The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation concentrates its support on leadership, civic engagement and educational advancement for youth—especially African American and Hispanic young people. Its largest commitments back national-scale civic and leadership programming (notably the Barack Obama Foundation) alongside targeted workforce/STEM pathway support and scholarship funding for secondary schools. The foundation prefers a few high-impact partners rather than many small grants.
A $1.5 million grant to the Barack Obama Foundation anchors The Reginald F Lewis Foundation Inc’s recent giving and signals a preference for large commitments tied to youth and citizen engagement. Across its recent grants, the foundation backs civic leadership, education access, STEM preparation, and scholarship support, with some awards repeated over multiple years. The pattern is not broad and diffuse; it centers on a small set of partners that receive sustained support alongside targeted grants for schools, youth programs, and community-serving organizations. Recent awards show that the foundation uses both major and mid-sized grants. It has supported All Star Code to train African American and Hispanic boys to code, while also funding scholarship and student-success work at schools in Baltimore. It has also backed programs serving minority law students, Philippine American equality efforts, and dance education for children. The foundation’s giving extends into Baltimore civic and social needs as well, including poverty reduction, teacher support, and maternal health. Individual support is part of its profile, and the overall portfolio reflects a mix of program support, scholarships, and direct youth-focused services.
Youth engagement and civic participation are central themes. The foundation gave $180,000 in 2025 to The Barack Obama Foundation to support programs, especially youth and citizen engagement, after a much larger 2023 award. STEM and career preparation appear in a $300,000 grant to All Star Code for a program to train African American and Hispanic boys to code and be prepared for the future. Education access is also visible in Baltimore-focused school grants, including $69,000 to St Ignatius Loyola Academy for its scholarship program and $32,000 to Cristo Rey Jesuit High School to help high school students achieve knowledge and employment skills. The portfolio also includes arts and identity-centered programming. The foundation funded Dance Theatre of Harlem for children’s programming and Naffaa for Philippine American programs for equality, showing support for both cultural enrichment and community-specific advancement.
Typical grants are modest relative to the largest awards, with a p25 of $1,000, a median of $5,000, and a p75 of $11,000. That distribution sits alongside a small number of much larger program grants, which indicates a portfolio that combines routine support with selective flagship commitments. The same recipients appear in multiple years, including The Barack Obama Foundation, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Naffaa, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Loyola School, Teach for America, St Ignatius Loyola Academy, and Innovation Works. The foundation is a regular funder, funds individuals, and makes grants rather than program-related investments.
$895K
$24.9M
$2.1M
$1.4M
Most grants fall between $1K and $11K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$11K
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Concentrated, high-dollar giving to a very small number of grantees; repeat, multi-grant support for flagship partners and a preference for programmatic investments in youth leadership, STEM pipelines, and scholarships.
Notable grantees: The Barack Obama Foundation, All Star Code, St. Ignatius Loyola Academy
Giving is national, but it is concentrated in a few places. Baltimore is the main hub for recipient organizations, with multiple grants to St Ignatius Loyola Academy, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, The Loyola School, Teach for America, Innovation Works, Mercy Health Foundation, Johns Hopkins University Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, and the University of Baltimore School of Law. New York also appears repeatedly through The Barack Obama Foundation, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Children’s Orchestra Society, and The Peter Westbrook Foundation. Washington, DC recipients include The Barack Obama Foundation and Naffaa, while Boston appears through Greenlight Fund. All grants in the provided data go to US recipients.
Its recent grants emphasize youth engagement, civic leadership, education access, STEM preparation, and scholarship support. Examples include funding for youth and citizen engagement, coding training for African American and Hispanic boys, scholarship programs at Baltimore schools, and support for minority law students.
Yes. Several recipients appear more than once in the recent-grants list, including The Barack Obama Foundation, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Naffaa, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Loyola School, Teach for America, St Ignatius Loyola Academy, and Innovation Works.
The typical grant is relatively small: p25 is $1,000, the median is $5,000, and p75 is $11,000. The recent portfolio also includes much larger outliers, such as a $1.5 million grant and a $300,000 grant.
Baltimore appears most often among recipients, followed by New York, Washington, DC, and Boston. The grants list shows repeated Baltimore recipients in education, poverty alleviation, teacher support, and health programs, while New York recipients include civic, dance, music, and youth organizations.
It funds individuals as well as organizations. The profile marks funds individuals as true, and the grants data also show a mix of program support, scholarships, and direct service awards to institutions and community-serving groups.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE BARACK OBAMA FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $180,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT THE FOUNDATION'S PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF YOUTH AND CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT |
| THE LOYOLA SCHOOL | BALTIMORE, MD | $79,500 | 2026 | EDUCATE BALTIMORE CITY CHILDREN OF SLENDER MEANS |
| ST IGNATIUS LOYOLA ACADEMY | BALTIMORE, MD | $75,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM |
| MARYLAND AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM CORPORATION | BALTIMORE, MD | $53,500 | 2026 | SUPPORT FOR MUSEUM PROGRAMS |
| NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | COMMUNITY ACTION |
| UNIVERSITY OF BALTIMORE | BALTIMORE, MD | $27,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT STUDENTS |
| DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM | NEW YORK, NY | $25,680 | 2026 | SUPPORT CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS |
| ORCHKIDS | BALTIMORE, MD | $25,000 | 2026 | EDUCATING PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS - MUSIC |
| ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT THE AILEY DANCE CAMP FOR STUDENTS |
| TEACH FOR AMERICA | BALTIMORE, MD | $25,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT EDUCATORS PROGRAM |
| MERCY HEALTH FOUNDATION | BALTIMORE, MD | $25,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT THE MEAD MATERNAL HEALTH PROGRAM |
| THE STUDIO MUSEUM IN HARLEM | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | ART EDUCATION |
| INNOVATION WORKS | BALTIMORE, MD | $25,000 | 2026 | ADDRESS PERSISTENT POVERTY ACROSS BALTIMORE AND SUPPORT TRANSFORMATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR SAME |
| SECOND CHANCE COLLEGE PROGRAM | BALTIMORE, MD | $25,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT PROGRAMS FOR INCARCERATED |
| APOLLO THEATRE FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS |
| THREAD | BALTIMORE, MD | $20,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT AND MENTOR YOUNG PEOPLE |
| FOUNDATION FOR FILIPINO ARTISTS | WOODSIDE, NY | $17,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT CULTURAL PROGRAMS |
| DAFGIVING360 | OMAHA, NE | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL FEDERATION OF FILIPINO AMERICANS | DORCHESTER CENTER, MA | $12,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT THEIR PROGRAMS |
| ASIAN AMERICAN LEGAL DEFENSE FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT WORK TO PROMOTE CIVIL RIGHTS OF ASIAN AMERICANS |
| PUBLIC PREP | BRONX, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS |
| LAUREL CEMETERY MEMORIAL PROJECT | BALTIMORE, MD | $10,000 | 2026 | TO RESEARCH DESECRATED BURIAL GROUNDS |
| MADISON SQUARE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT FOR THE ORGANIZATION'S PROGRAMS |
| GREENLIGHT FUND BALTIMORE | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | COMMUNITY WORK |
| JAMES E LEWIS MUSEUM OF ARTS | BALTIMORE, MD | $9,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT EXHIBITIONS AND COLLECTIONS |
| THE CHILDREN'S ORCHESTRA SOCIETY | FRESH MEADOWS, NY | $6,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT FOR A CHILDREN'S MUSIC PROGRAM |
| KINDING SINDAW HERITAGE FOUNDATION | JACKSON HEIGHTS, NY | $6,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT CULTURAL AND ARTS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | LOS ANGELES, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT THE CENTER FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY |
| THE HISTORY MAKERS | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2026 | RESCUE, PRESERVE & EDUCATE |
| ARTS EVERY DAY | BALTIMORE, MD | $5,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT BALTIMORE CITY SCHOOL CHILDREN'S ACCESS TO CULTURAL AND ARTS INSTITUTES |
| MARYLAND BOOK BANK | BALTIMORE, MD | $5,000 | 2026 | BOOK DONATIONS TO STUDENTS |
| PREP FOR PREP | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT UNDERSERVED CITY CHILDREN |
| ART WITH A HEART | BALTIMORE, MD | $5,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT STUDENTS WITH ART CLASSES |
| HOLY NAME CATHEDRAL | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2026 | RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES |
| ARCHDIOCESE OF BALTIMORE | BALTIMORE, MD | $4,500 | 2026 | SUPPORT PARTNERS IN EXCELLENCE |
| MARYLAND PHILANTHROPY NETWORK | BALTIMORE, MD | $4,000 | 2026 | MEMBERSHIP AND SUPPORT FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS |
| CRISTO REY JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL | BALTIMORE, MD | $3,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ACHIEVING KNOWLEDGE AND EMPLOYMENT SKILLS |
| OBLATE SISTERS OF PROVIDENCE | BALTIMORE, MD | $2,000 | 2026 | CARE FOR ELDERLY AND INFIRM |
| ALPHA HOCKEY INC | ELLICOTT CITY, MD | $2,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT CHILDREN'S ATHLETIC PROGRAM |
| EQUAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE | MONTGOMERY, AL | $2,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR THOSE POSSIBLY WRONGLY CONVICTED |
| FILIPINO AMERICAN LEGAL DEFENSE & EDUCATION | BERGENFIELD, NJ | $2,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT THEIR PROGRAMS |
| AFRO CHARITIES | BALTIMORE, MD | $2,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT COMMUNITY PROGRAMS |
| INNOCENCE PROJECT | NEW YORK, NY | $2,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT WORK TO ASSIST THOSE ERRONEOUSLY CONVICTED OF CRIMES |
| BLACK ART TODAY FOUNDATION | BALTIMORE, MD | $2,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT PRESENTATION OF ART |
| LEGAL DEFENSE FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $2,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT THE EQUITY WORK OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| THE TIDES FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $1,600 | 2026 | FISCAL SPONSOR (NAACP) |
| THE JOYCE THEATER | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2026 | EVIDENCE DANCE CO |
| THE LEAGUE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES | BALTIMORE, MD | $1,000 | 2026 | WORK WITH SCALE |
| COMMUNITY RESOURCE EXCHANGE | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT COMMUNITY WORK |
| SAN LORENZO RUIZ GLOBAL MINISTRY | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT PROGRAMS |
THE BARACK OBAMA FOUNDATION
$180,000SUPPORT THE FOUNDATION'S PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF YOUTH AND CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT
THE LOYOLA SCHOOL
$79,500EDUCATE BALTIMORE CITY CHILDREN OF SLENDER MEANS
ST IGNATIUS LOYOLA ACADEMY
$75,000SUPPORT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
MARYLAND AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM CORPORATION
$53,500SUPPORT FOR MUSEUM PROGRAMS
NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE
$50,000COMMUNITY ACTION
UNIVERSITY OF BALTIMORE
$27,000SUPPORT STUDENTS
ORCHKIDS
$25,000EDUCATING PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS - MUSIC
TEACH FOR AMERICA
$25,000SUPPORT EDUCATORS PROGRAM
INNOVATION WORKS
$25,000ADDRESS PERSISTENT POVERTY ACROSS BALTIMORE AND SUPPORT TRANSFORMATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR SAME
SECOND CHANCE COLLEGE PROGRAM
$25,000SUPPORT PROGRAMS FOR INCARCERATED
APOLLO THEATRE FOUNDATION INC
$20,000SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
FOUNDATION FOR FILIPINO ARTISTS
$17,000SUPPORT CULTURAL PROGRAMS
DAFGIVING360
$15,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF FILIPINO AMERICANS
$12,000SUPPORT THEIR PROGRAMS
SUPPORT WORK TO PROMOTE CIVIL RIGHTS OF ASIAN AMERICANS
LAUREL CEMETERY MEMORIAL PROJECT
$10,000TO RESEARCH DESECRATED BURIAL GROUNDS
GREENLIGHT FUND BALTIMORE
$10,000COMMUNITY WORK
JAMES E LEWIS MUSEUM OF ARTS
$9,000SUPPORT EXHIBITIONS AND COLLECTIONS
THE CHILDREN'S ORCHESTRA SOCIETY
$6,000SUPPORT FOR A CHILDREN'S MUSIC PROGRAM
KINDING SINDAW HERITAGE FOUNDATION
$6,000TO SUPPORT CULTURAL AND ARTS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
ARTS EVERY DAY
$5,000SUPPORT BALTIMORE CITY SCHOOL CHILDREN'S ACCESS TO CULTURAL AND ARTS INSTITUTES
HOLY NAME CATHEDRAL
$5,000RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES
ARCHDIOCESE OF BALTIMORE
$4,500SUPPORT PARTNERS IN EXCELLENCE
CRISTO REY JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL
$3,000SUPPORT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ACHIEVING KNOWLEDGE AND EMPLOYMENT SKILLS
OBLATE SISTERS OF PROVIDENCE
$2,000CARE FOR ELDERLY AND INFIRM
ALPHA HOCKEY INC
$2,000SUPPORT CHILDREN'S ATHLETIC PROGRAM
SUPPORT LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR THOSE POSSIBLY WRONGLY CONVICTED
FILIPINO AMERICAN LEGAL DEFENSE & EDUCATION
$2,000SUPPORT THEIR PROGRAMS
BLACK ART TODAY FOUNDATION
$2,000SUPPORT PRESENTATION OF ART
LEGAL DEFENSE FUND
$2,000SUPPORT THE EQUITY WORK OF THE ORGANIZATION
THE TIDES FOUNDATION
$1,600FISCAL SPONSOR (NAACP)
THE JOYCE THEATER
$1,000EVIDENCE DANCE CO
THE LEAGUE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
$1,000WORK WITH SCALE
SAN LORENZO RUIZ GLOBAL MINISTRY
$1,000SUPPORT PROGRAMS