The Lester Family Foundation
The Lester Family Foundation is a private foundation based in La Jolla, California, established in 1994. It operates as a family foundation with limited staffing and focuses its philanthropic efforts on select charitable organizations.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$664K
+6.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$25K
-89.4% YoY
Grant Count
1
-88.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$25K
-4.5% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's giving priorities include:
- Education
- Human Services
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Primary geographic focus is Texas.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
Range:** Typical awards range from $5,000 to $1,000,000.
How to Apply
** The foundation operates on a preselected-only basis and does not accept unsolicited applications for funds.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in Texas.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of Fiscal Year 2024:
- Total Assets: $664,335
- Total Giving: $25,000
- Total Revenues: $65,895
- Total Expenses: $28,362
Revenue Composition (FY 2024):
- Investment income and dividends: $12,822
- Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets: $53,073
Staffing: The foundation has no paid employees.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $664,335 | $626,802 | $858,389 |
| Revenue | $65,895 | $15,143 | $37,985 |
| Expenses | $28,362 | $246,730 | $1,220,134 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $25,000 | $239,215 | $1,200,100 |
| Net Investment Income | $62,558 | $7,628 | $33,951 |
| Distributable Amount | $38,473 | $38,318 | $73,564 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 1 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
29 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
- Mary Lester – President (1 hour/week, $0 compensation)
- Kirk Lester – Treasurer (1 hour/week, $0 compensation)
Contact Information:
- Kirk Lester
- PO Box 2089
- La Jolla, CA 92038
- (310) 277-3373
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARY LESTER CO KIRK LESTER | PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| KIRK LESTER | TREASURER | 1 | — |
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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