About the Foundation
The Landes Community Foundation was established in 1994 by Harold P. Landes, a Lancaster County businessman and civic leader whose belief in the transformative power of local philanthropy has guided our work for three decades. Today, we steward an endowment of $32.4 million and distribute approximately $1.4 million annually in grants, scholarships, and community investments.
Our Founding Story
Harold Paul Landes was born in 1928 in the small Mennonite farming community of Bird-in-Hand, Lancaster County. The son of a dairy farmer and a schoolteacher, Harold worked his way through Franklin and Marshall College before founding Landes Industrial Supply in 1954, a wholesale distributor of industrial fasteners, safety equipment, and maintenance supplies that eventually served manufacturing operations across eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.
As his business prospered through the 1960s and 1970s, Harold became increasingly involved in civic life, serving on the boards of Lancaster General Hospital, the United Way of Lancaster County, and the Lancaster County Planning Commission. He was particularly concerned about the economic disparities he observed between the county's prosperous agricultural and tourism economy and the persistent poverty in Lancaster City's urban neighborhoods, where declining manufacturing had left generations of working families without sustainable employment pathways.
In 1994, Harold and his wife Ruth established the Landes Community Foundation with an initial endowment of $2.8 million from the proceeds of selling Landes Industrial Supply. The Foundation's charter articulated a simple but ambitious mission: to strengthen every community within Lancaster County by investing in education, economic opportunity, physical infrastructure, cultural life, and emergency preparedness. Harold served as the Foundation's first Board Chair until his retirement in 2006, and continued as Board Chair Emeritus until his passing in 2011 at the age of 83.
Under Harold's founding vision and subsequent leadership, the endowment has grown from $2.8 million to $32.4 million through careful investment management, additional charitable contributions, and planned giving vehicles. The Foundation has distributed $18.7 million in grants and scholarships while maintaining the purchasing power of the endowment corpus for future generations.
Leadership
The Landes Community Foundation is governed by a nine-member Board of Trustees and led by a professional staff of four.
Margaret Stoltzfus-Landes
Executive DirectorMargaret joined the Foundation in 2012 after a fifteen-year career in nonprofit management, including serving as Deputy Director of the Lancaster County Community Action Partnership and Director of Programs at the Community First Fund. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Millersville University and a Master of Nonprofit Leadership from Franklin and Marshall College's Graduate Studies Program. Margaret is the daughter-in-law of the Foundation's founder and brings both a deep personal connection to Harold's vision and rigorous professional expertise in community development finance, program evaluation, and philanthropic strategy.
Under Margaret's leadership, the Foundation has expanded from three to seven active grant programs, launched the Workforce Readiness Initiative, established the Emergency Community Response Fund, and implemented the online grant management system that serves all current applicants. She also chairs the Lancaster County Philanthropy Roundtable and serves on the advisory council of the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations.
David Kreider
Director of Grants & ProgramsDavid oversees the Foundation's grantmaking operations, manages program officer portfolios, and coordinates the Grants Committee's review process. He previously served as a program associate at the Lancaster Osteopathic Health Foundation and as a community development specialist with the City of Lancaster's Office of Economic Development. David holds a Master of Public Administration from Penn State Harrisburg and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). He manages relationships with the Foundation's 63 active partner organizations and leads the annual grantee convening that brings together current and past grant recipients for shared learning and network building.
Rachel Espenshade-Kim
Scholarship & Communications CoordinatorRachel manages all scholarship programs, donor communications, and the Foundation's public-facing content. She previously worked as a college access counselor with Lancaster County's GEAR UP program and as a communications associate at Landis Communities. Rachel holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Elizabethtown College and is pursuing a Master of Nonprofit Management online through Northeastern University. She personally reviews every scholarship application and serves as the primary contact for current and prospective scholarship recipients throughout their educational journeys.
Board of Trustees
President, Landes Family Holdings. Son of founder Harold P. Landes. Franklin & Marshall College, B.A. Economics. Board member since 2002.
Professor of Community Health, Millersville University. Drexel University, Ph.D. Public Health. Board member since 2016.
Managing Partner, Hoover & Associates CPAs. Elizabethtown College, B.S. Accounting. CPA, CGMA. Board member since 2010.
Executive Director, Lancaster Farmland Trust. Dickinson School of Law, J.D. Board member since 2018.
Senior Pastor, East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church. Eastern Mennonite Seminary, M.Div. Board member since 2014.
Director of Community Relations, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health. Johns Hopkins, M.P.H. Board member since 2020.
Founder & CEO, Lancaster ASSETS. Wharton School of Business, M.B.A. Board member since 2019.
Retired Superintendent, School District of Lancaster. Temple University, Ed.D. Board member since 2015.
Retired Managing Director, Fulton Financial Corporation. Bucknell University, B.S. Finance. Board member since 2008.
Governance & Financial Stewardship
Transparency and accountability are foundational principles of the Landes Community Foundation's operations.
Financial Overview (FY 2025–2026)
- Total Endowment: $32,400,000
- Annual Investment Return (5-yr avg): 7.2%
- Annual Grant Distributions: $1,400,000
- Administrative Expense Ratio: 8.4%
- Program Expense Ratio: 87.2%
- Fundraising Expense Ratio: 4.4%
The Foundation's endowment is managed by Fulton Financial Advisors under an investment policy approved annually by the Board of Trustees. Our spending policy targets a 4.5% annual distribution rate, designed to maintain the endowment's purchasing power in perpetuity while maximizing current community benefit.
Accountability & Affiliations
- IRS Status: 501(c)(3) Public Charity (EIN: 23-3017584)
- PA Registration: Bureau of Charitable Organizations #47291-NPO
- Annual Audit: Conducted by Baker Tilly US, LLP
- Board Governance: National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations
- Member: Council on Foundations
- Member: Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations
- Member: Lancaster County Philanthropy Roundtable
The Foundation adheres to the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations, a rigorous set of operational, governance, and financial benchmarks established by the Council on Foundations. Our most recent Form 990 and audited financial statements are available upon request from our office.