The Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation concentrates support on a small set of institutions in New York and the broader Northeast, with a strong emphasis on human services for children and families, higher-education institutions (including legal education), and civic cultural institutions. Their giving is characterized by several large, repeat grants to a handful of organizations rather than many small awards, and they also make occasional gifts to local conservation efforts.
Concentrated portfolio: relatively few, sizable grants with repeat multi-year or multiple gifts to core grantees; mix of large institutional gifts (SCO Family of Services, Brooklyn Law School) and targeted one-off gifts to cultural and conservation organizations.
A defining feature of the Lee and Cynthia Vance Foundation is its sustained support for Sco Family of Services, with grants of $270,000 in 2023, $156,000 in 2024, and $155,000 in 2025. That pattern reflects a funder that favors repeat relationships and operating support rather than one-time gifts. Across recent grants, the foundation backs organizations working on child and family social services, legal education, public media, and local conservation. It also supports a mix of New York institutions and a smaller set of Northeast-based organizations, including colleges, legal and cultural nonprofits, and land or community groups. The recipient list shows a consistent interest in institutions with established public-serving missions, such as Brooklyn Law School and NY Public Radio, alongside human-services providers and regional civic organizations. The grants are generally sized for meaningful organizational support, with several awards at six figures and many others in the $10,000 to $50,000 range. The foundation’s recent activity suggests a compact portfolio built around core institutions, with repeated gifts extending over multiple years.
In child and family social services, the foundation gave $155,000 in 2025 to Sco Family of Services for general operating support, following earlier awards of $156,000 in 2024 and $270,000 in 2023. In higher education and legal education, it provided $100,000 in both 2024 and 2025 to Brooklyn Law School for general operating support, and also gave $90,000 in 2023 to Dartmouth College for general charitable purposes. Public media is another clear thread: NY Public Radio received $71,715 in 2023, then $50,000 in 2024 and multiple additional operating gifts in 2025. The foundation also funds regional environmental and civic work, including $50,000 in 2025 to Warren Land Trust and $30,000 in 2025 to Warren Volunteer Fire Company.
Typical grants cluster around a median of $10,000, with the 25th percentile at $2,500 and the 75th percentile at $37,500. The recent record shows repeated awards to the same organizations across multiple years, especially in operating support, rather than a broad spread of one-time grants. The foundation gives from a private-family profile: it funds individuals is false, and it does not make program-related investments. Many awards are unrestricted or general operating support, which points to support for organizational sustainability more than project-only funding.
$480K
$8.3M
$4M
$610K
Most grants fall between $3K and $38K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$38K
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Notable grantees: SCO Family of Services, Brooklyn Law School, New York Public Radio, Dartmouth College, Warren Land Trust
Giving is concentrated in New York, which accounts for 65% of grants and is the top state by grant count. Recipient cities in the recent list include New York, Brooklyn, Garden City, and Glen Cove, with additional grants in nearby Northeast locations such as Waltham, Hanover, Warren, New Preston, and Warren, Connecticut. All recent grants listed are to U.S. recipients, with 100% of grants landing in the United States.
Recent grants show support for child and family social services, legal and higher education, public media, and local conservation or civic groups. Examples include general operating support for Sco Family of Services and Brooklyn Law School, plus funding for NY Public Radio and land or volunteer-fire organizations in Connecticut.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Sco Family of Services in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Brooklyn Law School in 2024 and 2025; and NY Public Radio in 2023, 2024, and 2025. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated gifts.
The grant-size distribution is centered at $10,000, with a 25th percentile of $2,500 and a 75th percentile of $37,500. Recent awards also include several six-figure grants, which indicates a mix of smaller operating gifts and larger institutional support.
New York is the top state by grant count, with 65% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Recent recipients include organizations in New York City, Brooklyn, Garden City, and Glen Cove, along with some grants in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCO FAMILY OF SERVICES | GARDEN CITY, NY | $155,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| BROOKLYN LAW SCHOOL | BROOKLYN, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| WARREN LAND TRUST | WARREN, CT | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| WARREN VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY | WARREM, CT | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NY PUBLIC RADIO | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NY PUBLIC RADIO | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| EDUCATION DEV CENTER | WALTHAM, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| EDUCATION DEV CENTER | WALTHAM, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ROBIN HOOD FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| LAKE WARAMAUG TASK FORCE | NEW PRESTON, CT | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ROBIN HOOD FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| BEDLAM INC | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| RIPLEY WATERFOWL CONSERVANCY | LITCHFIELD, CT | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| BEDLAM INC | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| LINCOLN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS | NEW YORK, NY | $2,100 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| SCO FAMILY OF SERVICES | GARDEN CITY, NY | $156,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| BROOKLYN LAW SCHOOL | BROOKLYN, NY | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NY PUBLIC RADIO | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| LAKE WARAMAUG TASK FORCE | NEW PRESTON, CT | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| EDUCATION DEV CENTER | WALTHAM, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| SCO FAMILY OF SERVICES | GLEN COVE, NY | $270,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| DARTMOUTH COLLEGE | HANOVER, NH | $90,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| NY PUBLIC RADIO | NEW YORK, NY | $71,715 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| NY PUBLIC RADIO | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| READ TO LEAD | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ROBIN HOOD | NEW YORK, NY | $19,700 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| EDUCATION DEV CENTER | WALTHAM, MA | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| LAKE WARAMAUG TASK FORCE | WARREN, CT | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ROBIN HOOD FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| WARREN VOL FIRE COMPANY INC | WARREN, CT | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| SPRING HILL ARTS GATHERING INC | NEW YORK, NY | $4,440 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| BEDLAM INC | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| GUTTMACHER INSTITUTE | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE PUBLIC THEATRE | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| GREENWOODS COUNSELING & REFERRALS INC | LITCHFIELD, CT | $2,450 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH | NEW YORK, NY | $840 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| NORTHWEST CONNECTICUT LAND CONSERVANCY | KENT, CT | $250 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
WARREN LAND TRUST
$50,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
WARREN VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY
$30,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
NY PUBLIC RADIO
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
NY PUBLIC RADIO
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
LAKE WARAMAUG TASK FORCE
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
BEDLAM INC
$2,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
RIPLEY WATERFOWL CONSERVANCY
$2,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
BEDLAM INC
$2,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
NY PUBLIC RADIO
$50,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
LAKE WARAMAUG TASK FORCE
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
$90,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
NY PUBLIC RADIO
$71,715GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
NY PUBLIC RADIO
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
READ TO LEAD
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
LAKE WARAMAUG TASK FORCE
$10,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
WARREN VOL FIRE COMPANY INC
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
SPRING HILL ARTS GATHERING INC
$4,440GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
BEDLAM INC
$2,500GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
THE PUBLIC THEATRE
$2,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
GREENWOODS COUNSELING & REFERRALS INC
$2,450GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES