Lear Family Foundation
The Lear Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Sierra Madre, California. Created in 1997 by Lyn and Norman Lear, it supports nonprofit organizations across the country in areas including civil liberties, education, the environment, health, youth initiatives, civic activism, media, and the arts.
Lear Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Lear Family Foundation gave $788K across 29 grants in 2024 (avg $27K), mostly in Utah. 59% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $788,000
- -0.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 29
- -17.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $27,172
- +19.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $6,687,435
- -7.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 59% first-time grantees (17 of 29, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Utah (51% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Lear Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 171 W Orange Grove Avenue, Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Phone: (626) 355-3591
Website: https://www.normanlear.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lear Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Sundance Institute ($402K). Together the top 10 received $705K.
Grant Size Distribution
175 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 153 grants of 175 (87%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in Utah (51%), California (30%), New York (9%), Washington, DC (4%), and Virginia (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 29 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Lear Family Foundation open to new grantees?
59%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 17 of 29 grantees (59%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $57K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 31% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 36% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 370% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $788K (2024) to $1.5M (2022). In 2024 it made 29 grants totaling $788K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sundance Institute Park City, UT | Charitable | $401,750 |
| Lacma Los Angeles, CA | Charitable | $140,000 |
| Ballet Hispanico New York, NY | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Cedar Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, CA | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Creative Visions Malibu, CA | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Advance Democracy Inc Tysons Corner, VA | Charitable | $20,000 |
| Pal-O-Mine Equestrian Inc Islandia, NY | Charitable | $20,000 |
| People for the American Way Washington, DC | Charitable | $20,000 |
| Youth Represent Brooklyn, NY | Charitable | $15,500 |
| The Climate Reality Project Washington, DC | Charitable | $12,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Lear Family 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $6,687,435 | $74,293 | $1,045,937 | $788,000 | 29 | $1,018,899 | $74,073 | $275,273 |
| 2023 | $7,215,857 | $65,313 | $1,146,221 | $795,474 | 35 | $1,101,832 | $65,751 | $290,757 |
| 2022 | $7,334,366 | $437,755 | $1,897,077 | $1,461,250 | 41 | $1,824,146 | $387,839 | $387,322 |
| 2021 | $10,816,386 | $535,010 | $1,633,874 | $1,234,600 | 36 | $1,566,952 | $468,113 | $501,582 |
| 2020 | $11,190,083 | $1,411,841 | $1,434,438 | $1,031,000 | 34 | — | $1,339,016 | $494,576 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lear Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $275K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated areas of support include civil liberties, education, the environment, health, youth initiatives, civic activism, media, and the arts. Its 2024 grantees illustrate the range of organizations it supports: for example, Pal-O-Mine Equestrian describes its mission as providing therapeutic equine programs for people including those with disabilities, people who have experienced abuse or neglect, military members, and economically compromised people. Youth Represent says it uses legal services, policy advocacy, and peer education to build power and opportunity for young people of color harmed by the criminal legal system and other systems of oppression. Advance Democracy describes itself as a nonpartisan nonprofit producing public-interest research and journalism.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 29 grants totaling $788,000. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $401,750, with a median of $5,000. The largest grants included $401,750 to Sundance Institute and $140,000 to LACMA. Other notable grants were $25,000 each to Ballet Hispanico, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and Creative Visions; and $20,000 each to Advance Democracy, Pal-O-Mine Equestrian, and People For The American Way.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Lyn Lear as president and director, and Julie Dyer as treasurer.
Lear Family Foundation is led by Lyn Lear, President & Director since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Lyn Lear
President & Director
Director → President & Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julie Dyer
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
12 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Norman Lear (2020–2022) — President & 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.
Frequently asked questions about Lear Family Foundation
How much does Lear Family Foundation give each year?
Lear Family Foundation gave $788K across 29 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $795K across 35 grants.
What is Lear Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Lear Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $27,172, across 29 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lear Family Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does Lear Family Foundation give grants?
Lear Family Foundation gives mostly in Utah: 51% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (30%) and New York (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (7 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Brooklyn, NY (2 grants).
Does Lear Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 29 grants with a stated purpose on Lear Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (29 grants).
Who are Lear Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Lear Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Sundance Institute ($401,750), Lacma ($140,000) and Ballet Hispanico ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 72% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Lear Family Foundation?
Lear Family Foundation reported $6.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $275K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Lear Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated areas of support include civil liberties, education, the environment, health, youth initiatives, civic activism, media, and the arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lear Family Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Lear Family Foundation's EIN?
Lear Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-4661216. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Lear Family 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Lear Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in California
California Community Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
The California Community Foundation supports nonprofits through discretionary and donor-directed grants, with discretionary priorities including education, health, housing and immigration, alongside other areas such as arts, civic engagement and economic opportunity. Its 2025 grants had a median of $50,000, and its work is focused on Los Angeles County; prospective discretionary applicants are asked to contact the relevant program officer before submitting a letter of intent.
Assets
$2.3B
Grants
2,174
Total Given
$326.6M
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Mountain View, CA
Silicon Valley Community Foundation funds work in areas such as housing, economic security, education, health, the environment, arts and culture, and civic engagement, with Community Action Grants supporting local, community-led organizations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Its 2024 grants had a median of $51,716, though amounts varied widely; applications depend on the program, and SVCF states that it does not accept unsolicited proposals for advised funds.
Assets
$12.3B
Grants
3,576
Total Given
$3.2B
The Annenberg Foundation
Conshohocken, PA
The Annenberg Foundation funds arts and culture, education, and environmental work, along with varied community initiatives, with grants across multiple states; in 2024, 58% of grant dollars went to California. Its 2024 grants had a median of $25,000, though awards ranged widely, and it does not accept unsolicited requests, giving only to preselected charitable organizations.
Assets
$1.5B
Grants
543
Total Given
$53.3M
The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation
Menlo Park, CA
The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation funds education, climate and conservation, the arts, democracy, gender equity, racial justice, and efforts to strengthen nonprofits and philanthropy, with work spanning the San Francisco Bay Area, the U.S. West, and locations including East and West Africa and Mexico. Its 2024 grants had a median award of $150,000, though amounts varied widely. It generally does not accept unsolicited requests, but sometimes invites proposals through open processes.
Assets
$14.2B
Grants
2,001
Total Given
$625.0M
Marin Community Foundation
Novato, CA
Marin Community Foundation funds work in affordable housing and homelessness, community resilience and power, as well as social services, education, arts and conservation, with a focus on marginalized Marin County residents and some broader U.S. and international grantmaking. Its 2025 grants had a median of $25,000, though amounts varied widely. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.3B
Grants
1,573
Total Given
$186.1M
Direct Relief
Santa Barbara, CA
Direct Relief supports healthcare providers serving people affected by poverty or emergencies, including community health centers, clinics, and grassroots organizations, with medicines, supplies, and funding for health access and equity. In 2025, its grants had a median award of about $65,000, and its work spans all 50 U.S. states and countries around the world; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.3B
Grants
1,367
Total Given
$337.4M
More similar funders
More Funders in California
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lear Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lear-family-foundation-morg_947ae2c921474e1cb1a04890b1052bba
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_954661216_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lear Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lear-family-foundation-morg_947ae2c921474e1cb1a04890b1052bba},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Lear Family 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.
Lear Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?