Public Charity

LESHER FAMILY FOUNDATION

LESHER FAMILY FOUNDATION is a Public Charity headquartered in ROCKPORT, ME. Financial data from the 2025 filing: $1.7M revenue, $1.7M expenses, $41.8M total assets. IRS filings disclose 17 grants awarded by this foundation, totaling roughly $2.3M.

EIN: 871858339 ROCKPORT, ME Public Foundations NTEE: T30 Latest filing: 2025

Organization Summary

Grants Given 17

Filing History 2022–2025

Grant Total $2.3M

Website Visit site ↗

Financial Snapshot · 2025

Total Revenue $1.7M

Total Expenses $1.7M

Total Assets $41.8M

Total Revenue$1.7M

Total Expenses$1.7M

Total Assets$41.8M

Grants Given17

Grant Total$2.3M

Filing Years2022–2025

Mission

LFF'S MISSION IS TO EMPOWER PEOPLE TO TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN POSITIVELY SHAPING WHERE AND HOW THEY LIVE. THE FOUNDATION SUPPORTS THE CREATION OF DYNAMIC, RESILIENT COMMUNITIES BY MAKING GRANTS AND INVESTMENTS IN FOUR FOCUS AREAS: ARTS AND CULTURE, EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND LAND STEWARDSHIP AND COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION. THROUGH ITS GRANTMAKING , THE FOUNDATION PROMOTES EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, ACCESS TO THE ARTS, ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF EQUITABLE, SUSTAINABLE PUBLIC RESOURCES. THE FOUNDATION'S GRANTMAKING IS FOCUSED IN FOUR PRIMARY AREAS:1. ARTS & CULTURE-INCREASING PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE ARTS, DEFENDING FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, AND SUPPORTING DIVERSE AND HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED STORYTELLERS.2. EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT-EXPANDING ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY, CULTURALLY ALIGNED CHILDCARE AND EARLY EDUCATION.3. HOUSING-PROMOTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOMEOWNERSHIP4. LAND STEWARDSHIP & COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION

Where $100 goes at Lesher Family Foundation

How Lesher Family Foundation divides every $100 it spends, from its own Form 990 filings, averaged across 4 years.

$55 Programs the work itself

$45 Management running the organization

$0 Fundraising none reported

No fundraising costs are reported. That often means fundraising runs through a separate affiliated organization that files its own return.

Inside the $55 for programs

$24

Barnswallow books community programming (two locations)the foundation operates two nonprofit bookstores under the barnswallow books name to promote literary culture and revitalize small-town main streets

43% of program spending

$22

Res public park development and conservancy; the foundation is leading the multi-year development of a new public park on the former Rockport elementary school site in Rockport, maine

41% of program spending

Summer authors series (in partnership with the authors guild foundation)the foundation hosts the summer authors series at pascal hall in Rockport, maine, in partnership with the authors guild…

16% of program spending

Source: Form 990 filings with the IRS, latest fiscal year 2025. Shares are from the organization's reported expenses. Data by Imperigo; not affiliated with the IRS.

Sample Grants Given

DARROWBY FARM SANCTUARY

JEFFERSON, ME · 2023

SUPPORT GRANT

$400,000

COASTAL HERITAGE SOCIETY

SAVANNAH, GA · 2023

EDUCATIONAL GRANT

$100,000

MAINE MEDIA WORKSHOPS COLLEGE

ROCKPORT, ME · 2023

SUPPORT GRANT

$22,500

DARROWBY FARM SANCTUARY

JEFFERSON, ME · 2022

UNRESTRICTED

$400,000

TOWN OF ROCKPORT

ROCKPORT, ME · 2022

ROCKPORT PUBLIC LIBRARY SLOPE PROJECT AND CONCRETE WORK AND WALLS

$193,900

Showing up to 5 of 17 total records — full history available with membership.

Officers & Directors

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dominic Pepper

PRESIDENT J Griffin Lesher

TREASURER Justin Lesher

VICE PRESIDENT Linda Lesher

DIRECTOR Meredith K Lesher

SECRETARY Nicholas Lesher

Officer compensation and complete director data available with membership.

Top Grant Purposes

General Support

$1,411,700 8 grants

Education

$381,400 4 grants

Economic Development

$275,000 1 grant

Housing & Homelessness

$10,000 1 grant

Unspecified

$220,625 3 grants

Financial Trends

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Assets
2025	$1.7M	$1.7M	$41.8M
2024	$4.9M	$1.7M	$40.4M
2023	$-1.7M	$1.1M	$38.3M
2022	$40.7M	$1.3M	$36.2M

Between 2022 and 2025, reported annual revenue declined from $40.7M to $1.7M (-96%), with total assets most recently reported at $41.8M.

Interactive year-over-year charts and full filing details available with membership.

Grant Geography

Grants from this foundation were reported to recipients in CT, DC, GA, ME, NY, OK.

CTDCGAMENYOK

Full geographic grant map with state-by-state breakdown available with membership.

See the full picture for LESHER FAMILY FOUNDATION

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Full Financial History Complete Grant Activity Officer Compensation Year-over-Year Charts Geographic Grant Map Data Exports