William L & Lesley H Collins
The William L & Lesley H Collins Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Naples, Florida, established in 1993 in New Jersey. The foundation operates as a family-controlled philanthropic organization with approximately $6 million in total assets, focusing on making cash contributions to organized charities across the United States.
Key facts about William L & Lesley H Collins
- EIN
- 52-1872190
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $457,550
- Grants made (2024)
- 34
- Average grant
- $13,457
- Median grant
- $1,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 59% first-time grantees (20 of 34, 2024)
- Total assets
- $5,944,212
- Primary geography
- New York (95% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Who William L & Lesley H Collins funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for William L & Lesley H Collins's 34 itemized 2024 grants were New York (95%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (5 grants), Naples, FL (4 grants), Jamaica, NY (3 grants) and District of Columbia, DC (3 grants). None of its 34 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Support the Mission of the Organization." (34 grants).
Is William L & Lesley H Collins open to new grantees?
59%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 20 of 34 grantees (59%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $22K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 29% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 35% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 131% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with William L & Lesley H Collins
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Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$5.9M
-1.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$458K
+17.1% YoY
Grant Count
34
+9.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$13K
+6.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, William L & Lesley H Collins reported a distributable amount of $357K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary activity is making charitable contributions to organized charities. Its funding interests span multiple sectors including:
- Arts and culture
- Education (with particular emphasis on higher education)
- Health
- Religion (with specific focus on Christianity and Catholicism)
- Human services
- Family services
- Child welfare
The foundation supports initiatives across numerous cities and states throughout the United States, with a particular emphasis on the Northeast region.
Grantmaking
The foundation demonstrates steady year-over-year growth, with a five-year growth rate of approximately 6 percent. Approximately 67 percent of grants go to new grantees, indicating openness to funding organizations not previously supported.
Grant Range
$100 to $67,000
Average Grant
amount varies by recipient
Ready to take the next step with William L & Lesley H Collins?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily supports organizations in the Northeast region, with documented giving to institutions in multiple states including New York, New Jersey, Florida, California, Colorado, Washington D.C., Georgia, Maryland, and Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 34 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2023):
- Total assets: $6,009,339
- Total revenues: $305,312
- Total expenses: $448,030
- Total liabilities: $0
Staffing:
- Number of employees: 0
The foundation maintains a lean operational structure with no paid staff, relying on family management.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,944,212 | $6,009,339 | $6,152,650 |
| Revenue | $477,726 | $305,312 | $180,305 |
| Expenses | $510,493 | $448,030 | $471,079 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $467,581 | $448,030 | $471,079 |
| Net Investment Income | $434,848 | $226,877 | $118,726 |
| Distributable Amount | $356,834 | $365,746 | $397,397 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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
172 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include St John's Univ - CPS Pledge ($370,000), St John's Univ - Pres Dinner ($25,000), Saint John's Univ - Kalenka Family Endowed Scholarship ($10,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ST JOHN'S UNIV - CPS PLEDGE Jamaica, NY | TO SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION. | $370,000 |
| ST JOHN'S UNIV - PRES DINNER Jamaica, NY | TO SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION. | $25,000 |
| SAINT JOHN'S UNIV - KALENKA FAMILY ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP Queens, NY | TO SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION. | $10,000 |
| SAINT JOHN'S UNIV - REV BRIAN J SHANLEY OP SCHOLARSHIP Queens, NY | TO SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION. | $10,000 |
| DWIGHT ENGLEWOOD SCHOOL Englewood, NJ | TO SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION. | $5,000 |
| HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH FOUNDATION Edison, NJ | TO SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION. | $5,000 |
| STRIVE New York, NY | TO SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION. | $5,000 |
| CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF NY - GALA New York, NY | TO SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION. | $2,500 |
| ROBIN HOOD FOUNDATION New York, NY | TO SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION. | $2,500 |
| TOMORROW'S HOPE FOUNDATION (NY) Uniondale, NY | TO SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION. | $2,500 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
William Collins serves as President of the foundation. The organization is managed by the Collins family, with other family members holding key positions. The foundation operates with no board member compensation.
Compensation Overview
No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.
From 2024 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Collins | President | 2 | — |
| Lesley Collins | Secretary | 1 | — |
| Brian Collins | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jennifer Collins | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Courtney Collins | Trustee | 1 | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does William L & Lesley H Collins fund?
The foundation's primary activity is making charitable contributions to organized charities. Its funding interests span multiple sectors including: • Arts and culture • Education (with particular emphasis on higher education) • Health • Religion (with specific focus on Christianity and Catholicism) • Human services • Family services • Child welfare The foundation supports initiatives across numerous cities and states throughout the United States, with a particular emphasis on the Northeast regi…
How do I apply for a grant from William L & Lesley H Collins?
**Grant Activity:** • Total giving over three years: $1.1 million • 2023 grants awarded: $390,700 across 51 grants • Typical grant range: $100 to $67,000 • Average grant amount varies by recipient **Recent Grantees (2023):** • UJA-Federation of New York: $10,000 • Dwight-Englewood School (D-E): $5,000 • STRIVE International: $5,000 The foundation demonstrates steady year-over-year growth, with a five-year growth rate of approximately 6 percent. Approximately 67 percent of grants go to new grant…
Where does William L & Lesley H Collins make grants?
The foundation primarily supports organizations in the Northeast region, with documented giving to institutions in multiple states including New York, New Jersey, Florida, California, Colorado, Washington D.C., Georgia, Maryland, and Virginia.
What size grants does William L & Lesley H Collins award?
In 2024, William L & Lesley H Collins awarded 34 grants totaling $458K — an average of about $13K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is William L & Lesley H Collins required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, William L & Lesley H Collins reported a distributable amount of $357K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is William L & Lesley H Collins's EIN?
William L & Lesley H Collins's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1872190. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.