Kentucky · Public charity
Lee Initiative Inc
Administer programs that provide continuing education, job training, mentorship, leadership opportunities and resources to independent restaurant operators and employees. Provide direct relief and resources to our community.
- $2.3M
- Granted FY2024(still arriving)
- 45
- Grants FY2024
- 66
- Organizations funded FY2023
- 91%
- First-time grantees FY2023
- Median grant, FY2024
- $20,000
- Largest grant, FY2024
- $1,464,184
- Organizations funded a year
- 27 to 88
- FY2020 to FY2023
- States reached, FY2024
- 17
- Total assets, FY2024
- $261k
How open it is to new grantees
In FY2023, 91% of the organizations Lee Initiative Inc funded were first-time grantees, receiving 89% of its grant dollars.
New vs renewed · share of each year
In FY2023, 11% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $901k went to new ones.
RenewedFirst-time
Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant
ReligionHuman ServicesPublic BenefitMembership BenefitOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.
The numbers by year
| Fiscal year | Organizations funded | To those organizations | First-time grantees |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024still arriving | 45 | $2.3M | 98% |
| FY2023 | 66 | $1.0M | 91% |
| FY2022 | 65 | $1.1M | 100% |
| FY2021 | 88 | $1.3M | 100% |
| FY2020 | 27 | $1.3M | n/a |
100% classified
What it funded, over time
Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2020 to 2024.
Civil Rights$4.0MEducation$1.5MFood & Nutrition$1.3MEmployment$151kPublic Safety & Disaster$43kReligion$15kCommunity Improvement$11kHuman Services$10kOther$0
Where its grants go
Grant dollars by states, across the years we hold.
Which US states its grants reach
WA
IL
WI
MI
NY
MA
IN
OH
PA
NJ
RI
CA
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
AZ
AR
TN
NC
SC
DC
OK
LA
AL
GA
TX
FL
Top grantees
Largest recipients by total granted, FY2020 to FY2024, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.
| Grantee | Total granted | Years | Share of their budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| M Frances Inc | $1,464,184 | 1 | 83% |
| Lee Initiative Inc | $151,467 | 1 | 2% |
| 610 Magnolia | $122,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Great Bagel | $89,604 | 1 | n/a |
| El Mimomex Farm Corp | $67,127 | 1 | n/a |
| The Historic Magnolia House | $60,000 | 3 | n/a |
| Florida Avenue Grill LLC | $45,000 | 2 | n/a |
| Christon Enterprises | $37,295 | 1 | n/a |
| Kah Legacy Enterprise | $35,000 | 2 | n/a |
| Dozzy's LLC | $30,000 | 2 | n/a |
Show all 264 grantees
| Grantee | Total granted | Years | Share of their budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| M Frances Inc | $1,464,184 | 1 | 83% |
| Lee Initiative Inc | $151,467 | 1 | 2% |
| 610 Magnolia | $122,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Great Bagel | $89,604 | 1 | n/a |
| El Mimomex Farm Corp | $67,127 | 1 | n/a |
| The Historic Magnolia House | $60,000 | 3 | n/a |
| Florida Avenue Grill LLC | $45,000 | 2 | n/a |
| Christon Enterprises | $37,295 | 1 | n/a |
| Kah Legacy Enterprise | $35,000 | 2 | n/a |
| Dozzy's LLC | $30,000 | 2 | n/a |
| Rich Taste | $30,000 | 2 | n/a |
| Amarachi Inc | $30,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Jade Jamaican Grill Inc | $29,000 | 2 | n/a |
| Owens Grocery Market & Deli | $25,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Tricks Bbq | $25,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Everett and Jones Bbq International | $25,000 | 1 | n/a |
| New Olde Towne Inn | $25,000 | 1 | n/a |
| The Famous Shabazz Seafood Restaurant | $25,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Receptions for You | $25,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Hp53 LLC | $25,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Dayosense Catering | $25,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Mr Everything Super Deli | $25,000 | 1 | n/a |
| James H Jones | $25,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Glady's Kitchen | $25,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Woodspoon | $25,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Soul Veg City | $25,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Woof's Sports Bar | $25,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Hoover's Cooking | $25,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Sugar Euphoria | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Miss Crumpy's | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Carter Investments dba Feast & Imbibe | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Alcenia's Dessert & Preserves Shop | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Vinateria | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Suga's Cakery | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Wrap-A-Lot Fresh Express | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Off the Bone Barbaque | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| US Up North | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Neutral Ground Chatt | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| The Four Way LLC | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Stack House | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Blak Koffee Internet Cafe LLC | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Red Hog LLC | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Meeks Vegan Pizza LLC | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| The Blue Flamingo Sports Bar and Gr | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Tasteful Vegan | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Chicago's House of Hoagies | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Payne's Barbecue | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Anomoly Catering Dba Yo Mamas Kitch | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| The Black Leaf Tea and Culture Shop | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Eddie's Retaurant LLC | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Luella's Southern Kitchen | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Addis Nola | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Raslie's Cuisine | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Sugar Hill Creamery | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Ohio Wagyu Beef - Sakura | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Woodstone Bakery and Cafe | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Down North Pizza | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Lannie's B-B-Que | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Roux Orleans | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Gay Hawk Restaurant & Bobo's Catering Service | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Hometown Bbq | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Lagniappe Bakehouse | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Rize Up Bakery | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Wadada Natural Foods Juice Bar | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Daddy's Soul Food and Grille | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Byron Hospitality | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Demera Ethiopian Restaurant | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Sweet Potato Sensations | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Melee Inc Dba Cane St James | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Rojo Roastery | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Bug Lady's Fry Joint | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Montclair Diner | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Step by Step Catering Inc | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Focus Group Inc | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Aunt Floras Cobbler Pie Company | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Boricua Soul | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Willows and Pine Restaurant | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Halcyon Patisserie | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Sweet Home Jamaica | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Brandon Byrd Dba Goodies Frozen Custard & Treats LLC | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Five Twenty Wings | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Cornrow Htx (Bloom Foods) | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Justice of the Pier | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Julia's Catering | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Cafe Colucci | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Forsyth Seafood Market & Grill Inc | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Hot and Cool Inc | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Auntie Kim's Pound Cakes | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Garifuna Enterprises Inc | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Little Red Cupcake | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Sages Kitchen | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Restoreokc Inc | $15,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Kountry Korner Restaurant | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Black Girl Tamales | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Fox Dulaney LLC - Isaac Fox | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Crave Dessert Bar | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Bomb Biscuit | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Kizin Cheole LLC | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Elegant Cuiziens | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Ebony Eyes Soul Food | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Caribbean Soul Kitchen La | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Fifty's Caribbean Cuisine Inc | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Tell Me Something Sweet Bakery | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Dakar Nola | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Brooklyn Blend | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Got Da Juice | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Toya's Catering Services LLC | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Intentions Juice Smoothie Bar | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Portrait Coffee | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Highview Ice Cream and Coffee LLC | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Saltbox Seafood Joint | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Carolina Cookery | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Sola Ajao Dba Destiny Afican Market & Variety Store LLC | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| A Taste of Heaven | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Forks & Flavors | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| The Sweetest Thing | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Humble Hearts Catering & Events LLC | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Swank Desserts | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Saint Urban | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Rnd Coffee | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Local Green Atlanta | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Miss Priss -The Sugar Shop | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Jolo's Kitchen | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| What the Fries | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Halleluiah Bbq | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Lighthouse on the Lake | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| The Salty Heifer | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Surefire Neighborhood Market | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Twist'D Kuisine LLC | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Quisha Ibraheem | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Claudy's Kitchen | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Dottie's Market (Gather Savannah Llc) | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Bert and T's Desserts | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Trotter's Restaurant | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Simply Soulful Caf Espresso LLC | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Elise Organic Ice Cream | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Kale Cafe | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| That's My Dog | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Safari Lounge | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Maraq Gourmet Soup Shop | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Bobby's Bbq | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Hotville Chicken LLC | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Nana's Southern Kitchen | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| My Three Sons of Charleston | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Taste and Toast | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Bumbu Roux (The Rice Table) | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Lot-A-Burger | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Jonathans Fish & Chips | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| 1911 Smoke House Bbq | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Autumn Olive Farms | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Ruby Scoops Ice Cream & Sweets | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Dds Chick and Cat Shack | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| The Consulate Restaurant | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Gilly Brewing Co | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Down Home Delivery & Catering | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Elderflour Baking Company | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Reverence | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Southern Grace Cincy Catering | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Jimmy Pearls LLC | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Bird Pizzeria | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Greedy Pot | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Val's Cheesecakes | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Anoosh Restaurant Group LLC | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Bible Center Church Inc | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Detroit Soul | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Thg Foods Inc | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Tre's Street Kitchen | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Kitchen Kraves | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Gabby Bakes | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Lcg Foods Inc | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Bushwick Grind Cafe | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Eats Side Partners LLC | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Foodchasers Kitchen | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Goat & Bean Coffee | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Smiths Smokehouse and Smoothies LLC | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Good Hot Fish | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Dr Dreamie Desserts LLC | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Peculiar Pig Farm | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Can'T Believe It's Vegan | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Ruki's Ethiopian Kitchen | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Buna Kurs Ethiopian Cafe | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| The District Pit | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Georgia's Sweet Potatoe Pie Company | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Charlotte's Southern Deli | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Jumbo Jive Turkey Legs | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Wild Rise Bakery | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Bouquet Restaurant LLC | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Flatrock Smokehouse Bbq | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Rocksolid Creative Food Group | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Buttermilk Boutique | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Zweli's Inc | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| J&B Joint Ventures Inc | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Chicago's Jerk Tacos | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Little Food Studio | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Radical Rabbit | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Grassrootz Bookstore LLC | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Strugglebeard Bakery | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Leah & Louise | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| East Memphis Pizza & Subs | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Crazy Waffle Bar | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Senses Vegan Comfort Food LLC | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Triangle Gluten-Free LLC | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Daimon Scott | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Cobblerworld | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Elite Culinary Staffing | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Bad & Bougee Foodz | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| McCrea Ventures LLC | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Crump & Black Inc | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| The Sweet Spot & Urban Lounge LLC | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| The Black Italian | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Carmi LLC | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Uptowne Bakery & Cafe | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Just Add Honey Inc | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Askum Group LLC | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Desserts by Marshelle | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Dem 2 Brothers & a Grill | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Kuntry Cookin' | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Boomtown 1201 LLC | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Eugene's Hot Chicken LLC | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Xenia Roastery LLC | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Big Tony's West Philly Cheesesteaks | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Ashley C Smith | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Corine's Cakes and Catering | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Dre's Water Ice and Ice Cream | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Edible Endeavors Cafe | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Baquette | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Peaches Kitchen Restaurant and Catering | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| 4 Nineteen Group LLC | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Uptown Bbq & Fish | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Powellman LLC (Dba Barcode & Grill) | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Eminent Hospitality | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Shular Hospitality Group LLC | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Good Cakes and Bakes LLC | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Serenity's Place Cafe & Bakery Inc | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| 8th Avenue Social Club | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Unforgettable Bakery | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Alveto Tutwiler (Crump's Fish & Wings) | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Blue Orleans Seafood (Mo Gumbo Llc) | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| From the Heart Catering LLC | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Primo Printers LLC | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Neil St Blues LLC | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| The Culturist Union | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Haitian Sensation | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Wings & a Prayer LLC | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Fishscale Inc | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Roxanne's Catering LLC | $14,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Sheryl Fox Ministries | $11,247 | 1 | n/a |
| McCullough Kelly - Wilkins | $11,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Down at the Farms LLC | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Seven Hills Food LLC | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Slagel Meats Inc | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Operation Bbq Relief | $10,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Olamaie | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Genesis Growers | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Tino's Taste of Heaven | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Capriole Inc | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Iris Restaurant Group | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Hawkeye Farms LLC | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Herban Produce | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| 3 Sisters Garden | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Abundance Setting Ltd | $10,000 | 1 | 5% |
| Gunthorp Farms | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Collaborative Support Services Inc | $6,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Queer Kentucky Inc | $5,000 | 1 | 8% |
Plus 20 recipients with no EIN on record ($787k), not named here.
Co-funders
Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.
National Urban League IncNY27.5× affinity15 shared granteesties to 6 of 7Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →
Open a dossier: National Urban League Inc · NAACP Empowerment Programs Inc · Feed the Soul Foundation · Detroit Economic Growth Association · Women's Business Development Center · Local Initiatives Support Corporation · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund · Amazonsmile Foundation
How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.
Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus
How do I get to Lee Initiative Inc?
Find your warmest path to Lee Initiative Inc through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.
Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.
About Lee Initiative Inc
- How much does Lee Initiative Inc give?
- Lee Initiative Inc reported 45 grants totaling $2,349,184 in its FY2024 IRS filing. It funded between 27 and 88 organizations a year over FY2020 to FY2023.
- What does Lee Initiative Inc fund?
- By grant dollars over FY2020 to FY2024, its largest causes are Civil Rights (57%), Education (21%), Food & Nutrition (18%).
- Who are Lee Initiative Inc's largest grantees?
- By total granted over FY2020 to FY2024: M Frances Inc ($1.5M), Lee Initiative Inc ($151k), 610 Magnolia ($122k).
- Does Lee Initiative Inc fund new organizations?
- In FY2023, 91% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
- Which funders back the same organizations as Lee Initiative Inc?
- Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include National Urban League Inc, NAACP Empowerment Programs Inc, Feed the Soul Foundation.
- Where is Lee Initiative Inc based?
- Lee Initiative Inc is based in KY.
Play a game based on Lee Initiative’s filings →
More from the funding graph
The unnamed billions
grants reported with no recipient in the public record
The regranting layer
51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
The DAF merry-go-round
$9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
The endowment market
who holds foundation money, and what just moved
The camps
funders cluster by geography, not ideology
By state
where grant money is based, and what stays home