Dorothy Lemelson Foundation

RENO, NV EIN: 45-5079187 Website

The Dorothy Lemelson Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in February 2013 and based in Reno, Nevada. Named for philanthropist Dorothy Ginsberg Lemelson (1926-2021), the foundation carries forward her passion for supporting at-risk youth and teachers in public schools. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization and maintains a staff of three employees.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

—

Annual Giving

$2.5M

+29.2% YoY

Grant Count

+37.5% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$77K

-6.1% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's work reflects Dorothy Lemelson's commitment to serving vulnerable young people. Primary funding areas include:

STEM education and science teacher support
Services for homeless and at-risk youth
Educational resources for underserved students
Human services

The foundation does not maintain a public website or published grant guidelines. Instead, it makes strategic grants by invitation or through relationships developed by foundation leadership.

Grantmaking

The foundation does not offer structured grant programs with published guidelines. Grant decisions are made through an invitation-only process, with decision timelines and success rates not publicly available.

Grant Range

$900 to $1,000,000

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily supports organizations in:

Nevada (particularly Reno and Washoe County)
Oregon (particularly Portland)

Additional funding activity has been documented in California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, North Carolina, New York, and Pennsylvania, with grants made to organizations in cities including Compton, Los Angeles, New York, Oakland, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Salem, Sandy Hook, Sparks, Washington, and Winston-Salem.

Grant Distribution by State

Nevada $2.7M (38%)

District of Columbia $1.9M (27%)

Oregon $1.3M (19%)

Georgia $500K (7%)

California $364K (5%)

Pennsylvania $100K (1%)

New York $88K (1%)

Washington $23K (0%)

+7 more states

States

California Connecticut District of Columbia Georgia Illinois Massachusetts Maryland Maine North Carolina New Jersey Nevada New York Oregon Pennsylvania Washington

Cities

ALOHAATLANTABOSTONCAMBRIDGECARLTONCHICAGOCOMPTONHAGERSTOWNHAPPY VALLEYKENILWORTHKINGS BEACHLEWISTONLOS ANGELESMONROE TOWNSHIPNEW YORKOAKLANDPERTH AMBOYPHILADELPHIAPORTLANDQUINCY

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

Total assets: $41,125,100
Total revenue: $4,179,998
Total expenses: $3,388,352
Total giving: $2,537,616

As of 2023:

Total assets: $40.3 million
Total revenue: $14 million
Total expenses: $2.61 million
Total liabilities: $0

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	—	—	—
Revenue	—	—	—
Expenses	—	—	—
Qualifying Distributions	—	—	—
Net Investment Income	—	—	—
Distributable Amount	—	—	—

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

133 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include The National Musuem of American History Smithsonian Institution ($600,000), Georgia Reslience and Opportunity Fund ($500,000), Washoe County School District ($186,616).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ACHILLES INTERNATIONAL NEW YORK, NY	SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMS SUPPORTING YOUTH AND CHILDREN	$20,000
BRIDGE MEADOWS PORTLAND, OR	$30,000 OF SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT MANAGER POSITION$75,000 OF SUPPORT FOR THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT SPECIALIST POSITION	$105,000
CATLIN GABEL SCHOOL PORTLAND, OR	SUPPORT FOR THE 2024-2025 EAST CAMPUS/PNCA/WILLAMETTE INTERNSHIP POSITION	$10,000
CHILDREN'S INSTITUTE LOS ANGELES, CA	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$50,000
CHOOSE LOVE MOVEMENT SANDY HOOK, CT	SUPPORT FOR CHARACTER, SOCIAL, AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS	$10,000
FOOD BANK OF NORTHERN NEVADA SPARKS, NV	SUPPORT FOR THE STUDENT BACKPACK PROGRAM	$25,000
GEORGIA RESLIENCE AND OPPORTUNITY FUND ATLANTA, GA	SUPPORT FOR THE BABY BONDS PILOT PROGRAM	$500,000
HOLLA PORTLAND, OR	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$25,000
HOLLA SCHOOL PORTLAND, OR	SUPPORT FOR THE SCHOOL COUNSELOR POSITION	$112,000
KNBP CHANNEL 5 RENO, NV	$29,000 OF SUPPORT FOR THE CURIOSITY WORKSHOP AT THE DOROTHY LEMELSON STEM ACADEMY$12,000 OF SUPPORT FOR TITLE 1 AND "BUBBLE" SCHOOLS IN WASHOE COUNTY	$41,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Key personnel include:

Caryn Swobe (Director and Program Officer)
Jennifer Bruml (Director and Program Officer)
Zoe Luh Morse Lemelson (Director and Program Officer)

Each serves 15 hours per week with annual compensation of $60,000.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
CARYN SWOBE	VP/TR/DIRECTOR/OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE	15	$61,731
JENNIFER BRUML	PRES/DIRECTOR/PARTNERSHIPS EXECUTIVE	15	$61,731
ZOE LUH MORSE LEMELSON	SECY/DIRECTOR/PROGRAMS EXECUTIVE	15	$61,731

Recent Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The foundation has demonstrated ongoing commitment to its core mission through sustained grantmaking. Notable institutional recognitions of the foundation's impact include:

A public school for at-risk students in Nevada named the Dorothy Lemelson STEM Academy

A residential facility for girls in transition from homelessness in Portland named the Dorothy Lemelson House

2009

The foundation has supported institutions such as the Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum since 2009.

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Dorothy Lemelson Foundation fund?

The foundation's work reflects Dorothy Lemelson's commitment to serving vulnerable young people. Primary funding areas include: • STEM education and science teacher support • Services for homeless and at-risk youth • Educational resources for underserved students • Human services The foundation does not maintain a public website or published grant guidelines. Instead, it makes strategic grants by invitation or through relationships developed by foundation leadership.

How do I apply for a grant from Dorothy Lemelson Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Annual giving: approximately $2.0-2.5 million • Grant range: $900 to $1,000,000 • Median grant size: $28,000 • Recent grants (2024) totaled $2,537,616 across 59 grants **Recent Grant Examples:** • Washoe County School District OPOB Trust: $186,616 (supporting STEM coordinator, school supplies, and field trips at the Dorothy Lemelson STEM Academy) • Holla School: $112,000 (school counselor position) • Bridge Meadows: $105,000 (project manager and community support specialis…

Where does Dorothy Lemelson Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily supports organizations in: • **Nevada** (particularly Reno and Washoe County) • **Oregon** (particularly Portland) Additional funding activity has been documented in California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, North Carolina, New York, and Pennsylvania, with grants made to organizations in cities including Compton, Los Angeles, New York, Oakland, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Salem, Sandy Hook, Sparks, Washington, and Winston-Salem.