Pearse Lyons Ace Foundation Inc Fka the Margin of Excellence
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About Pearse Lyons Ace Foundation Inc Fka the Margin of Excellence
The Pearse Lyons ACE Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports the philanthropic endeavors of Alltech and the Lyons family, focusing on education, agriculture, disaster relief and community support to improve the health and well-being of people, animals and the environment.
Focus Areas
educationagriculturedisaster_reliefcommunity_supportarts_and_scholarshipssustainable_development
Who They Fund
domestic abuse survivorsstudents (vocal/music)children participating in holiday programsresidents of Eastern Kentucky affected by floodsresidents of Western Kentucky affected by tornadoesdisaster-impacted families/communities
About Pearse Lyons Ace Foundation Inc Fka the Margin of Excellence
Pearse Lyons Ace Foundation Inc Fka the Margin of Excellence Inc shows a strong pattern of direct local support in Kentucky, with grants concentrated entirely in the state and recent awards tied to disaster relief, education, and community needs. One of the clearest signals is its $100,000 grant to Greenhouse17 in Lexington for domestic abuse survivor support, which sits alongside repeated funding for Kentucky-based response efforts after floods and tornadoes. The foundation also backs education through music-related scholarships. Its support for the University of Kentucky for vocal student scholarships appears in two recent years, with awards of $40,100 in 2024 and $28,000 in 2023. That mix of emergency aid and structured scholarship giving reflects a funder that moves between crisis response and longer-term community support. Other recent grants point to seasonal and place-based assistance, including holiday programming and relief donations in Eastern and Western Kentucky. The foundation’s portfolio connects family philanthropy with the needs of people, animals, and agriculture in the communities it serves.
What Pearse Lyons Ace Foundation Inc Fka the Margin of Excellence Funds
Disaster response is a major part of the foundation’s work. In 2023, it gave $52,000 to St George Church in Jenkins, Kentucky for Eastern Kentucky flood relief donations, and it also supported flood relief through a $25,000 grant to Missionaries of Charity in Jenkins. Agricultural recovery appears alongside that relief work. The foundation awarded $20,000 to Kentucky Farm Bureau Education Foundation in Louisville for Western Kentucky tornado relief donations, and $18,701 to Catholic Charities of Diocese of Owensboro for the same purpose. Education and arts support is another clear thread. The University of Kentucky received $40,100 in 2024 and $28,000 in 2023 for vocal student scholarships. Community-focused assistance also appears in a $9,283 grant to Fraternal Order of Police #73 in Nicholasville for Cops N Kids Christmas.
How Pearse Lyons Ace Foundation Inc Fka the Margin of Excellence Gives
Typical grant size sits at a p25 of $11,638, a median of $22,500, and a p75 of $37,075, with some larger outliers such as a $100,000 award. The recent record shows repeated funding to the University of Kentucky across 2023 and 2024, which points to recurring support in at least one program area rather than one-off giving only. The foundation funds as a nonprofit family-linked vehicle connected to Alltech and the Lyons family, and it does not accept unsolicited applications in the programs described.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$185K
Total Assets
$116K
Total Revenue
$310K
Total Expenses
$404K
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $12K and $37K, with a median of $23K.
25th Percentile
$12K
Median
$23K
75th Percentile
$37K
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
MARK LYONS
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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