Lift a Life Foundation Inc
Mayfield Heights, OH · EIN 61-1359337. Reported 185 grants totalling $31.7M to 112 recipients across tax years 2021-2024. This foundation told the IRS it does not accept unsolicited requests: it contributes only to organizations it selects itself.
Does this foundation accept applications?
No -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation to check a box if it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds". Lift a Life Foundation Inc checked it on its most recent filing, as 78% of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered did. An unsolicited request is unlikely to go anywhere.
Organizations it funds that make grants of their own
4 of the organizations Lift a Life Foundation Inc funded make grants themselves, and it reported 12 grants totalling $3,632,700 to them. That is 22% of the $16.4M of its giving we could match to a registered organization. Each is classified by the IRS as a philanthropy or grantmaking organization, reported grants to at least 25 organizations of its own, and has at least 10 funders behind it.
All of them file Form 990, which never asks whether an organization funds only groups it picks, so there is no answer on record either way.
What that does not mean. It does not mean an application to any of them reaches this foundation's money. A private foundation's grant to a community foundation or a federated campaign is often a donor-advised fund or a gift designated for a purpose the foundation chose, and has nothing to do with any open programme the receiving organization runs. Its return's purpose text sometimes names a family fund or a designated purpose, which is the plainest case of money no applicant can reach; where it names none, neither return says which. The list is who this foundation paid that also makes grants. Whether any of them would fund you is a question for its own page.
| Grantmaker | Kind | State | Received | Grants | Years | Last | Only funds organizations it picks? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metro United Way Inc | federated giving programme | Kentucky | $2,420,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 | Its form does not ask |
| Natl Christian Charitable Fdn Inc | grantmaking organization | Georgia | $750,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 | Its form does not ask |
| The Community Foundation of | community foundation | Kentucky | $362,700 | 4 | 4 | 2024 | Its form does not ask |
| Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund | grantmaking organization | Florida | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 | Its form does not ask |
A floor, not a full list. A grantmaker appears here only where this foundation's return named it clearly enough for us to match the name to an EIN, which we manage for about two thirds of 990-PF grant rows, and only where that grantmaker has a page on this site. There may be more. Dollars here are summed by EIN across every spelling on its returns, so a figure can differ from the matching row in the full list below, which groups names as written. And the IRS classification cannot tell a grantmaker from a funders' association or a donor-advised fund sponsor, so a payment to one of these may be dues or an account rather than support for a grants programme.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $50,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $20,000 and $100,000; the smallest was $450 and the largest $4,000,000.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norton Children's Hospital | Louisville, KY | $8,213,260 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| University of Missouri | Columbia, MO | $4,000,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Metro United Way | Louisville, KY | $2,420,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| David Novak Leadership Inc | Mayfield Heights, OH | $2,100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Foundation for Impact on Literacy and Learning | Broadlands, VA | $2,051,525 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Rita June Foundation Inc | Louisville, KY | $1,500,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Dare to Care Food Bank | Louisville, KY | $1,240,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Global Game Changers | Louisville, KY | $911,668 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| National Christian Foundation | Lexington, KY | $750,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Louisville Metro Police Foundation | Louisville, KY | $500,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| West Palm Golf Community Trust | West Palm Beach, FL | $500,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Community Coordinated Child Care Aka 4-C | Louisville, KY | $470,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Community Foundation of Louisville | Louisville, KY | $362,700 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Horatio Alger Association | Alexandria, VA | $350,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Fund for the Arts | Louisville, KY | $310,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Folds of Honor Foundation | Owasso, OK | $300,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Home of the Innocents | Louisville, KY | $270,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Community Coordinated Child Care | Louisville, KY | $265,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Camp Hendon | Louisville, KY | $250,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Sonia Nabeta Foundation | New York, NY | $250,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Maryhurst | Louisville, KY | $200,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| A Cure for Robert Inc | Louisville, KY | $160,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Gilda's Club Louisville | Louisville, KY | $150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Iron Bell Ministries | Louisville, KY | $150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Neighborhood House | Louisville, KY | $150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| R 15-20 Ministries Inc | Bedford, MA | $150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| St Joseph Childrens Home | Louisville, KY | $150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Kentucky Youth Advocates | Louisville, KY | $140,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Kentucky Chamber Foundation | Frankfort, KY | $122,400 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Stage One Family Theatre | Louisville, KY | $105,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Delta Foundation | Louisville, KY | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana Inc | Louisville, KY | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Keystone Learning Academy | Louisville, KY | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Lifesong for Orphans | Gridley, IL | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Lost Tree Village Charitable Foundation | North Palm Beach, FL | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Marine Core Scholarship Fund | Alexandria, VA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Pritchard Committee | Lexington, KY | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Proem Ministries | Louisville, KY | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund | St Petersburg, FL | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Waterstep | Louisville, KY | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| West End Preparatory School | Louisville, KY | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Bridge Kids International | Louisville, KY | $84,660 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Nantz Friends | Houston, TX | $75,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Love Thy Neighbor | Fort Lauderdale, FL | $70,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Skilz 4 Life Inc | Louisville, KY | $68,197 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Virginia Chance School | Louisville, KY | $66,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Kentucky Harvest | Louisville, KY | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Recenter Ministries | Louisville, KY | $60,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Catholic Charities of Louisville | Louisville, KY | $52,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Duke Health Fund | Durham, NC | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Family and Children's Place | Louisville, KY | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Family Scholar House | Louisville, KY | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Mrelief | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| St Vincent De Paul Louisville | Louisville, KY | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Volunteers of America Mid States | Louisville, KY | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Whitney Strong | Louisville, KY | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Ace Project | Westmont, IL | $49,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Water With Blessings | Louisville, KY | $47,900 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Backside Learning Center | Louisville, KY | $45,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Lee Initiative | Louisville, KY | $40,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Feed Louisville | Louisville, KY | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Leadership Louisville Foundation Inc | Louisville, KY | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Local Initiative Support Corp (lisc) | New York, NY | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, TN | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Friends School Inc | Louisville, KY | $35,392 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Advance Louisville | Louisville, KY | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Feeding Kentucky | Frankfort, KY | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Kentucky Center for Economic Policy | Berea, KY | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Orphan Care Alliance | Louisville, KY | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Hope Academy for Kids | Elizabethtown, KY | $32,700 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| City Schoolhouse | Louisville, KY | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Hope Collaborative | Louisville, KY | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Center for Nonprofit Excellence | Louisville, KY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Charity Water | Hagertown, MD | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Cnpe | Louisville, KY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee - Chief Cares | Nashville, TN | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Jdrf | New York, NY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Jewish Family and Career Services | Louisville, KY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Louisville Parks Foundation | Louisville, KY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Peyback Foundation | Indianapolis, IN | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Pitt Academy | Louisville, KY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Scott Hamilton Cares Foundation | Frankiln, TN | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| St Patricks Day Foundation | Larchmont, NY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Glean Kentucky | Lexington, KY | $24,907 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Critcally Loved | Louisville, KY | $22,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Green Hill Therapy | Louisville, KY | $22,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Family Enrichment Center | Bowling Green, KY | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Metro Pga Foundation | Elmsford, NY | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| The James B Lee Scholarship Fund | Southhampton, NY | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Visually Impaired Preschool Services | Louisville, KY | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| American Junior Golf Assn | Braselton, GA | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Bringing Justice Home Inc | Louisville, KY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Teach for America Ny | New York, NY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The James C Ferrer Educational Fund | Southhampton, NY | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Apple Patch Community Inc Dba Pillar | Crestwood, KY | $13,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Parklands of Floyds Fork | Louisville, KY | $11,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Biak | Louisville, KY | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Center for Neighborhoods | Louisville, KY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Justin Thomas Foundation Inc | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Less Is More Inc | Louisville, KY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Leukemia & Lymphoma Society | Louisville, KY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Lyndon Recreation Association | Louisville, KY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Masters Tournament Foundation Inc | Augusta, GA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Meredith-Dunn School | Louisville, KY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Middletown Christian Church | Louisville, KY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ronald Mcdonald House Charities | Louisville, KY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Outpost Foundation | Toledo, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Wayfinders | Louisville, KY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Christ Church United Methodist | Louisville, KY | $6,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Villa Academy | Seattle, WA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Yosemite Conservancy | San Francisco, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Boys and Girls Club of Kentuckiana | Louisville, KY | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
45 of 112 (40%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 42%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one, and this foundation told the IRS it does not.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- Rita June Foundation Inc
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION - Foundation for Impact on Literacy and Learning
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT (LD) - Community Foundation of Louisville
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT/JUVENILE DIABETES - Fund for the Arts
LEADERSHIP/JUVENILE DIABETES - Bridge Kids International
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION / GENERAL - Advance Louisville
CAREER DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 107 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 50 | $4,468,734 | $35,000 |
| 2022 | 45 | $11.0M | $50,000 |
| 2023 | 38 | $6,130,950 | $50,000 |
| 2024 | 52 | $10.2M | $50,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
66% of its giving went to organizations in Kentucky.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more. Unlike this foundation, none of them is on record as funding only organizations it picks, and each page says what its filings show.
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Lift a Life Foundation Inc's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: 5900 Landerbrook Dr 200, Mayfield Heights, OH, 44124. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS.
EIN 61-1359337 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
Is something here wrong about your foundation? Email [email protected] and we will correct it.