The Phoebe R & John D Lewis Foundation focuses its giving narrowly on supporting a single cultural institution, concentrating resources to sustain museum operations and capacity-building. Its grants to Martha's Vineyard Museum have been used for general operating (annual fund) and catalyst-type support, indicating a preference for sustaining museum programming and development rather than broad-based or local Wisconsin causes. The foundation gives out-of-state and appears to be a dedicated, targeted patron of heritage and museum work.
The Phoebe R & John D Lewis Foundation shows a tightly focused pattern of support for Martha's Vineyard Museum, including a $100,000 grant in 2024 and another $90,000 in 2025 for annual fund and catalyst support. That repeated backing signals a funder that uses sizable operating-style grants to help a cultural institution sustain its work over time. The museum is not the only recipient, but it is the clearest anchor in the foundation’s recent giving and appears across multiple years at the top of the grant list. Beyond the museum, the foundation’s recent grants show selective support for museums, trails, education, and community-based initiatives, with awards also going to institutions in Wisconsin, Illinois, Massachusetts, Connecticut, California, Mississippi, and Wyoming. Several grants are framed as annual fund or program support, while others are tied to specific efforts such as trail funding, scholarship support, and land acquisition and management. The overall picture is of a regular funder making targeted grants rather than distributing broadly across many sectors or localities.
Museum support is the clearest throughline. In 2024, the foundation gave $100,000 to Martha's Vineyard Museum for annual fund and catalyst support, and it followed with $95,000 in 2023 and $90,000 in 2025 for the same purpose mix. The repeated structure suggests ongoing operating help rather than one-off project funding. The foundation also backs community service and health-related work. It gave $80,000 in 2024 and $60,000 in 2025 to Meals on Wheels Northeastern Illinois for program support, and it made multiple grants to Madison Community Foundation for Planned Parenthood Torchlight Fund support and for NAMI, APT Fund, FOPBC, Literacy Network, and Middleton Outreach. Environmental and land-focused work appears as well. Madison Audubon Society received $35,000 for program support, land acquisition and management, while Banderland Bird Alliance received $35,000 in 2024 and $30,000 in 2025 for program support.
Typical grants cluster in the mid-five-figure range, with p25 at $10,000, a median of $15,000, and p75 of $25,000. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a DAF and does not make program-related investments. Its recent record shows repeat funding to the same recipients across multiple years, especially for operating and program support, which points to continuing relationships rather than isolated awards. The grants appear to be discretionary rather than application-driven, based on the observed pattern of repeated institutional support.
$949K
$11.1M
$2.5M
$1.1M
Most grants fall between $10K and $25K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$25K
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Highly concentrated: repeated, mid-size grants exclusively to one grantee (Martha's Vineyard Museum), focused on operating and catalytic support rather than diversified or small unsolicited grants.
Notable grantees: Martha's Vineyard Museum
Grant recipients are U.S.-only, and Wisconsin receives the largest share of awards by count at 24%. Madison appears often, with grants to Madison Community Foundation, Urban League of Greater Madison, Madison Audubon Society, and Banderland Bird Alliance. Vineyard Haven is another repeated destination through Martha's Vineyard Museum and Sheriff's Meadow Foundation. Other recipient cities include Evanston, Boston, Stanford, Suffield, Concord, Lander, and Piney Woods, showing a national spread despite the Wisconsin concentration.
Its recent grants center on a small set of institutions and causes: Martha's Vineyard Museum, Meals on Wheels Northeastern Illinois, Madison Community Foundation, and several Wisconsin-based community and environmental groups. The purposes include annual fund, catalyst support, program support, trail funding, land acquisition and management, scholarship support, and specific community-service and health-related funds.
The foundation’s grant-size profile is concentrated in modest-to-midrange awards: p25 is $10,000, the median is $15,000, and p75 is $25,000. Recent grants also show larger operating-style awards, including $100,000 to Martha's Vineyard Museum and $80,000 to Meals on Wheels Northeastern Illinois.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Martha's Vineyard Museum in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Meals on Wheels Northeastern Illinois in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and Connections for the Homeless in 2023, 2024, and 2025. That pattern suggests ongoing support rather than one-time gifts.
The foundation gives nationally, but Wisconsin receives the most grants by count at 24%. Recent Wisconsin recipients include organizations in Madison such as Madison Community Foundation, Urban League of Greater Madison, Madison Audubon Society, and Banderland Bird Alliance.
The grants are often for annual fund, catalyst, program support, trail funding, and land acquisition and management. Examples in the recent list include annual fund and catalyst support for Martha's Vineyard Museum, program support for Meals on Wheels Northeastern Illinois, and trail fund support for Sheriff's Meadow Foundation.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MARTHA'S VINEYARD MUSEUM | VINEYARD HAVEN, MA | $150,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND, CATALYST FUND |
| MADISON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | MADISON, WI | $82,000 | 2026 | PLANNED PARENTHOOD, TORCHLIGHT FUND |
| MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE | MIDDLEBURY, VT | $50,000 | 2026 | PARENTS' FUND |
| BRUCE'S LEGACY | BLACK RIVER FALLS, WI | $50,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| SOUTHERN WISCONSIN BIRD ALLIANCE | MADISON, WI | $30,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT, LAND ACQUISITION AND MANAGEMENT |
| CONNECTIONS FOR THE HOMELESS | EVANSTON, IL | $30,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| PINEY WOODS SCHOOL | PINEY WOODS, MS | $25,000 | 2026 | ANNNUAL FUND |
| NATIONAL OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP SCHOOL | LANDER, WY | $25,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| HOOVER INSTITUTE | STANFORD, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| PRAGER UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | SHERMAN OAKS, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| MEALS ON WHEELS NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS | EVANSTON, IL | $25,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| CLEAN LAKES ALLIANCE | MADISON, WI | $25,000 | 2026 | YAHARA SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP, COMMUNITY MEETINGS, EDUCATION PROJECTS, PARTNERSHIPS OR GRANT FUNDING |
| SHERIFF'S MEADOW FOUNDATION | VINEYARD HAVEN, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | TRAIL FUND |
| MANHATTAN INSTITUTE | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| MEALS ON WHEELS NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS | EASTON, IL | $25,000 | 2026 | NEW BUILDING FUND |
| FOUNDATION FOR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND EXPRESSION | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $25,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| AMMONOOSUC CONSERVATION TRUST | FRANCONIA, NH | $20,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| DRIFTLESS AREA LAND CONSERVANCY | DODGEVILLE, WI | $20,000 | 2026 | DRIFTLESS TRAIL |
| CROSSROADS | DUXBURY, MA | $20,000 | 2026 | C5 NEW ENGLAND LEADERS |
| MORAN CENTER FOR YOUTH ADVOCACY | EVANSTON, IL | $20,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| ONE CITY EARLY LEARNING CENTER | MADISON, WI | $20,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| NELSON INST FOR ENV STUDIES | MADISON, WI | $20,000 | 2026 | ENVIRONMENTAL FUTURES FUND |
| REFUGEEONE | CHICAGO, IL | $20,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| FAMILY PROMISE NORTH SHORE | GLENCOE, IL | $15,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| GROUNDSWELL CONSERVANCY | MADISON, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| NEXT DOOR FOUNDATION | MILWAUKEE, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE | ALBERT LEA, MN | $10,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| MARTHA'S VINEYARD PRESERVATION TRUST | EDGARTOWN, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| ENVIROMENTAL DEFENSE FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| INTERNATIONAL CRANE FOUNDATION | BARABOO, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN INDIAN COLLEGE FUND | DENVER, CO | $10,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| U OF CHICAGO-DEPT OF RADIOLOGY | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| COPPER CANNON | FRANCONIA, NH | $10,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| BELMONT DAY SCHOOL | BELMONT, MA | $8,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| URBAN LEAGUE OF GREATER MADISON | MADISON, WI | $6,000 | 2026 | BLACK BUSINESS HUB, HOME OWNERSHIP EDUCATION AND FINANCIAL COACHING PROGRAM |
| ARIZONA LAND AND WATER TRUST | TUSCON, AZ | $5,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| ROCKFORD FAMILY PLANNING FOUNDATION | ROCKFORD, IL | $5,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF THE NORTH COUNTRY | LISBON, NH | $5,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| FAMILY SUPPORT AND RESOURCE CENTER | MADISON, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| MARTHA'S VINEYARD COMMUNITY SERVICES | OAK BLUFFS, MA | $3,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| MARTHA'S VINEYARD MUSEUM | VINEYARD HAVEN, MA | $90,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL FUND, CATALYST FUND |
| MADISON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | MADISON, WI | $70,000 | 2025 | PLANNED PARENTHOOD, TORCHLIGHT FUND |
| MEALS ON WHEELS NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS | EVANSTON, IL | $60,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL FUND |
| BANDERLAND BIRD ALLIANCE | MADISON, WI | $30,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| CONNECTIONS FOR THE HOMELESS | EVANSTON, IL | $30,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| MARTHA'S VINEYARD PRESERVATION TRUST | EDGARTOWN, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL FUND |
| NATIONAL OUTDOOR LEADARSHIP SCHOOL | LANDER, WY | $25,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| PRAGER UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | SHERMAN OAKS, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE
$50,000PARENTS' FUND
BRUCE'S LEGACY
$50,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
SOUTHERN WISCONSIN BIRD ALLIANCE
$30,000PROGRAM SUPPORT, LAND ACQUISITION AND MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM SUPPORT
NATIONAL OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP SCHOOL
$25,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
HOOVER INSTITUTE
$25,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
MEALS ON WHEELS NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS
$25,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
CLEAN LAKES ALLIANCE
$25,000YAHARA SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP, COMMUNITY MEETINGS, EDUCATION PROJECTS, PARTNERSHIPS OR GRANT FUNDING
SHERIFF'S MEADOW FOUNDATION
$25,000TRAIL FUND
MEALS ON WHEELS NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS
$25,000NEW BUILDING FUND
AMMONOOSUC CONSERVATION TRUST
$20,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
DRIFTLESS AREA LAND CONSERVANCY
$20,000DRIFTLESS TRAIL
MORAN CENTER FOR YOUTH ADVOCACY
$20,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
ONE CITY EARLY LEARNING CENTER
$20,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
NELSON INST FOR ENV STUDIES
$20,000ENVIRONMENTAL FUTURES FUND
FAMILY PROMISE NORTH SHORE
$15,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
GROUNDSWELL CONSERVANCY
$10,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE
$10,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
MARTHA'S VINEYARD PRESERVATION TRUST
$10,000ANNUAL FUND
U OF CHICAGO-DEPT OF RADIOLOGY
$10,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
COPPER CANNON
$10,000ANNUAL FUND
BELMONT DAY SCHOOL
$8,000ANNUAL FUND
BLACK BUSINESS HUB, HOME OWNERSHIP EDUCATION AND FINANCIAL COACHING PROGRAM
ROCKFORD FAMILY PLANNING FOUNDATION
$5,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF THE NORTH COUNTRY
$5,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
FAMILY SUPPORT AND RESOURCE CENTER
$5,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
MEALS ON WHEELS NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS
$60,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
BANDERLAND BIRD ALLIANCE
$30,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
NATIONAL OUTDOOR LEADARSHIP SCHOOL
$25,000PROGRAM SUPPORT