Ladybug Foundation Inc logo

Ladybug Foundation Inc

Private foundation · Grantmaker Louisville, CO EIN: 82-3365292 Website

Ladybug Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Louisville, Colorado. It says it uses its resources to help mitigate the effects of years of abuse and injustice and nurture systems change and healing, prioritizing ecological resilience and regeneration, a peaceful world, and an equitable world.

Key facts about Ladybug Foundation Inc

In short: Ladybug Foundation Inc gave $4.4M across 65 grants in 2024 (avg $68K), top state California. 11% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
82-3365292
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024)
$4,391,200
Grants made (2024)
65
Average grant
$67,557
Median grant
$50,000
New grantees (estimate)
11% first-time grantees (7 of 65, 2024)
Total assets
$41,799,543
Primary geography
California (42% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$41.8M

-6.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$4.4M

-2.5% YoY

Grant Count

65

-15.6% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$68K

+15.4% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ladybug Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $2.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is Ladybug Foundation Inc open to new grantees?

11%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 7 of 65 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $72K; repeat grants $67K. How we count

Medians: $30K first-time, $50K repeat.

  • 88% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−2%). Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 218% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation’s website identifies ecological resilience and regeneration, a peaceful world, and an equitable world as its focus areas. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations working in areas such as environmental protection, democracy, reproductive and social justice, school wellness, and humanitarian crisis response.

For example, Rainforest Action Network says it works to protect forests, climate, and biodiversity while respecting communities’ rights and dignity. Earthworks says it works to protect communities and the environment from irresponsible mineral and energy development. Groundswell Fund says it strengthens U.S. movements for reproductive and social justice by resourcing grassroots organizing. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 65 grants totaling $4,391,200. Grants ranged from $3,000 to $250,000, with a median of $50,000. Among the largest were $250,000 to Rainforest Action Network, $200,000 each to Common Cause Education Fund, Groundswell Fund, Wellness in the Schools, and Earthworks, and $190,000 to World Central Kitchen.

Invitation Only

The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Its website also says grantmaking is by invitation only and that it does not accept unsolicited proposals or letters of inquiry.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state went to California (42%) and the District of Columbia (26%), followed by Colorado (8%), New York (6%), and Oregon (5%).

Grant Distribution by State

22states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 65 itemized grants.

Cities

Washington DcLos AngelesBoulderOaklandSan FranciscoNew YorkSanta MonicaLongmontWashingtonDavisEast TroySalinasAtlantaBemidjiBozemanBraddockFarmingtonNederlandSanta CruzTucson

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$2M$4M$6M44 grants2020 73 grants2021 85 grants2022 77 grants2023 65 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $4.0M (2020) to $4.6M (2022). In 2024 it made 65 grants totaling $4.4M.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Rainforest Action Network: $250KRainforest Action Network$250KCommon Cause Education Fund: $200KCommon Cause Education Fund$200KGroundswell Fund: $200KGroundswell Fund$200KWellness In The Schools: $200KWellness In The Schools$200KEarthworks: $200KEarthworks$200KWorld Central Kitchen Inc: $190KWorld Central Kitchen Inc$190KNaropa University: $150KNaropa University$150KCommittee to Bridge the Gap: $118KCommittee to Bridge the Gap$118KAmazon Watch: $110KAmazon Watch$110KPhysicians for Social Responsibilit: $104KPhysicians for SocialResponsibilit$104K

The largest 2024 recipient was Rainforest Action Network ($250K). Together the top 10 received $1.7M.

Grant Size Distribution

344 grants across all recorded years

172<$50K98$50–100K60$100–250K7$250–500K7$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 172 grants of 344 (50%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Rainforest Action Network San Francisco, CAGeneral Operating Support, Pass-Through$250,000
Common Cause Education Fund Washington DC, DCGeneral Operating Support$200,000
Groundswell Fund San Francisco, CAProject/Program Support - Birth Justice Fund$200,000
Wellness In The Schools New York, NYGeneral Operating Support$200,000
Earthworks Washington, DCGeneral Operating Support$200,000
World Central Kitchen Inc Washington DC, DCProject/Program Support - Various$190,000
Naropa University Boulder, COProject/Program Support - Various$150,000
Committee to Bridge the Gap Ben Lomond, CAProject/Program Support - SSFL Cleanup$117,500
Amazon Watch Oakland, CAGeneral Operating Support, Project/Program Support - Various$110,000
Physicians for Social Responsibilit Los Angeles, CAProject/Program Support - Various$103,500

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grant total Grant count
2024 $41,799,543 $2,516,155 $5,219,731 $4,391,200 65
2023 $44,450,225 $745,382 $5,258,530 $4,505,771 77
2022 $48,498,447 $233,055 $5,383,021 $4,555,000 85
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$2M$4M$6M$8M2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$41,799,543$44,450,225$48,498,447
Revenue$2,516,155$745,382$233,055
Expenses$5,219,731$5,258,530$5,383,021
Qualifying Distributions$4,647,501$4,714,950$4,754,982
Net Investment Income$1,943,925$289,446$228,738
Distributable Amount$2,134,198$2,180,669$2,592,613

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists Cynthia Dietrich as Executive Director and Jay Christopher Hormel and Angela Nicole Ocone as directors.

Ladybug Foundation Inc is led by Cynthia Dietrich, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Cynthia Dietrich

    Executive Director

    On filings since 2020

    40 hrs/week

    $138K (2020) → $0 (2024)

  • Angela Nicole Ocone

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jay Christopher Hormel

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (2)
  • Former: Katherine M Miller (2020–2022) — Director
  • Former: Ira David Miller (2020–2021) — 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.

Compensation Overview

From 2021 IRS filing

Cynthia Dietrich — Executive Dir: $161KCynthia DietrichExecutive Dir$161K

The highest reported compensation on the 2021 filing was $161K, to Cynthia Dietrich (Executive Dir).

Contact

Mailing address: 357 S Mccaslin Blvd 200, Louisville, CO 80027
Phone: (303) 775-7525
Website: https://ladybugfound.org

Frequently asked questions about Ladybug Foundation Inc

How much does Ladybug Foundation Inc give each year?

Ladybug Foundation Inc gave $4.4M across 65 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $4.5M across 77 grants.

What is Ladybug Foundation Inc's typical grant size?

Ladybug Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $67,557, across 65 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ladybug Foundation Inc that year got $72K on average.

Where does Ladybug Foundation Inc give grants?

Ladybug Foundation Inc's top state is California, with 42% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (26%) and Colorado (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington DC, DC (7 grants), Los Angeles, CA (5 grants), San Francisco, CA (4 grants) and Oakland, CA (4 grants).

Does Ladybug Foundation Inc give general operating support?

Yes: 58% of Ladybug Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (38 of 65) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Project/Program Support - Various" (12 grants).

Who are Ladybug Foundation Inc's largest grantees?

Ladybug Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Rainforest Action Network ($250,000), Common Cause Education Fund ($200,000) and Groundswell Fund ($200,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 15% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is Ladybug Foundation Inc?

Ladybug Foundation Inc reported $41.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Ladybug Foundation Inc fund?

The foundation’s website identifies ecological resilience and regeneration, a peaceful world, and an equitable world as its focus areas. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Ladybug Foundation Inc?

The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Ladybug Foundation Inc's EIN?

Ladybug Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-3365292. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Does Ladybug Foundation Inc 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 October 2026.

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