The Leever Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Foundation's stated focus is Waterbury, CT, and it backs community-driven groups, collectives and networks working on social justice, systems change, capacity building and community organising, so a small local group doing that kind of work is the best fit.
- Most of its grants are small: about 8 in 10 fall between $600 and $30,000, and half of its 155 grants to organisations across its recent filings were $5,000 or less, so a request near $5,000 is typical, though the largest grant was about $205,000.
- Groups new to the Foundation can look at the Resilience of Grassroots & Community-Based Initiatives Grant, stated at up to $7,000 for new grantees, and should complete the brief eligibility survey before submitting a full proposal where open-proposal grants apply.
- The Foundation is relationship-led: 86% of its grant dollars to organisations in the most recent filing went to organisations it had also funded in earlier filings, so building contact early matters.
- Individuals, capital campaigns, 501(c)4 institutions and schools are excluded from the Transforming Systemic Inequality Grant, and equipment, furniture, government institutions, capital campaigns, 501(c)4 institutions and schools are excluded from the Planning & Building for Social Justice Grant, so those organisations should not apply under those programmes.
Overview
The Leever Foundation is a US private foundation based in Reston, VA.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2025, TY2024, TY2023) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Leever Foundation supports opportunities for people in Waterbury, Connecticut, especially children, and works towards place-based transformational change for a just and equitable society. Its grants support community-driven organisations, collectives, local groups and networks pursuing social justice, systems change and structural transformation. It prioritises initiatives that address root causes of inequity and centre the leadership and voices of people from historically marginalised communities, including those under-resourced and disproportionately harmed by systemic inequities. The Foundation's approach is collaborative and community-led: it shares power and resources with community partners and supports planning, infrastructure, capacity-building, community organising and other collective strategies for durable change.
Themes
- Social justice
- Systems change
- Capacity building
- Community organising
Geographic Focus
Waterbury, CT.
What They Don't Fund
- Transforming Systemic Inequality Grant only: Individuals; Capital Campaigns; 501(c)4 Institutions; Schools (public, private, or charter)
- Planning & Building for Social Justice Grant only: Individuals; capital campaigns; equipment or furniture purchases; 501(c)4 institutions; schools (public, private, or charter) or government institutions
How to apply
For open-proposal grants, prospective partners first complete a brief eligibility survey before submitting a full proposal.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 86% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 or TY2024 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2023, TY2024 and TY2025 filings, half of its 155 grants to organisations were $5,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The foundation prioritises proposals that put people most affected by inequities in positions to shape priorities, make decisions and build collective power.
- It values a recognisable social-justice commitment that addresses inequities and challenges the structures that perpetuate them.
- It prioritises systems-level and collective change that addresses conditions shaping many people's lives, and values community-rooted work connected to broader movements.
- It values meaningful relationships with the communities proposals seek to impact and, where possible, strategies that contribute to broader movements.
- For Planning & Building proposals, it looks for community engagement and collaboration.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.
Grant dollars by state
3 other states: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 21% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2025, 86% of grant dollars went to organisations The Leever Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 8% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 56 grants in tax year 2025 by size
Median $5,000 (tax year 2025)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- People's Place · Program support$203,6402025 tax year
- Dwight Hall at Yale · Program support$35,5002025 tax year
- Naugatuck Valley Project · Program support$34,0002025 tax year
- Save Girls on Fyer · Program support$32,5002025 tax year
- Higher Heights · Program support$30,0002025 tax year
- Connecticut Council for Philanthropy · Program support$30,0002025 tax year
- Neighborhood Housing Services of Waterbury · Program support$24,0002025 tax year
- She Leads Justice · Program support$20,0002025 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- T Diaz — Director
- B Tajildeen — President / Director
- C Navarro — Director
- D Coles — Director
- D Hart — Director
- A Leever — Director
- S White — Chief Executive Officer
- S Harte — Secretary / Director
- M Leever — Vice President / Director
- D Hart — Treasurer / Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 tax year | $991,779 | $495,250 | $20,836,843 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $1,004,877 | $460,310 | $27,992,943 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
| 2025 tax year | $1,336,612 | $652,440 | $30,771,045 | Filing for 2025 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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Applying to The Leever Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required