037 | $37,057,691 |
| Revenue | $4,094,018 | $4,328,534 | $3,809,459 |
| Expenses | $5,080,737 | $4,654,484 | $5,678,553 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $4,836,097 | $4,417,172 | $5,383,931 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,922,178 | $4,148,628 | $3,598,416 |
| Distributable Amount | $4,204,997 | $4,867,449 | $5,326,869 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation is led by a family board of directors serving without compensation:
- Alice Cary Brown — President and Director
- Stuart R. Brown — Secretary/Treasurer
Additional family members serve on the board.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALICE CARY BROWN | PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| STUART R BROWN | SECRETARY/TREASURER | 5 | — |
| WL LYONS BROWN III | DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| A CARY BROWN EPSTEIN | DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| WL LYONS BROWN JRDEC'D 692024 | DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with W L Lyons Brown Jr Charitable Foundation on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
- Monitor for new funding opportunities