Lamb Foundation
Lamb Foundation is a private foundation based in Lake Oswego, Oregon, and a small family foundation founded in 1971. It supports creative programs intended to improve the quality of human experience, with a primary focus on organizations and projects in the Pacific Northwest.
Lamb Foundation at a glance
In short: Lamb Foundation gave $320K across 33 grants in 2025 (avg $10K), mostly in Oregon. 61% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $319,600
- +2.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 33
- +17.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,685
- -13.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,000
- Total assets
- $5,918,135
- +4.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 61% first-time grantees (20 of 33, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Oregon (79% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Lamb Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Invitation Only
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Proposals are accepted only by invitation, and submission instructions and deadlines are provided to invitees. Applications may be submitted through an online form or by email or mail, following the instructions in the invitation. The foundation does not fund individuals or scholarships for individuals and generally does not make capital campaign grants. Its 2024 filing states there are no formal restrictions or limitations on awards.
- Review Cycle
- Submission deadlines are provided to applicants with the invitation to apply.
- Deadline
- Submission deadlines are provided to applicants with the invitation to apply.
- Contact
Application contact: Lamb Foundation
Mailing address: PO Box 1705, Lake Oswego, OR 97035-0575
Phone: (503) 635-8010
Website: https://lambfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lamb Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Urban Gleaners ($21K). Together the top 10 received $172K.
Grant Size Distribution
169 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 169 grants of 169 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says it primarily supports organizations and projects in the Pacific Northwest, with the largest percentage of grants typically going to Oregon. In 2025, 79% of grant dollars went to recipients in Oregon and 21% to recipients in Washington.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Lamb Foundation open to new grantees?
61%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 20 of 33 grantees (61%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $12K repeat.
- 6% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+6%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 105% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $258K (2023) to $320K (2025). In 2025 it made 33 grants totaling $320K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Urban Gleaners Portland, OR | Goals: increase volume of food collected, and thus rescued from landfills; increase the number of high-quality, healthy prepared meals; enhance farm gleaning program; improve community outreach and responsiveness. | $21,000 |
| Outgrowing Hunger Boring, OR | Supports staff time and equipment to continue our valuable farm accelerator program that provides food for donation and/or sale in east Multnomah county. | $20,000 |
| Northwest Harvest Seattle, WA | This general operating grant will support northwest harvests purpose to ensure access to nutritious food, and to build broad food partner capacity to create a stronger, more resilient, more just food ecosystem. | $19,250 |
| Wellspring Family Services Seattle, WA | This grant supports wellspring family services work to end family homelessness in King county, wa by providing trauma-informed, culturally responsive support that helps families stabilize, heal, and thrive. | $18,000 |
| Adelante Mujeres Forest Grove, OR | General operating support to sustain programming across 4 departments with over 15 programs. Adelante mujeres will provide direct services to the latine and immigrant community in Washington county, or. | $16,500 |
| Community Transitional School Portland, OR | Cts is a tuition-free, nonprofit prek-8th grade private school dedicated to the educational needs of children whose families are experiencing homelessness and living within the portland metropolitan area and greater Multnomah county. | $16,000 |
| The Lands Council Spokane, WA | Providing reliable vehicles to support watershed restoration in eastern washington. These projects will improve water quality, expand fish and wildlife habitat, and strengthen climate resilience in the columbia river watershed. | $16,000 |
| Building Healthy Families Enterprise, OR | Building healthy families offers proven evidence-based programs focusing on youth development, prevention and parent education. Services are offered in Wallowa, Baker, Union, and Malheur counties positively impacting families and communities. | $15,000 |
| Confluences Vancouver, WA | Confluences education programs work together to plant seeds of knowledge for students and educators as they experience learning through a broader approach to history. | $15,000 |
| Family Building Blocks Salem, OR | Mission: "keep children safe and families together" goals: reduce child and family risk factors to prevent abuse and neglect, improve family stability and functioning. Improve parenting skills, support positive child development and well-being. | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Lamb Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,918,135 | $730,677 | $477,883 | $319,600 | 33 | $420,637 | $679,167 | $399,530 |
| 2024 | $5,665,341 | $367,906 | $441,104 | $311,900 | 28 | $387,154 | $319,386 | $381,050 |
| 2023 | $5,738,539 | $235,393 | $393,701 | $257,900 | 35 | $337,661 | $181,419 | $351,614 |
| 2022 | $5,896,847 | $405,982 | $440,245 | $300,770 | 36 | $378,951 | $359,525 | $362,263 |
| 2021 | $5,931,110 | $816,047 | $398,405 | $273,700 | 37 | $343,476 | $765,553 | $383,329 |
| 2020 | $5,513,468 | $286,927 | $386,701 | $278,070 | 39 | — | $245,344 | $334,058 |
| 2019 | $5,613,242 | $305,963 | $384,678 | $275,000 | 33 | — | $264,139 | $332,425 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lamb Foundation reported a distributable amount of $400K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to support creative programs to improve the quality of human experience. Its website says it values innovation, sound management, and the potential for positive impact over time, and prefers small projects that can clearly articulate their potential impact.
Its focus areas include arts projects that expand access and cultural opportunities, particularly in smaller or rural communities; environmental projects involving innovative solutions or preventative and restorative action, with a preference for the Columbia River watershed; and direct services that enhance the lives of children and youth.
The foundation primarily supports nonprofit public charities with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Examples of grantees’ work include Urban Gleaners’ food recovery and redistribution for food-insecure children and families, Wellspring Family Services’ work to end family homelessness, and The Lands Council’s work to preserve and revitalize forests, water, and wildlife in the Inland Northwest.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 33 grants totaling $319,600. Grants ranged from $100 to $21,000, with a median of $12,000. The foundation describes typical board grants as $5,000 to $15,000, with most in the middle of that range, and says grants are typically for one year or less with no promise of additional support.
Notable 2025 grants included $21,000 to Urban Gleaners for food recovery and meal-related goals; $20,000 to Outgrowing Hunger for staff time and equipment supporting its farm accelerator program; $19,250 to Northwest Harvest for general operating support; $18,000 to Wellspring Family Services to support work addressing family homelessness; and $16,500 to Adelante Mujeres for general operating support. The foundation also awarded $16,000 to Community Transitional School and $16,000 to The Lands Council.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s website lists the following directors for 2026: Barbara Lamb, president; Brenda Lamb, vice-president; Carl Lamb, treasurer; Heather Bailey, secretary; Benjamin Bailey; Charlie Bailey; and Finn James. Susan Kenney is listed as executive director.
The 2025 filing lists Brenda Lamb as president, Heather Bailey as vice president, Karen Anne Horton as secretary, and Carl Lamb as treasurer. It lists Benjamin Bailey, Corwin Waldron, Finn James, and Lauren Birkhahn as directors.
Lamb Foundation is led by Brenda Lamb, President since 2025 (on filings since 2019); none of the 8 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Brenda Lamb
President
Director → Vice President, 2024
Vice President → President, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Corwin Waldron
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Finn James
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Benjamin Bailey
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lauren Birkhahn
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carl Lamb
Treasurer
Treasurer & Director → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karen Anne Horton
Secretary
Director → Secretary & Director, 2022
Secretary & Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Heather Bailey
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (7)
- Former: Barbara Lamb (2019–2024) — President
- Former: Margaret Minnick (2019–2024) — Vice President
- Former: Mark Van Oppen (2019–2023) — Vice President
- Former: Ben Bailey (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Gayle Horton (2019–2022) — Vice President & Director
- Former: Kathryn Bailey (2019–2021) — Secretary & Director
- Former: James Lamb (2019–2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Lamb Foundation
How much does Lamb Foundation give each year?
Lamb Foundation gave $320K across 33 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $312K across 28 grants.
What is Lamb Foundation's typical grant size?
Lamb Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $12,000, and its average grant was $9,685, across 33 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lamb Foundation that year got $10K on average.
Where does Lamb Foundation give grants?
Lamb Foundation gives mostly in Oregon: 79% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Washington (21%). The most frequent recipient cities were Portland, OR (11 grants), Bend, OR (3 grants) and Seattle, WA (2 grants).
Does Lamb Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 6% of Lamb Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 33) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Lamb Foundation's largest grantees?
Lamb Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Urban Gleaners ($21,000), Outgrowing Hunger ($20,000) and Northwest Harvest ($19,250), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 19% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Lamb Foundation?
Lamb Foundation reported $5.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $421K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $400K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Lamb Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to support creative programs to improve the quality of human experience. Its website says it values innovation, sound management, and the potential for positive impact over time, and prefers small projects that can clearly articulate their potential impact. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lamb Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Lamb Foundation's EIN?
Lamb Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7120564. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Lamb 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 11, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 30, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 20, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Lamb Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lamb Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lamb-foundation-morg_9556ffd19ed347f181af2625cdb5b5a3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237120564_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lamb Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lamb-foundation-morg_9556ffd19ed347f181af2625cdb5b5a3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Lamb 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.
Lamb Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?