Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People
The Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People is a private foundation based in Santa Monica, California. In 2024, it made 13 grants totaling $750,000 to organizations whose work included immigrant services, humanitarian aid, education, housing, and health.
Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People at a glance
In short: Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People gave $750K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $58K), mostly in California. 31% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $750,000
- +11.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +8.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $57,692
- +3.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $1,545,869
- -24.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (4 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (60% 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 Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People
- How to Apply
-
The filing says to submit a formal letter to Laurie Levit. The foundation’s stated restrictions are that awards must serve religious, charitable, educational, or scientific purposes that are wholly public and nonprofit in nature; the directors decide how to accomplish those purposes.
- Contact
Application contact: Laurie Levit
Mailing address: 211 15Th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90402
Phone: (310) 458-8008
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Canal Alliance ($150K). Together the top 10 received $715K.
Grant Size Distribution
63 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 30 grants of 63 (48%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in California (60%), Massachusetts (23%), the District of Columbia (10%), and Colorado (7%). These figures describe the locations of grant recipients, not necessarily the geographic reach of their work.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 13 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $26K; repeat grants $72K. How we count
Medians: $23K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 69% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 61% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 73% 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 $465K (2021) to $846K (2020). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $750K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Canal Alliance San Rafael, CA | General Purpose of Charity | $150,000 |
| Rainforest Flow Valencia, CA | General Purpose of Charity | $140,000 |
| FOS Feminista Washington DC, DC | General Purpose of Charity | $75,000 |
| Oxfam America Boston, MA | General Purpose of Charity | $75,000 |
| All Hearts and Hands Smart Response Mattapoisett, MA | General Purpose of Charity | $50,000 |
| Pathfinder International Watertown, MA | General Purpose of Charity | $50,000 |
| Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood Denver, CO | General Purpose of Charity | $50,000 |
| School on Wheels Ventura, CA | General Purpose of Charity | $50,000 |
| Upward Bound House Santa Monica, CA | General Purpose of Charity | $50,000 |
| Los Angeles Food Bank Los Angeles, CA | General Purpose of Charity | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People?
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 | $1,545,869 | $133,052 | $753,628 | $750,000 | 13 | $752,721 | $132,145 | $1,024,479 |
| 2023 | $2,043,282 | $148,468 | $675,247 | $670,000 | 12 | $673,936 | $147,157 | $741,534 |
| 2022 | $2,655,126 | $74,678 | $819,587 | $815,000 | 15 | $818,440 | $73,531 | $665,140 |
| 2021 | $3,260,035 | $33,108 | $467,307 | $465,000 | 13 | $466,730 | $32,531 | $869,536 |
| 2020 | $3,614,234 | $41,389 | $847,540 | $846,000 | 10 | — | $41,147 | $734,760 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People reported a distributable amount of $1.0M 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
No separate mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in several areas. For example, Canal Alliance describes its work as serving Marin’s low-income immigrant community and seeking to break the generational cycle of poverty for Latino immigrants and their families. School on Wheels says it works to enhance educational opportunities for children experiencing homelessness, while Upward Bound House describes its mission as ending homelessness among families with children through housing, supportive services, and advocacy.
Other grantees describe work in health and humanitarian aid. Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood says it provides health services and comprehensive sex education, and Direct Relief describes its mission as improving the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work, not stated missions of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 13 grants totaling $750,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $150,000, with a median grant of $50,000. The largest awards went to Canal Alliance ($150,000) and Rainforest Flow ($140,000). Other notable grants included $75,000 each to Fos Feminista and Oxfam America, and $50,000 each to All Hands and Hearts Smart Response, Pathfinder International, Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood, School on Wheels, and Upward Bound House. The listed grant purposes were “general purpose of charity.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Laurie Levit is listed as director and vice president on the 2024 filing.
Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People is led by Laurie Levit, Director & Vice President on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Laurie Levit
Director & Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People
How much does Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People give each year?
Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People gave $750K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $670K across 12 grants.
What is Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People's typical grant size?
Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $57,692, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People that year got $26K on average.
Where does Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People give grants?
Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People gives mostly in California: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (23%) and District of Columbia (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Monica, CA (2 grants) and Santa Barbara, CA (2 grants).
Does Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People's largest grantees?
Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People's largest 2024 grantees include Canal Alliance ($150,000), Rainforest Flow ($140,000) and FOS Feminista ($75,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 49% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People?
Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $753K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.0M (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 Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People fund?
No separate mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in several areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People?
The filing says to submit a formal letter to Laurie Levit. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People's EIN?
Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-2594247. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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). Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/dora-freedman-levit-fund-for-people-morg_b78d7fd1e6d1477aa61e5ed8d7e754d9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_742594247_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/dora-freedman-levit-fund-for-people-morg_b78d7fd1e6d1477aa61e5ed8d7e754d9},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Dora Freedman Levit Fund for People'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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