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Pennsylvania · Private foundation

The Brook J Lenfest Foundation Inc

Its FY2025 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$1.2M
Granted FY2025(still arriving)
42
Grants FY2025
7
Organizations funded FY2024
14%
First-time grantees FY2024
Read the full brief
Median grant, FY2025
$25,000
Largest grant, FY2025
$125,832
Organizations funded a year
6 to 30
FY2018 to FY2024
States reached, FY2025
4
Total assets, FY2025
$12M
Applications
Takes unsolicited applications
Per its most recent filing; check its own site

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2024, 14% of the organizations The Brook J Lenfest Foundation Inc funded were first-time grantees, receiving 5% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 95% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $15k went to new ones.

50%100%’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
EducationHuman ServicesArts & CultureYouth DevelopmentPublic BenefitPhilanthropyOther
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 yearOrganizations fundedTo those organizationsFirst-time grantees
FY2025still arriving40$1.2M73%
FY20247$291k14%
FY202318$1.8M44%
FY202215$1.2M53%
FY20216$1.4M17%
FY202030$6.6M43%
FY201920$1.2M30%
FY201822$7.6M32%
97% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2025.

Education$20MArts & Culture$1.1MYouth Development$663kPublic Benefit$425kEmployment$253kPhilanthropy$225kCommunity Improvement$210kHuman Services$145kOther$0

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2017 to FY2025, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Mastery Charter Schools Foundation$6,700,000227%
Pennsylvania State University$6,063,4686n/a
Temple University - Of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education$4,378,91170%
Kimmel Center Inc$740,69652%
Elevate 215$550,00043%
Pennsylvania College of Technology$399,2895n/a
The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives$325,00032%
Philadelphia Futures for Youth$245,0005n/a
Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education$225,00032%
Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia$175,00077%
Show all 66 grantees
All grantees of The Brook J Lenfest Foundation Inc by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Mastery Charter Schools Foundation$6,700,000227%
Pennsylvania State University$6,063,4686n/a
Temple University - Of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education$4,378,91170%
Kimmel Center Inc$740,69652%
Elevate 215$550,00043%
Pennsylvania College of Technology$399,2895n/a
The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives$325,00032%
Philadelphia Futures for Youth$245,0005n/a
Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education$225,00032%
Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia$175,00077%
Wissahickon Foundation$160,000514%
Children's Literacy Initiative$155,00050%
United Way of Pennsylvania$100,00013%
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts$100,00050%
Chester County Futures Inc$95,00063%
Philabundance$75,00030%
Clarke Pennsylvania Inc$70,00041%
Steppingstone Scholars Inc$70,00031%
The University of the Arts$65,00040%
Avenue of the Arts Inc$55,00032%
Adoption Center of Delaware Valley$50,00047%
The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology$50,00020%
Heights Philadelphia$50,00010%
Big Picture Philadelphia$50,00011%
Philadelphia Ship Preservation Guild$50,0001n/a
College Possible Inc$50,00020%
New Leash on Life USA$50,0001n/a
West Chester University Foundation$46,81210%
Local Initiatives Support Corporation$45,00020%
Tech Impact$40,00010%
Baker Industries Inc$40,00021%
Wings for Success Inc$32,50034%
Wissahickon Charter School$25,00010%
Settlement Music School of Philadelphia$25,00010%
Episcopal Community Services of The Diocese of Pennsylvania$25,00010%
The Philadelphia Education Fund$25,00010%
Variety the Childrens Charity$25,00012%
Beat the Streets Wrestling Program Philadelphia$25,00012%
Reading Allowed$25,0001n/a
Rock to the Future Inc$25,00011%
Parentchild Inc$25,00010%
Opportunities Industrialization Center Inc$25,00011%
Mercy Vocational High School Sisters of Mercy$25,0001n/a
Hopeworks 'N Camden Inc$25,00010%
Philadelphia Film Society$25,00010%
North10 Philadelphia$22,64520%
Ihmcenter for Literacy & Gedprograms$20,00028%
Cradle of Hope Inc$20,00022%
Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians$15,00011%
Achieveability$15,00010%
Variety the Children's Charity of the Delaware Valley$15,00010%
Philadelphia Museum of Art$15,00010%
The Garage Community & Youth Center$15,00021%
Anti-Defamation League Foundation$15,00010%
North Light Boys' Club Inc$15,00011%
Casa of Philadelphia County$15,00012%
Historical Society of Pennsylvania$12,50010%
The Career Wardrobe$10,00010%
The Fairness Center Inc$10,00011%
Thaddeus Stevens College of Tech$9,0001n/a
The Cathedral Soup Kitchen Inc$7,5001n/a
Thresholds in Delaware County Inc$5,0001n/a
Association for Adults With Developmental Disabilities Inc$5,00011%
Founding Forward (Formerly the Union League Legacy Foundation)$5,0001n/a
Urban Dance & Educational Foundation$5,00013%
Leveling the Playing Field Inc$5,0001n/a

What it could do for these grantees

Plus 24 recipients with no EIN on record ($1.3M), not named here.

Where it is load-bearing

The Brook J Lenfest Foundation Inc supplied at least a quarter of the budget for 1 of its grantees at some point. The chart plots its 54 largest grantees; load-bearing ones sit top left.

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetMastery Charter Schools Foundation: $6,700,000 over 2y, 27% of budgetTemple University - Of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education: $4,378,911 over 7y, 0.1% of budgetKimmel Center Inc: $740,696 over 5y, 1.5% of budgetElevate 215: $550,000 over 4y, 2.8% of budgetThe Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives: $325,000 over 3y, 1.8% of budgetEd Snider Youth Hockey & Education: $225,000 over 3y, 1.5% of budgetBreakthrough of Greater Philadelphia: $175,000 over 7y, 7.3% of budgetWissahickon Foundation: $160,000 over 5y, 14% of budgetChildren's Literacy Initiative: $155,000 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetUnited Way of Pennsylvania: $100,000 over 1y, 2.9% of budgetPennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts: $100,000 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetChester County Futures Inc: $95,000 over 6y, 2.5% of budgetPhilabundance: $75,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetClarke Pennsylvania Inc: $70,000 over 4y, 1.1% of budgetSteppingstone Scholars Inc: $70,000 over 3y, 0.9% of budgetThe University of the Arts: $65,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetAvenue of the Arts Inc: $55,000 over 3y, 2.2% of budgetAdoption Center of Delaware Valley: $50,000 over 4y, 6.9% of budgetThe Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology: $50,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetHeights Philadelphia: $50,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetBig Picture Philadelphia: $50,000 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetCollege Possible Inc: $50,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetWest Chester University Foundation: $46,812 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetLocal Initiatives Support Corporation: $45,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetTech Impact: $40,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetBaker Industries Inc: $40,000 over 2y, 0.8% of budgetWings for Success Inc: $32,500 over 3y, 3.6% of budgetWissahickon Charter School: $25,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetSettlement Music School of Philadelphia: $25,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetEpiscopal Community Services of The Diocese of Pennsylvania: $25,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetThe Philadelphia Education Fund: $25,000 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetVariety the Childrens Charity: $25,000 over 1y, 1.7% of budgetBeat the Streets Wrestling Program Philadelphia: $25,000 over 1y, 2.1% of budgetRock to the Future Inc: $25,000 over 1y, 1.5% of budgetParentchild Inc: $25,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetOpportunities Industrialization Center Inc: $25,000 over 1y, 1.1% of budgetHopeworks 'N Camden Inc: $25,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetPhiladelphia Film Society: $25,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetNorth10 Philadelphia: $22,645 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetIhmcenter for Literacy & Gedprograms: $20,000 over 2y, 7.9% of budgetCradle of Hope Inc: $20,000 over 2y, 2.3% of budgetWelcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians: $15,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetAchieveability: $15,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetVariety the Children's Charity of the Delaware Valley: $15,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetPhiladelphia Museum of Art: $15,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetThe Garage Community & Youth Center: $15,000 over 2y, 0.6% of budgetAnti-Defamation League Foundation: $15,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetNorth Light Boys' Club Inc: $15,000 over 1y, 1.3% of budget

Tap a dot to name the grantee.

How this is measured
Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 54.

Nonprofits that may fit its grantmaking

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.

The Philadelphia FoundationPA65.8× affinity34 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Philadelphia Foundation · Connelly Foundation · The William Penn Foundation · Henry Dolfinger 2 Trust Uw · Lindback Cr & Mf Foundation Tw Main · United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey · The Gordon Charter Foundation · The Patricia Kind Family Foundation · Beatty Helen D Groome Uw · Wsfs Cares Foundation · Hamilton Family Charitable Trust · Td Charitable 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.

Compare The Brook J Lenfest Foundation Inc with peer funders

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to The Brook J Lenfest Foundation Inc?

Find your warmest path to The Brook J Lenfest Foundation 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 The Brook J Lenfest Foundation Inc

How much does The Brook J Lenfest Foundation Inc give?
The Brook J Lenfest Foundation Inc reported 42 grants totaling $1,183,761 in its FY2025 IRS filing. It funded between 6 and 30 organizations a year over FY2018 to FY2024.
What does The Brook J Lenfest Foundation Inc fund?
By grant dollars over FY2017 to FY2025, its largest causes are Education (84%), Arts & Culture (5%), Youth Development (3%).
Who are The Brook J Lenfest Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2017 to FY2025: Mastery Charter Schools Foundation ($6.7M), Pennsylvania State University ($6.1M), Temple University - Of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education ($4.4M).
Does The Brook J Lenfest Foundation Inc fund new organizations?
In FY2024, 14% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Does The Brook J Lenfest Foundation Inc accept unsolicited applications?
Its most recent filing reports that it accepts unsolicited grant applications.
Which funders back the same organizations as The Brook J Lenfest Foundation Inc?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include The Philadelphia Foundation, Connelly Foundation, The William Penn Foundation.
Where is The Brook J Lenfest Foundation Inc based?
The Brook J Lenfest Foundation Inc is based in PA.

On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 91 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

How this is measured
Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

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