Lillian Lincoln Foundation
The Lillian Lincoln Foundation is a private foundation based in Hillsborough, California. A family-owned foundation operating in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1985, it supports filmmaking, advocacy, and direct grants, with work that has included snakebite envenoming, homelessness, and medical innovation.
Lillian Lincoln Foundation at a glance
In short: Lillian Lincoln Foundation gave $5.0M across 99 grants in 2024 (avg $51K), mostly in California. 11% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $5,010,500
- +82.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 99
- +3.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $50,611
- +76.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $30,000
- Total assets
- $82,366,514
- +4.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 11% first-time grantees (11 of 98, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (62% 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 Lillian Lincoln Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 240 Robin Road, Hillsborough, CA 94010-6634
Phone: (650) 343-0996
Website: https://lillianlincolnfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lillian Lincoln Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Sequoia Hospital Foundation ($900K). Together the top 10 received $2.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
517 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 356 grants of 517 (69%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, California recipients received 62% of grant dollars. Other leading recipient states were the District of Columbia (7%), New York (6%), Pennsylvania (4%), and Massachusetts (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 99 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Lillian Lincoln Foundation open to new grantees?
11%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 11 of 98 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $98K; repeat grants $45K. How we count
Medians: $40K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 86% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 30% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 128% 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 $2.8M (2023) to $5.0M (2024). In 2024 it made 99 grants totaling $5.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sequoia Hospital Foundation Redwood City, CA | Healthcare | $900,000 |
| Menlo College Atherton, CA | Scholarship in Barbara Howell's Name | $675,000 |
| Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo, MI | Hoop House - Education | $150,000 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | Humanitarian Aid | $150,000 |
| Oakland Zoo Oakland, CA | Animal Protection | $110,000 |
| Calif Pacific Child Development Center San Francisco, CA | Child Healthcare | $100,000 |
| Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund San Francisco, CA | Food Bank | $100,000 |
| Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine Auburn, ME | Food Bank | $100,000 |
| St Jude Children's Hospital Foundation Memphis, TN | Healthcare | $100,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Federation of America Washington, DC | Healthcare | $90,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Lillian Lincoln 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 | $82,366,514 | $3,401,809 | $5,455,320 | $5,010,500 | 99 | $5,135,601 | $3,352,303 | $4,000,561 |
| 2023 | $78,969,618 | $2,189,397 | $3,310,394 | $2,753,200 | 96 | $2,828,341 | $2,095,805 | $3,532,948 |
| 2022 | $52,924,800 | $1,333,951 | $4,409,532 | $3,586,330 | 94 | $4,259,160 | $1,392,737 | $3,527,077 |
| 2021 | $56,049,873 | $3,311,345 | $4,419,648 | $3,843,369 | 112 | $4,301,211 | $3,192,974 | $3,930,498 |
| 2020 | $57,158,176 | $2,767,797 | $4,107,522 | $3,423,775 | 116 | — | $2,615,251 | $3,264,439 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lillian Lincoln Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.0M 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 describes its work as spanning documentary filmmaking, advocacy initiatives, and direct grants. Its history includes documentary and advocacy work on snakebite envenoming, as well as support for IVF research before the foundation’s current work.
Its 2024 grants included organizations working in healthcare, education, humanitarian aid, animal protection, food assistance, and gun safety. For example, Sequoia Hospital Foundation says its mission is to help secure resources and support for Sequoia Hospital; Menlo College describes itself as a private residential college; and World Central Kitchen says it provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 99 grants totaling $5,010,500. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $900,000, with a median grant of $30,000.
Among the largest grants were $900,000 to Sequoia Hospital Foundation for healthcare and $675,000 to Menlo College for a scholarship in Barbara Howell’s name. The foundation also gave $150,000 each to Kalamazoo College for “Hoop House - Education” and World Central Kitchen for humanitarian aid. Other grants included $110,000 to Oakland Zoo for animal protection; $100,000 each to Cal Pacific Child Development Center for child healthcare, Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund for a food bank, Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine for a food bank, and St. Jude Children’s Hospital Foundation for healthcare; and $90,000 to Planned Parenthood Federation of America for healthcare.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Lincoln Howell as president, Alisha Howell as vice president, Barbara Bissell as secretary through March 2024, and Eugene Bissell as treasurer/secretary. The foundation’s website identifies Lincoln Howell as overseeing its documentary and advocacy projects and grants.
Lillian Lincoln Foundation is led by Lincoln Howell, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Lincoln Howell
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alisha Howell
Vice President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Barbara Bissell
Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eugene Bissell
Treasurer & Secretary
Treasurer → Treasurer & Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 Lillian Lincoln Foundation
How much does Lillian Lincoln Foundation give each year?
Lillian Lincoln Foundation gave $5.0M across 99 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.8M across 96 grants.
What is Lillian Lincoln Foundation's typical grant size?
Lillian Lincoln Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $30,000, and its average grant was $50,611, across 99 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lillian Lincoln Foundation that year got $98K on average.
Where does Lillian Lincoln Foundation give grants?
Lillian Lincoln Foundation gives mostly in California: 62% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (7%) and New York (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (16 grants), Washington, DC (10 grants), New York, NY (8 grants) and Oakland, CA (6 grants).
Does Lillian Lincoln Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 13% of Lillian Lincoln Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 99) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Humanitarian Aid" (15 grants), "Healthcare" (11 grants) and "Education" (10 grants).
Who are Lillian Lincoln Foundation's largest grantees?
Lillian Lincoln Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Sequoia Hospital Foundation ($900,000), Menlo College ($675,000) and Kalamazoo College ($150,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Lillian Lincoln Foundation?
Lillian Lincoln Foundation reported $82.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Lillian Lincoln Foundation fund?
The foundation describes its work as spanning documentary filmmaking, advocacy initiatives, and direct grants. Its history includes documentary and advocacy work on snakebite envenoming, as well as support for IVF research before the foundation’s current work. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lillian Lincoln Foundation?
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 Lillian Lincoln Foundation's EIN?
Lillian Lincoln Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-2943599. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Lillian Lincoln 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lillian Lincoln Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lillian-lincoln-foundation-morg_615bbf3957c04764882b68c0db1e8f64
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_942943599_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lillian Lincoln Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lillian-lincoln-foundation-morg_615bbf3957c04764882b68c0db1e8f64},
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 Lillian Lincoln 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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