Patrick P. Lee Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Patrick P. Lee Foundation’s scholarships support students in engineering, technology and psychology programs at select schools and are awarded through participating schools and organizations. A significant portion of funding stays in New York State.
IP TAKE: To apply for scholarships, see the lists of participating schools and organizations on the foundation’s site. The mental health program is not currently accepting applications, but invites prospective grantees to sign up for updates about RFPs or to schedule an introductory call with the foundation’s executive director, Jane Mogavero. The foundation is approachable and responsive, but don’t expect much risk-taking or extended support.
PROFILE: The Patrick P. Lee Foundation was established in 2005 and is based in Williamsville, New York. Patrick P. Lee, a native of Omaha, is an engineer who founded Enidine Incorporated, a company which became a leading manufacturer of shock absorption and vibration isolation mechanisms. This foundation funds college scholarships to help “individuals achieve economic self-sufficiency without experiencing undue financial burden” and makes grants to nonprofit organizations that support the meaningful engagement of people living with mental illness with their communities.
Grants for Higher Education
The Patrick P. Lee Foundation’s higher education funding aims to reduce the burden of college costs on students from middle-income households. These scholarships support students studying and preparing for careers in the fields of engineering, technology or psychology. Scholarships are awarded through the foundation’s partners, which include several two- and four-year colleges and universities as well as some nonprofit organizations. The foundation also gives its signature Distinguished Lee Scholar Award to one scholarship recipient each year who “has successfully integrated the Foundation’s values of integrity, leadership and service to others in their personal and academic endeavors.”
Schools and organizations participating in engineering and technology scholarships include Erie Community College, Niagara County Community College, Saint Louis University/Parks College, Say Yes Buffalo, the Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of Rochester. Schools and organizations participating in mental health and psychology scholarship programs include D’Youville College, the University of Buffalo’s Department of Psychiatry, the University of Buffalo’s Medical School and the University of Rochester’s psychiatric nurse practitioner program. Scholarship amounts vary by program, school and organization.
Grants for Mental Health
The goal of Lee’s mental health grantmaking is to help people who suffer with mental illness to live as “engaged and supported members of the community.” Specific areas of focus for this program include education and training for the mental health workforce, direct medical and therapeutic support services for the mentally ill, increasing public and private funding for mental health services and programs that improve public awareness and understanding of mental illnesses. While the foundation does not name geographic priorities for this program, more than half of its mental health grants serve organizations in the western part of New York. Recent grantees include the Mental Health Advocates of Western New York, Suicide Prevention and Crisis Services of Buffalo, the Tourette Syndrome Association, Miami’s Camillus House and San Francisco’s Bring Change 2 Mind, a mental health awareness organization that was founded by the actress Glen Close.
Important Grant Details:
This funder makes about $1 million in grants and scholarships each year. Scholarship amounts vary by program, school and organization, while recent grants to mental health organizations have ranged from $5,000 to $150,000, with an average grant size of about $10,000. The foundation’s mental health page presents profiles of recently funded programs and organizations.
Lee-funded scholarships are awarded through participating schools and organizations, which are linked to the foundation’s scholarships page. The foundation’s mental health program is not accepting applications at this time, but prospective applicants are encouraged to sign up for updates about future open grant cycles and RFPs. The foundation also invites organizations working in its specific areas of interest to contact executive director Jane Mogavero via email to schedule an introductory phone call.
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