Lightning Foundation
Tampa, FL · EIN 59-3542305. Reported 130 grants totalling $6,847,218 to 90 organizations across tax years 2020-2024, on Form 990 Schedule I.
Does this grantmaker accept applications?
Its tax return does not say, and we will not guess. Private foundations file Form 990-PF, which asks outright whether they fund only organizations they select themselves -- 78% say yes, and that one answer is what lets the rest of this site tell you which foundations are worth approaching. Grantmaking charities like this one file a regular Form 990 instead, and the IRS never puts the question to them. Anyone claiming to know the answer from the filing is inventing it.
Three things in the filing do bear on it:
- What kind of organization it is. For Lightning Foundation, the IRS classifies it under education rather than as a grantmaker (NTEE B82) -- it is an operating charity that also makes grants.
- How spread out its giving is. 90 distinct organizations, with 10% of the dollars going to the largest single recipient. That is genuinely spread out -- the mark of a funder making many independent decisions rather than underwriting one institution.
- How much its list changes. 35% of one year's grantees are funded again the next, across 4 year-to-year transitions. That is below the 56% median for grantmaking charities, and well below the 67% median for private foundations. It describes the organizations it already funds, not whether it would consider a new one.
How big are its grants?
The median reported grant is $25,000. Half of what it reported fell between $10,000 and $50,000; the smallest was $5,150 and the largest $560,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong organization.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by the EIN the filer reported, not by name, so an organization that was typed differently in two years appears once rather than twice.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usf Foundation | Tampa, FL | $696,250 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Hillsborough Education Foundation Inc | Tampa, FL | $573,796 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Habitat for Humanity International Inc | Clearwater, FL | $500,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Heroes of the St Pete Police and Fire Rescue Inc | Saint Petersburg, FL | $360,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Team Rubicon | Los Angeles, CA | $300,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| School Board of Hillsborough County | Tampa, FL | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Tampa Metropolitan Area Young Mens Christian Association Inc | Tampa, FL | $225,397 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Pinellas County Education Foundation Inc | Largo, FL | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Hillsborough County Firefighter Charities Inc | Tampa, FL | $160,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Lynn Sowers Memorial Foundation Inc | Tampa, FL | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The V Foundation | Cary, NC | $150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Pasco Education Foundation Inc | Land O Lakes, FL | $140,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Metropolitan Ministries Inc | Tampa, FL | $125,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Pinellas County Sheriffs Office Foundation Inc | Largo, FL | $120,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Pasco Sheriffs Charities Inc | New Port Richey, FL | $110,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute Foundation Inc | Tampa, FL | $107,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| American Heart Association Inc | Dallas, TX | $105,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Pinellas Community Foundation | Clearwater, FL | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| USA Hockey Foundation | Colorado Spgs, CO | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Feeding America Tampa Bay Inc | Tampa, FL | $97,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services Inc | Clearwater, FL | $77,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Community Foundation of Tampa Bay Inc | Tampa, FL | $76,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay Inc | Tampa, FL | $75,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Ronald Mcdonald House Tampa Bay Inc | Tampa, FL | $70,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Tampa Bay Thrives | Tampa, FL | $70,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| A Kids Place of Tampa Bay | Brandon, FL | $65,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas | Clearwater, FL | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Meals on Wheels of Tampa Inc | Tampa, FL | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Southeastern Guide Dogs Inc | Palmetto, FL | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Learning Independence for Tomorrow Incorporated | Clearwater, FL | $57,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Calvary Community Clinic Inc | Tampa, FL | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Camelot Community Care Inc | Clearwater, FL | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Corporation to Develop Communities of Tampa Inc | Tampa, FL | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| End 68 Hours of Hunger | Milton, NH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Family Healthcare Foundation Inc | Temple Terr, FL | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Habitat for Humanity International Inc | Tampa, FL | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Homes for Our Troops Inc | Taunton, MA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay | Tampa, FL | $50,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Macdonald Training Center Inc | Tampa, FL | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Navy League of the United States National Headquarters | Tampa, FL | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Police Athletic League of Tampa Inc | Tampa, FL | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Ready for Life Inc | Largo, FL | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Special Operations Warrior Foundation | Tampa, FL | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Support the Troops Inc | Wesley Chapel, FL | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| The Arc Nature Coast Inc | Spring Hill, FL | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Warrick Dunn Charities Inc | Atlanta, GA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Tampa Sportservice | Buffalo, NY | $45,115 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Rise Tampa Our Police Foundation | Tampa, FL | $45,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Museum of Science and Industry Inc | Tampa, FL | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Tampa Theatre Inc | Tampa, FL | $34,100 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Idea Public Schools | Weslaco, TX | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Special Olympics Florida Inc | Clermont, FL | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Coast Guard Foundation Inc | Stonington, CT | $29,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| St Petersburg Free Clinic Inc | Saint Petersburg, FL | $27,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Listening Matters Inc | Tampa, FL | $27,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Anti-Defamation League | New York, NY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Boys and Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay Inc | Tampa, FL | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Current of Tampa Bay Inc | Tampa, FL | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Gigis Playhouse Inc | Hoffman Est, IL | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Tampa Bay Defense Alliance Inc | Tampa, FL | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| University Area Community Development Corporation Inc | Tampa, FL | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Humane Society of Tampa Bay Inc | Tampa, FL | $24,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| The Spring of Tampa Bay Inc | Tampa, FL | $22,775 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Make a Wish Foundation of Southern Florida Inc | Miami, FL | $21,800 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Lowry Park Zoological Society of Tampa Inc | Tampa, FL | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Tampa Firefighters Charity Fund Inc | Tampa, FL | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Everfi Inc | Pittsburgh, PA | $17,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Florida Council on Economic Education Inc | Tampa, FL | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Junior League of Tampa Inc | Tampa, FL | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Tampa Bay History Center Inc | Tampa, FL | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Kings Care Foundation | El Segundo, CA | $13,635 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce Inc | Tampa, FL | $13,250 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Tampa Alumni - Kappa Alpha Psy | Tampa, FL | $11,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Qtego Fundraising | Indianapolis, IN | $10,100 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Academy Prep Center of Tampa Inc | Tampa, FL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| American National Red Cross | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Bay Chapel Inc | Wesley Chapel, FL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Boy Scouts of America | Tampa, FL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Childrens Cancer Center Inc | Tampa, FL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Florida Aquarium Inc | Tampa, FL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Heart of Adoptions Alliance Inc | Tampa, FL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| New Life Village Inc | Tampa, FL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Quantum Leap Farm Inc | Odessa, FL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ryan Callahan Foundation | Mendon, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Hispanic Services Council Inc | Tampa, FL | $6,100 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Blood Cancer United Inc | Rye Brook, NY | $5,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Gasparilla Music Foundation Inc | Tampa, FL | $5,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| National Multiple Sclerosis Society | New York, NY | $5,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Tampa Bay Business Guild | St Petersburg, FL | $5,250 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Inc | El Segundo, CA | $5,150 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
29 of 90 (32%) received money in more than one year over the 5 years we hold. Remember the $5,000 floor: an organization funded every year at $3,000 shows up here as never funded at all.
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 75 of 90 recipients we could match to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's, not ours -- Schedule I reports the recipient's EIN, so this is a lookup rather than a name match.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants reported | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 9 | $324,750 | $30,000 |
| 2021 | 12 | $442,000 | $20,000 |
| 2022 | 32 | $1,276,171 | $10,750 |
| 2023 | 32 | $1,358,750 | $50,000 |
| 2024 | 45 | $3,445,547 | $45,115 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- Form 990 arrives about a year after the year it covers, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a grantmaker winding down.
Where its money goes
85% of its giving went to organizations in Florida. Community foundations and federated funds are usually the most geographically bounded funders there are -- being outside the footprint is normally disqualifying in a way that a weak programme fit is not.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These grantmakers and private foundations gave to organizations this one also funded. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
How to approach this grantmaker
- Look for a published programme first. Unlike most private foundations, organizations of this kind often do run open, deadlined grant cycles with written guidelines. Its own website is the authority on that; this page is the authority on who it has actually paid.
- Check you are its size. The median reported grant is $25,000 -- and because grants under $5,000 need not be reported, it very likely writes smaller cheques than this page can see.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving concentrates in Florida.
- Read the recipient list for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer and a cheap one to get.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Lightning Foundation's own Form 990 Schedule I filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2020-2024). Grant figures are from its returns. Recipient classifications, the concentration and retention figures and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations from them, described in how we build this.
On its most recent return it told the IRS it made grants to 45 section 501(c)(3) organizations and 0 other organizations. That is the filer's own count for one year; the totals above cover every year we hold.
Address of record on the latest return: 401 Channelside Dr, Tampa, FL, 33602.
EIN 59-3542305 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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