T.W. Lewis

What T.W. Lewis does

T.W. Lewis Foundation is a private nonprofit philanthropic foundation established in 2000 by Tom and Jan Lewis and headquartered at 6720 N. Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale, Arizona. The foundation distributes grants and scholarships to support four program pillars: children and families in need, youth education and character development grounded in Christian values, civic and cultural community institutions, and organizations that promote America's founding principles. As of the available data, it supports over 30 nonprofit organizations and has provided college scholarships to over 200 outstanding students.

Unlike a passive grantmaker, the foundation engages actively with grantee organizations, establishing KPIs and strategic objectives and providing hands-on business guidance drawn from Tom Lewis's decades of operating experience. The foundation is the charitable arm of the Lewis family and is organizationally separate from T.W. Lewis Company, the award-winning Phoenix-based homebuilder Tom Lewis founded in 1991, which built more than 6,000 luxury homes and reached approximately $250 million in peak annual revenue in 2006 before being sold to David Weekley Homes in 2012.

The foundation generates no product revenue; its outflows are funded by the founders' personal investment and prior business proceeds. Named flagship partnerships include the T.W. Lewis Center for Student Success at Grand Canyon University ($2 million, five-year commitment, 2023), the T.W. Lewis Center for Student Success at Liberty University's School of Business (ribbon-cutting October 2025), the Lewis Honors College at the University of Kentucky (established 2015), the T.W. Lewis Melanoma Center of Excellence at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center ($2 million gift), and the Lewis Headache Center at Barrow Neurological Institute. The foundation is led by Executive Director Steve Smith (former Arizona State Senator and American Federation for Children director), CFO Alan Peril, and Senior Grant Director Michelle Arndt, with a small team of 1-10.

Name

T.W. Lewis

Legal name

T.W. Lewis Foundation

Website

https://twlewis.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

T.W. Lewis Foundation is a Scottsdale-based private philanthropic foundation established in 2000 by Tom and Jan Lewis, supporting over 30 nonprofits and funding over 200 college scholarships across children and families, youth education, civic causes, and America's founding principles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Philanthropic foundation
• Grant making
• College scholarships
• Nonprofit support
• Charitable giving

Headquarters

HQ city

Scottsdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Giving: As a private foundation, T.W. Lewis Foundation generates revenue through Tom Lewis's investment activities and business endeavors. The foundation distributes funds to nonprofit organizations supporting children and families, youth education, civic causes, and strengthening America.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

T.W. Lewis Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation that distributes grants to over 30 nonprofit organizations and provides college scholarships to outstanding students. The foundation supports four program areas: children and families in need, youth education and character development through Christian values, civic and cultural causes, and organizations strengthening America's founding principles. Beyond passive grantmaking, the foundation actively engages with grantees to establish KPIs and provide strategic guidance.

Product overview

T.W. Lewis Foundation is a philanthropic organization founded in 2000 by Tom and Jan Lewis, focused on helping children and families in need, impacting youth through Christian education, supporting civic minded causes, and strengthening America. The foundation operates alongside T.W. Lewis Company, an award-winning homebuilding company founded in 1991. The foundation supports over 30 nonprofit organizations across four core pillars: Educating Our Youth, Children and Families, Civic and Cultural, and Strengthening America. Notable initiatives include the T.W. Lewis Center for Student Success at Liberty University, the T.W. Lewis Melanoma Center of Excellence at Banner Health, and the Lewis Headache Center at Barrow Neurological Institute.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nonprofit Grant Program Direct grant funding to over 30 vetted nonprofit organizations across four pillars: children and families in need, youth education and character development through Christian values, civic and cultural causes, and strengthening America's founding principles. Includes strategic guidance and KPI establishment with grantees.
• College Scholarship Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 30 nonprofit organizations supported with grants
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, minor and major.

• Liberty UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Ribbon-cutting ceremony held Oct. 30 for the new T.W. Lewis Center for Student Success at Liberty University's School of Business. The center integrates leadership principles into business courses, offers professional development workshops, hosts speaker series, and provides personal assessments through Indigo Education Company.
• Grand Canyon UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023T.W. Lewis made a $2 million, five-year commitment to GCU's Colangelo College of Business, establishing the T.W. Lewis Center for Student Success. This includes the T.W. Lewis Speaker Series spotlighting top business executives and comprehensive student support facilities including podcast rooms and career offices.
• University of KentuckycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Tom and Jan Lewis established the Lewis Honors College at the University of Kentucky in 2015, supporting excellence in higher education.
• Banner HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerT.W. Lewis Foundation donated $2 million to establish the T.W. Lewis Melanoma Center of Excellence at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center. The center includes a mobile unit for melanoma awareness and treatment. Tom Lewis, after his own battle with melanoma, made this matching gift to encourage other donors.
• Barrow Neurological InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJan and Tom Lewis made a generous gift to establish the Lewis Headache Center at Barrow Neurological Institute, providing comprehensive migraine treatment and prevention care. Jan Lewis has personally benefited from Dr. Kerry Knievel's team approach.
• Children's Museum of PhoenixminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJan Lewis of T.W. Lewis Foundation co-chairs the $23.5 million capital campaign for the museum's major renovation and expansion over five years.
• Fresh Start Women's FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJan Lewis co-chaired the 2025 Fresh Start Gala that raised over $2.6 million to support women in need. The event featured a Carolina Herrera fashion show.
• David Weekley HomesmajorOthersIn 2012, T.W. Lewis Company was sold to David Weekley Homes, a large private homebuilding company that shared T.W. Lewis Company's values of quality and outstanding customer service.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Kemper and Ethel Marley Foundation: Arizona family foundation supporting children, education, and community causes. Comparable in family-funding model, Arizona footprint, and pillar orientation toward youth and community welfare.
• Flinn Foundation: Arizona-based private family foundation with parallel focus areas in education, arts and culture, and civic leadership. Highly comparable in geographic footprint (Arizona-headquartered), pillar structure, and named-program model (Arizona Center for Civic Leadership).
• Arizona Community Foundation: Statewide community foundation administering donor-advised funds and competitive grants across Arizona. Comparable in pillar mix and grantee base, though structured as a community foundation rather than a family foundation.
• Diane & Bruce Halle Foundation: Arizona-based private family foundation backing education, health, and community initiatives. Comparable founder-derived endowment model and Arizona-centered grantmaking.
• The Lovell Foundation: Arizona family foundation supporting children, education, and community. Comparable scale, family-funder structure, and pillar emphasis on youth and education.
• Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust: Phoenix-based private grantmaking trust focused on children, healthcare, education, and civic causes. Closely comparable in pillar structure, Arizona orientation, and multi-million dollar grant profile.
• Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation: Scottsdale-based private family foundation supporting children, families, education, and healthcare with multi-million dollar capital campaigns. Highly comparable scale, Arizona concentration, and family-funder operational model.

Others

• Banner Health Foundation: Healthcare-affiliated foundation and recipient of the T.W. Lewis $2M Melanoma Center gift. Operates within the same Arizona healthcare philanthropy ecosystem as T.W. Lewis's healthcare pillar.
• Barrow Neurological Foundation: Affiliated foundation supporting Barrow Neurological Institute, which is itself a T.W. Lewis grantee partner (Lewis Headache Center). Relevant as a peer institutional foundation in the same healthcare giving ecosystem.

Regional players

• Thunderbird Charities: Arizona-based private foundation supporting education, health, and community welfare. Comparable regional grantmaking profile and pillar structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/TWLewisFound_
• Facebookfacebook.com/TWLewisFoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/twlewisfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about T.W. Lewis