Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation
The Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation is a private foundation based in Seattle, Washington. It gave $891,500 in grants to 19 organizations in filing year 2025. Its 2025 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and limits awards to 501(c)(3) organizations.
Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation at a glance
In short: Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation gave $892K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $47K), mostly in Washington. 37% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $891,500
- +101.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- +90.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $46,921
- +6.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $2,954,184
- -1.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 37% first-time grantees (7 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Washington (73% 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 Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Its filing lists Linda Brown as the contact, says there is no particular form or required material, and states that awards are restricted to 501(c)(3) organizations.
- Review Cycle
- The filing lists no deadlines.
- Deadline
- The filing lists no deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: Linda Brown
Mailing address: 1108 Willard Ave West, Seattle, WA 98119
Phone: (206) 285-4374
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Town Hall Seattle ($250K). Together the top 10 received $840K.
Grant Size Distribution
68 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 45 grants of 68 (66%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 73% of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, 11% each to recipients in Illinois and Connecticut, 3% to recipients in New Mexico, and 1% to recipients in the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation open to new grantees?
37%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 19 grantees (37%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $48K; repeat grants $46K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $18K repeat.
- 53% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 39% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 107% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $321K (2023) to $1.5M (2022). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $892K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Town Hall Seattle Seattle, WA | Further Charitable Purposes | $250,000 |
| ACLU Foundation Seattle, WA | Further Charitable Purposes | $100,000 |
| Cascade PBS Seattle, WA | Further Charitable Purposes | $100,000 |
| University of Illinois School of Music Urbana, IL | Further Charitable Purposes | $100,000 |
| Yale University School of Medicine New Haven, CT | Further Charitable Purposes | $100,000 |
| Downtown Emergency Svc Ctr Seattle, WA | Further Charitable Purposes | $50,000 |
| Law Fundendowment for Equal Justice Seattle, WA | Further Charitable Purposes | $50,000 |
| Seattle Opera Seattle, WA | Further Charitable Purposes | $50,000 |
| National Institute of Flamenco Albuquerque, NM | Further Charitable Purposes | $25,000 |
| Taproot Theater Seattle, WA | Further Charitable Purposes | $15,000 |
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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 | $2,954,184 | $822,422 | $907,977 | $891,500 | 19 | $895,470 | $809,915 | $836,932 |
| 2024 | $2,995,864 | $330,388 | $458,769 | $442,500 | 10 | $446,305 | $431,481 | $854,034 |
| 2023 | $3,130,692 | $421,006 | $335,851 | $320,900 | 9 | $324,605 | $408,537 | $775,721 |
| 2022 | $3,051,680 | $388,166 | $1,473,354 | $1,458,908 | 14 | $1,462,403 | $377,191 | $741,825 |
| 2021 | $4,428,815 | $685,830 | $463,064 | $448,500 | 16 | $451,695 | $674,070 | $698,642 |
| 2020 | $4,219,592 | $376,118 | $676,116 | $659,750 | 16 | — | $360,714 | $569,199 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation reported a distributable amount of $837K for 2025 — 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including arts and cultural groups, educational institutions, civil liberties and legal organizations, and social services organizations. For example, Seattle Opera describes its mission as thrilling, inspiring, and educating through opera, while the National Institute of Flamenco says it works to preserve and promote flamenco’s artistry, history, and culture. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 19 grants totaling $891,500. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $250,000, with a median of $15,000. Its largest listed grants were $250,000 to Town Hall Seattle; $100,000 each to ACLU Foundation, Cascade PBS, University of Illinois School of Music, and Yale University School of Medicine; and $50,000 each to Downtown Emergency Service Center, Law Fund Endowment for Equal Justice, and Seattle Opera.
Other listed 2025 grants included $25,000 to National Institute of Flamenco, $15,000 to Taproot Theater, $10,000 to University of Washington Foundation, and $10,000 to Historic Preservation Foundation. Washington Trails Association received $5,000, and Prostate Cancer Foundation received $500.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lawrence True as president and Linda Brown as secretary.
Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation is led by Lawrence True, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lawrence True
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Linda Brown
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation
How much does Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation give each year?
Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation gave $892K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $443K across 10 grants.
What is Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation's typical grant size?
Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $46,921, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation that year got $48K on average.
Where does Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation give grants?
Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 73% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Illinois (11%) and Connecticut (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (12 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Who are Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation's largest grantees?
Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Town Hall Seattle ($250,000), ACLU Foundation ($100,000) and Cascade PBS ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation?
Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation reported $3.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $895K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $837K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including arts and cultural groups, educational institutions, civil liberties and legal organizations, and social services organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation?
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation's EIN?
Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-1817055. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lawrence True & Linda Brown Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lawrence-true-and-linda-brown-foundation-morg_2008b2016b7a43d78b8b4aa5ebb18189
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_911817055_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lawrence True \& Linda Brown Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lawrence-true-and-linda-brown-foundation-morg_2008b2016b7a43d78b8b4aa5ebb18189},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Lawrence True & Linda Brown 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.
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