Enlight Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 2004 and headquartered in Palo Alto, California. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization focused on creating systems change through strategic philanthropy. With a distinctive approach emphasizing trust-based grantmaking and collaborative partnerships, Enlight Foundation supports ambitious social entrepreneurs and bold ideas aligned with its core mission areas.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$253.7M
+2.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$49.0M
+23.7% YoY
Grant Count
29
+81.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$1.7M
-31.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Enlight Foundation reported a distributable amount of $15.2M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
Enlight Foundation's mission centers on education equality and youth empowerment. The foundation invests in young people, elevates youth voices, and works collaboratively with other foundations, researchers, and nonprofits to create systems change.
For the current decade, the foundation focuses on three primary pillars:
- Youth Mental Health & Wellbeing (Global) — Supporting initiatives addressing youth mental health challenges, including college student loneliness and digital wellness
- Youth-Driven Climate Change Solutions — Funding young people's bold climate proposals and climate innovation
- Next-Generation Social Change Makers — Developing emerging leaders and social entrepreneurs
Grantmaking
The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals or requests for funding. It funds only pre-selected organizations through an invitation-only model.
Grant Range
$100,000 - $2,500,000
How to Apply
**
Ready to take the next step with Enlight Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation maintains a global focus with a strong emphasis on the San Francisco Bay Area. Grantmaking extends to California, New York, Massachusetts, and internationally.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Giving (2024):
- Total Assets: $253.7 million
- Total Revenues: $61.9 million
- Total Expenses: $55.9 million
- Total Liabilities: $0
Assets & Giving (2023):
- Total Assets: $247.7 million
- Annual Giving: $39.6 million
The foundation maintains a strong financial position with no liabilities and consistent year-over-year growth in assets and grantmaking capacity.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $253,693,664 | $247,700,568 | $193,609,352 |
| Revenue | $61,888,075 | $101,729,191 | $140,853,059 |
| Expenses | $55,894,622 | $47,545,397 | $27,212,532 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $50,398,561 | $39,933,232 | $24,974,135 |
| Net Investment Income | $55,989,097 | $90,653,058 | $135,785,485 |
| Distributable Amount | $15,165,672 | $24,286,168 | $21,530,127 |
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
136 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Enlight Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include National Philanthropic Trust ($28,333,333), World Savvy ($3,000,000), Action for the Climate Emergency ($3,000,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY STANFORD, CA | EDUCATION AND ENVIRONMENT | $734,400 |
| PINEWOOD SCHOOL LOS ALTOS, CA | EDUCATION | $1,000,000 |
| VIA VOLUNTEERS IN ASIA PALO ALTO, CA | EDUCATION | $77,000 |
| WORLD SAVVY MINNEAPOLIS, MN | EDUCATION | $3,000,000 |
| SOLUTIONS JOURNALISM NETWORK New York, NY | CULTURE | $2,250,000 |
| STANFORD PACS STANFORD, CA | EDUCATION | $90,000 |
| WATSON INSTITUTE BOULDER, CO | CULTURE & EDUCATION | $374,367 |
| DRAPER RICHARDS KAPLAN FOUNDATION MENLO PARK, CA | CHARITY | $1,200,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY BERKELEY, CA | EDUCATION | $128,513 |
| THE HUNGER PROJECT NEW YORK, NY | CHARITY | $105,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Xin Liu — Founder & President Xin founded and has led Enlight Foundation since 2004. Her philanthropy is motivated by optimism and conviction that young people must be empowered to lead toward a more sustainable future. Prior to founding the foundation, she was an award-winning journalist and photojournalist whose work appeared in Time Magazine, Newsweek, Fortune, and major newspapers in the United States and China. She published two books in China: At the Still Point of the Turning World and Become One With the Dust. She was awarded "Outstanding Asian American Women Who Dared." Xin holds an MA in Visual Communication from Ohio University and a BA in Journalism from Renmin University in China.
Lindsay Louie — Chief Executive Officer Lindsay oversees all aspects of the foundation in partnership with Xin Liu. She is a seasoned social sector leader who previously served as Executive Director of the Lemala Fund, Program Director of Fund for Shared Insight, Program Officer at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Executive Director of the Silicon Valley Venture Fund (SV2), and head of business development for Goodwill Industries of San Francisco Bay Area. She has consulted to diverse foundations across the United States on grantmaking, effective philanthropic practice, and listening and feedback. Lindsay holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and multiple master's degrees (Sociology, Education) and a BA in Human Biology from Stanford University.
Linda Wang — Director of Programs Linda works closely with Enlight Foundation's partners to scale social solutions and amplify impact through collaborations. Prior to joining Enlight, she worked as a product manager for more than 10 years in Silicon Valley, driving product development from concept to market. She launched innovative search products globally at Yahoo and created award-winning TV experiences at TiVo.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| LINDSAY A LOUIE | CEO | 40 | $297,497 |
| XIN LIU | Director, CEO | 10 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation announced the **Emerging Climate Champions Award**, a global open call offering $1 million grants to young people with bold climate proposals. This initiative represents a collaborative effort with other philanthropic foundations to support youth-driven climate change solutions. The award reflects the foundation's commitment to empowering the next generation of social change makers to address critical global challenges.
Announcing the Emerging Climate Champions AwardSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Enlight Foundation fund?
Enlight Foundation's mission centers on **education equality and youth empowerment**. The foundation invests in young people, elevates youth voices, and works collaboratively with other foundations, researchers, and nonprofits to create systems change. For the current decade, the foundation focuses on three primary pillars: 1. **Youth Mental Health & Wellbeing (Global)** — Supporting initiatives addressing youth mental health challenges, including college student loneliness and digital wellness…
How do I apply for a grant from Enlight Foundation?
**Grant Characteristics:** • Grant Range: $100,000 - $2,500,000 • Median Grant: Approximately $500,000 • Annual Giving: $39.6 million (2023); $48.9 million (2024) **Application Process:** The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals or requests for funding. It funds only pre-selected organizations through an invitation-only model. **Recent Grantees & Activity:** Recent grants have supported organizations including: • National Philanthropic Trust ($28,333,333 in 2024) • Goodpower Educati…
Where does Enlight Foundation make grants?
The foundation maintains a global focus with a strong emphasis on the San Francisco Bay Area. Grantmaking extends to California, New York, Massachusetts, and internationally.
What size grants does Enlight Foundation award?
In 2024, Enlight Foundation awarded 29 grants totaling $49.0M — an average of about $1.7M per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Enlight Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Enlight Foundation reported a distributable amount of $15.2M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Enlight Foundation's EIN?
Enlight Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1063909. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Enlight Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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