Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation
The Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Washington, DC. Established in 2002, it makes strategic charitable investments in medical research, education, and community engagement.
Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation gave $8.2M across 51 grants in 2024 (avg $160K), mostly in Connecticut. 25% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $8,161,375
- -27.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 51
- -31.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $160,027
- +5.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $137,501,113
- +19.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (13 of 51, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (54% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Invitation Only
-
The foundation reviews proposals on an invitation-only basis and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1700 Pennsylvania Ave Nw Suite 500, Washington, DC 20006
Phone: (202) 315-1815
Website: https://ludwigfamilyfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Yale Law School ($3.0M). Together the top 10 received $6.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
389 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 248 grants of 389 (64%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website identifies Washington, DC; Martha’s Vineyard, MA; and New York City, NY, as communities where it provides general operating support. Its 2024 grants went to recipients in multiple states; the largest shares of grant dollars went to Connecticut (54%), Massachusetts (16%), California (13%), and New York (11%), with 2% going to DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 51 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 13 of 51 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $37K; repeat grants $202K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 61% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 26% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 90% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $6.5M (2021) to $11.3M (2023). In 2024 it made 51 grants totaling $8.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Yale Law School New Haven, CT | General Operating Support - General | $3,000,000 |
| Yale School of Medicine New Haven, CT | General Operating Support - General | $1,433,333 |
| University of California San Francisco San Francisco, CA | General Operating Support - General | $450,000 |
| Harvard Medical School Boston, MA | General Operating Support - General | $445,580 |
| Gladstone Institutes San Francisco, CA | General Operating Support - General | $400,000 |
| Boston University Boston, MA | General Operating Support - General | $383,287 |
| MIT Picower Institute for Learning and Memory Cambridge, MA | General Operating Support - General | $210,000 |
| New York University Grossman School of Medicine New York, NY | General Operating Support - General | $200,000 |
| Weill Cornell Medicine New York, NY | General Operating Support - General | $200,000 |
| Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science Los Angeles, CA | General Operating Support - General | $166,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $137,501,113 | $31,966,634 | $9,383,593 | $8,161,375 | 51 | $9,153,421 | $31,937,462 | $10,126,685 |
| 2023 | $114,961,194 | $9,043,128 | $11,935,165 | $11,252,806 | 74 | $11,886,908 | $9,038,620 | $8,938,678 |
| 2022 | $117,779,702 | $10,119,372 | $11,228,445 | $10,360,290 | 82 | $10,970,773 | $10,001,700 | $8,752,168 |
| 2021 | $118,889,474 | $11,477,026 | $7,281,969 | $6,501,780 | 82 | $7,138,519 | $11,425,756 | $9,494,714 |
| 2020 | $115,121,498 | $16,495,526 | $10,002,163 | $8,578,472 | 100 | — | $16,458,563 | $7,892,353 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $10.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation says it seeks to create positive change through strategic grantmaking in medical research, education, and community engagement.
In medical research, it supports researchers working on neuroscience related to neurodegeneration and Alzheimer’s disease, including through project-based funding and institutional partnerships. The foundation says it has awarded more than $48 million in medical research funding, including major grants to 20 institutions.
Its education grantmaking focuses primarily on helping young people from low-income backgrounds achieve educational and professional goals. The foundation describes support for college persistence, broader post-secondary pathways such as two-year degrees and career training, and programs preparing young people for public service and government careers.
For community engagement, the foundation provides general operating support to organizations in multiple regions. Its website names animal welfare, arts and culture, child welfare, food insecurity, homelessness and housing insecurity, literacy, religious causes, and veterans’ support among past grantees’ areas of focus.
Examples from 2024 illustrate the range of organizations supported. Advocates for Children of New York, which received $100,000, says its mission is to ensure a high-quality education for New York students facing barriers to academic success, particularly students from low-income backgrounds. CityWorks DC, which received $75,000, says it works to improve early career outcomes for DC youth and young adults of color. New Futures, which received $40,000, says it supports low-income DC-area young people pursuing shorter-term post-secondary education for rewarding careers.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 51 grants totaling $8,161,375. Grants ranged from $500 to $3,000,000, with a median grant of $25,000. The largest awards included $3,000,000 to Yale Law School and $1,433,333 to Yale School of Medicine, both for general operating support. Other large grants included $450,000 to University of California San Francisco, $445,580 to Harvard Medical School, and $400,000 to Gladstone Institutes, each for general operating support.
The foundation also gave $210,000 to MIT Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, $200,000 each to New York University Grossman School of Medicine and Weill Cornell Medicine, and $166,000 to Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. In education and community-related giving, it awarded $150,000 to Bottom Line and $100,000 to Advocates for Children of New York.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Carol Ludwig as president and director; Eugene A. Ludwig as secretary, treasurer, and director; Robert B. Barnett, Esq., as director; and Matthew Giacomini as vice president.
The foundation’s website identifies Carol Ludwig, MD, as co-founder and president. It describes her as a neurologist who supports medical research, particularly in neurodegenerative diseases, and educational opportunities for low- and moderate-income students. Eugene A. Ludwig is identified on the website as co-founder and director.
Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation is led by Carol Ludwig, President & Director since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Carol Ludwig
President & Director
President, Secretary & Director → President & Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
25 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eugene A. Ludwig
Secretary, Treasurer & Director
Vice President, Treasurer & Director → Secretary, Treasurer & Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert B. Barnett Esq.
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matthew Giacomini
Vice President
On filings since 2023
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Catherine Kaplun (2020–2023) — Executive Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation
How much does Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation give each year?
Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation gave $8.2M across 51 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $11.3M across 74 grants.
What is Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $160,027, across 51 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation that year got $37K on average.
Where does Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation give grants?
Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation gives mostly in Connecticut: 54% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (16%) and California (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (12 grants), New York, NY (10 grants), Boston, MA (4 grants) and New Haven, CT (2 grants).
Does Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (51 of 51) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Yale Law School ($3,000,000), Yale School of Medicine ($1,433,333) and University of California San Francisco ($450,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 60% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation?
Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation reported $137.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $9.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $10.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation fund?
The foundation says it seeks to create positive change through strategic grantmaking in medical research, education, and community engagement. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation?
The foundation reviews proposals on an invitation-only basis and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation's EIN?
Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-2305290. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/carol-and-gene-ludwig-family-foundation-morg_3a8dbc5d60194bc3b05b562a1b409996
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_562305290_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/carol-and-gene-ludwig-family-foundation-morg_3a8dbc5d60194bc3b05b562a1b409996},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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