LLWW Foundation
LLWW Foundation is a private foundation based in Pasadena, California. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in areas including the arts and culture, education, literacy, health, and parks and nature.
LLWW Foundation at a glance
In short: LLWW Foundation gave $886K across 23 grants in 2024 (avg $39K), mostly in California. 32% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $886,000
- -4.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 23
- +9.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $38,522
- -12.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $38,495,257
- +17.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (7 of 22, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (50% 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 LLWW Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 177 E Colorado Blvd 800, Pasadena, CA 91105
Phone: (626) 441-5111
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who LLWW Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Center for Curatorial Studies Bard College ($350K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $802K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($30,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
113 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 75 grants of 113 (66%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the reported shares of grant dollars by recipient state were California, 50%; New York, 45%; Colorado, 3%; and Maine, 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
Is LLWW Foundation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 22 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $25K; repeat grants $47K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 45% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 32% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 63% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $886K (2024) to $1.4M (2020). In 2024 it made 23 grants totaling $886K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Center for Curatorial Studies Bard College Annandaleonhudson, NY | Expanding the CCS Bard Library and Archives | $250,000 |
| Regents of the University of California Davis Davis, CA | California state summer school for mathematics and science (COSMOS) current use student financial aid. | $102,000 |
| Center for Curatorial Studies Bard College Annandaleonhudson, NY | CCS Endowment Fund | $100,000 |
| Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Lacma) Los Angeles, CA | To support the exhibition ed ruscha / now then. | $100,000 |
| Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Santa Barbara, CA | SBMNH 2024 Programs | $50,000 |
| Reading Is Fundamental of Southern California Inc Los Angeles, CA | Motivational Reading Program | $50,000 |
| California Heritage Museum Santa Monica, CA | 2024 California Heritage Museum Programs | $50,000 |
| Elings Park Foundation Santa Barbara, CA | Upgrade & Ada Compliance in Godric Grove | $50,000 |
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $30,000 |
| The Museum of Modern Art New York, NY | $10K Annual Fund/$10K Education Fund | $20,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $38,495,257 | $1,694,107 | $1,582,479 | $886,000 | 23 | $1,110,392 | $2,009,622 | $1,771,178 |
| 2023 | $32,686,616 | $490,028 | $1,174,294 | $923,500 | 21 | $1,121,388 | $825,302 | $1,502,598 |
| 2022 | $27,329,811 | $785,200 | $997,378 | $894,500 | 27 | $1,069,635 | $662,640 | $1,391,865 |
| 2021 | $35,048,726 | $843,570 | $1,934,439 | $1,312,000 | 20 | $1,506,425 | $1,591,467 | $1,607,907 |
| 2020 | $29,818,512 | $2,092,779 | $1,235,514 | $1,436,643 | 22 | — | $2,403,519 | $1,314,533 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, LLWW Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.8M 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for arts and cultural organizations, educational programs, literacy, health services, and parks.
Grantee missions illustrate some of this work: Reading Is Fundamental of Southern California says it promotes literacy and motivates children to read by providing new books to create home libraries for underserved children. The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History says it aims to inspire awe for nature, promote sustainability, and connect communities. The California Heritage Museum says it provides Southern California programming in California fine arts, folk art, and decorative art. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 23 grants totaling $886,000. Awards ranged from $500 to $250,000, with a median grant of $15,000.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $250,000 to the Center for Curatorial Studies Bard College to expand its library and archives; $102,000 to the Regents of the University of California, Davis, for current-use student financial aid for COSMOS; and $100,000 to the Center for Curatorial Studies Bard College for its endowment fund. The foundation also awarded $100,000 to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to support the exhibition *Ed Ruscha / Now Then*. Other grants included $50,000 each to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History for 2024 programs, Reading Is Fundamental of Southern California for its motivational reading program, the California Heritage Museum for 2024 programs, and Elings Park Foundation for an upgrade and ADA compliance in Godric Grove.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Laura-Lee W Woods as president/director, Linda J Blinkenberg as vice president/director, Kristina Hernandez as secretary, and Greg E Custer as CFO/director.
LLWW Foundation is led by Laura-Lee W. Woods, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Laura-Lee W. Woods
President & Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Greg E. Custer
CFO & Director
Secretary & Director → CFO & Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Linda J. Blinkenberg
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kristina Hernandez
Secretary
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Sandip Bhagat (2020–2022) — CFO & 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 LLWW Foundation
How much does LLWW Foundation give each year?
LLWW Foundation gave $886K across 23 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $924K across 21 grants.
What is LLWW Foundation's typical grant size?
LLWW Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $38,522, across 23 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from LLWW Foundation that year got $25K on average.
Where does LLWW Foundation give grants?
LLWW Foundation gives mostly in California: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (45%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (7 grants), Annandaleonhudson, NY (2 grants), Santa Barbara, CA (2 grants) and Santa Monica, CA (2 grants).
Does LLWW Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 9% of LLWW Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are LLWW Foundation's largest grantees?
LLWW Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Center for Curatorial Studies Bard College ($350,000 across 2 grants), Regents of the University of California Davis ($102,000) and Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Lacma) ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($30,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is LLWW Foundation?
LLWW Foundation reported $38.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does LLWW Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for arts and cultural organizations, educational programs, literacy, health services, and parks. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from LLWW Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is LLWW Foundation's EIN?
LLWW Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-3464689. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does LLWW 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). LLWW Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/llww-foundation-morg_2fb69505467f45889a3716730de8c926
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_953464689_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{LLWW Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/llww-foundation-morg_2fb69505467f45889a3716730de8c926},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 LLWW 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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