Patrick P. Lee Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- If your work is in engineering and technology scholarships, the mental health workforce or mental health services, it fits the foundation's stated themes.
- Organisations seeking funds for endowments or for work on intellectual disabilities such as autism should not apply, because the foundation does not fund these.
- Most grants are modest, with about 8 in 10 falling between $250 and $100,000 and half at $25,000 or less, so a request near the $25,000 median is a realistic starting point, although its largest grant was $300,000.
- Start by emailing or calling staff to discuss programmes aligned with its priorities, since it accepts applications on a rolling basis, and sign up for notices of future grant cycles and RFPs.
- Repeat recipients take a large share of its grant dollars, at 52% in the filing, so a new applicant should still approach it, but a conversation with staff first will help it understand your work.
Overview
Patrick P. Lee Foundation is a US private foundation based in Williamsville, NY.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Foundation provides grants to organisations and initiatives that advance its goals in education and mental health. Its education work focuses on post-secondary scholarships for students studying engineering and technology, and graduate students training for careers in mental health. The Lee Scholarship Program seeks to position students to enter the workforce with minimum debt; its scholarships target students from middle-income households. In mental health, the Foundation seeks to strengthen the workforce and supports organisations serving adults with mental illnesses and serious mental illness. It works collaboratively with partners at local, state and national levels to improve lives and health outcomes, and its goals include a well-trained workforce and high-quality treatment and support services.
Themes
- Engineering and technology scholarships
- Mental health workforce
- Mental health services
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in New York.
What They Don't Fund
- Endowments
- Intellectual disabilities, such as autism
How to apply
Organisations may email or call staff to arrange a discussion about programmes and initiatives aligned with the Foundation’s priorities. They can also sign up for notices of future grant cycles and RFPs.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 52% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 154 grants to organisations were $25,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Programs and initiatives should align with the Foundation’s funding priorities.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 1%
- The largest single recipient received 9% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 52% of grant dollars went to organisations Patrick P. Lee Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 5% 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 2024 by size
Median $24,588 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Build Promise · Capital campaign$250,0002024 tax year
- Spectrum Health and Human Services · Capital project$200,0002024 tax year
- Ocean Reef Community Foundation · Discretionary grants$122,0002024 tax year
- Rochester Institute of Technology · Engineering scholarship program$110,4062024 tax year
- University Psychiatric Practice · Ub doctoral psychology internship$92,4002024 tax year
- Compeer Buffalo · Mental health workforce initiative$75,0002024 tax year
- Envision Wellness WNY · Mental health workforce initiative$75,0002024 tax year
- Compeer Buffalo · Mental health workforce initiative$75,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Arthur Michalek — Treasurer
- Cynthia Lee — Director
- John Rhee — Director
- Barbara Rhee — Secretary
- Lee Wortham — Vice Chairman
- Amy Case — Director
- Suzanne Stern — Director
- Jon Pellish — Director
- Jane Mogavero — Executive Director
- Patrick P Lee — Chairman
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $2,643,375 | $2,372,948 | $39,288,345 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $3,803,671 | $2,227,408 | $41,778,087 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $2,952,836 | $1,945,276 | $44,560,171 | Filing for 2024 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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At a glance
Applying to Patrick P. Lee Foundation?
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Applying to Patrick P. Lee Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required