Luminate Foundation Inc
Luminate Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Washington, DC. Luminate describes itself as a global foundation working to help ensure that everyone—especially underrepresented people—has the information, rights, and power to influence decisions affecting their lives. It supports work intended to enable participation in civic and political life, safe challenges to power, and access to accurate, trustworthy information.
Luminate Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Luminate Foundation Inc gave $22.5M across 91 grants in 2024 (avg $247K), top state District of Columbia. 26% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $22,499,637
- -21.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 91
- -27.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $247,249
- +9.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $200,000
- Total assets
- $11,032,337
- -66.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (23 of 87, 2024)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (17% 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 Luminate Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. It identifies potential grantees through its own research and global network and evaluates opportunities on a rolling basis. When a specific opportunity enters the approvals process, Luminate’s goal is to complete it within three months, though it says timing depends on factors including prior support and due diligence.
- Deadline
- Rolling
- Contact
Mailing address: 1200 17Th Street Nw 501, Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 630-9991
Website: https://luminategroup.com/
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Luminate Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was East West Management Institute ($1.2M across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $6.8M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($125,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
749 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 326 grants of 749 (44%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Luminate states that it has a regional focus in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Its Luminate Strategic Initiatives work is primarily focused on Europe, and its Global Programmes team seeks to drive transregional change and strengthen regional activity. In 2024, its grants included recipients in Washington, DC, New York, California, and North Carolina, as well as organizations whose locations were not specified in the grant listing.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 91 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Luminate Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 23 of 87 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $300K; repeat grants $244K. How we count
Medians: $250K first-time, $200K repeat.
- 68% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 42% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above 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 $22.5M (2024) to $49.1M (2020). In 2024 it made 91 grants totaling $22.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Washington, DC | To meaningfully resource black feminist movements globally. | $1,000,000 |
| East West Management Institute New York, NY | Support Freedom of Expression cluster, via core institutional, capacity building | $860,673 |
| Data and Society Research Institute New York, NY | Support social implications of data-centric technologies & automation. | $650,000 |
| Red en Defensa de los Derechos Digitales (R3D) | Protects digital rights and civic space against surveillance and AI. | $650,000 |
| Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) Washington, DC | Promoting racial action plans and protecting human rights in Americas. | $600,000 |
| Tifa Foundation | Protects digital rights and civic space against surveillance and AI. | $550,000 |
| CalMatters Sacramento, CA | Supports global AI reporting consortium, sharing expertise with newsrooms worldwide. | $500,000 |
| Inter-American Foundation Washington, DC | To strengthen the countrys civic space | $500,000 |
| Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) New York, NY | General Operating Grant. | $500,000 |
| International Women's Media Foundation Washington, DC | Supports safety of women and non-binary journalists, anti-online violence. | $480,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Luminate Foundation Inc?
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 | $11,032,337 | $874,305 | $16,041,732 | $22,499,637 | 91 | $22,499,637 | $874,305 | $1,123,903 |
| 2023 | $32,670,058 | $2,044,374 | $19,662,309 | $28,511,511 | 126 | $28,511,511 | $2,044,374 | $2,152,319 |
| 2022 | $59,650,635 | $34,892,954 | $35,491,193 | $34,322,931 | 153 | $34,322,931 | $34,892,942 | $1,607,041 |
| 2021 | $59,797,597 | $44,834,808 | $40,366,456 | $38,791,947 | 247 | $38,791,947 | $44,834,801 | $1,258,267 |
| 2020 | $57,888,270 | $51,972,986 | $62,810,142 | $49,108,550 | 132 | — | $56,058,082 | $838,211 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Luminate Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $1.1M 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
Luminate’s stated aim is for technology to serve people and their wellbeing. Its website describes work on sustainable technology; data dignity and privacy; a healthy public square; protections for people working across digital supply chains and platforms; and digital markets and economic power. Luminate says that by 2026 all its work will challenge the unchecked harms and outsized power of Big Tech, social platforms, and AI companies, especially where those harms disproportionately affect marginalised people.
In its 2024 filing, Luminate described direct charitable activity in Information Ecosystems—supporting investigative journalism, work against misinformation, freedom of expression, and accountability for digital media platforms—and Participation & Dissent, which includes increasing participation in civic and political life, removing systemic barriers, and supporting people who dissent.
Luminate supports organizations working through approaches including policy advocacy, strategic litigation, investigative journalism, storytelling, research, and field building. Examples of grantee missions, as described by the grantees themselves, include Access Now’s work to defend and extend the digital rights of people and communities at risk; the International Women’s Media Foundation’s work to advance women journalists and press freedom; and CalMatters’ journalism to inform Californians about the people and interests shaping issues affecting their lives.
Grantmaking
In 2024, Luminate reported 91 grants totaling $22,499,637. Grant amounts ranged from $5,500 to $1,000,000, with a median of $200,000.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $1,000,000 to Amalgamated Charitable Foundation for work to resource Black feminist movements globally; $860,673 to East West Management Institute to support its Freedom of Expression cluster; and $650,000 each to Data and Society Research Institute for work on the social implications of data-centric technologies and automation, and Red en Defensa de los Derechos Digitales (R3D) for digital rights and civic space work. Other large grants included $600,000 to Washington Office on Latin America, $550,000 to Tifa Foundation, $500,000 each to CalMatters, the Inter-American Foundation, and Natural Resource Governance Institute, $480,000 to the International Women’s Media Foundation, $450,550 to Agencia Publica, and $450,000 to Access Now.
Luminate says it identifies potential grantees through its own research and global network, and evaluates opportunities on a rolling basis. It offers restricted and unrestricted grants, including fiscally sponsored grants, project funding through its LLC, and contracts for commissioned research. It says it no longer provides equity investments or loans, except for potential follow-on investments to current grantees. Its stated considerations include legal compliance, alignment of mission and values, and the prospective grantee’s financial and organizational health, leadership’s theory of change, team dynamics, broader ecosystem, and impact to date.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Stephen King as CEO and Director; Jeffrey R. Alvord as Director and Vice Chair; Hoodo Mohamed as Secretary; Shaila Gupta as Treasurer; Patricia Christen as Chair; and Tabitha Goldstaub, Latanya Mapp Frett, Alessandra Orofino Poubel, and Theodosia Sowa as Directors.
Luminate Foundation Inc is led by Stephen King, CEO & Director since 2022 (on filings since 2020); none of the 9 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Stephen King
CEO & Director
CEO → CEO & Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patricia Christen
Chair
Vice Chair → Vice Chair & Chair, 2021
Vice Chair & Chair → Chair, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey R Alvord
Director & Vice Chair
Director → Director & Vice Chair, 2022
On filings since 2020
2.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alessandra Orofino Poubel
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Latanya Mapp Frett
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tabitha Goldstaub
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Theodosia Sowa
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hoodo Mohamed
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shaila Gupta
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Pierre Omidyar (2020–2021) — Chairman
- Former: Jeffrey Hom (2020) — Secretary
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 Luminate Foundation Inc
How much does Luminate Foundation Inc give each year?
Luminate Foundation Inc gave $22.5M across 91 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $28.5M across 126 grants.
What is Luminate Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Luminate Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $200,000, and its average grant was $247,249, across 91 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Luminate Foundation Inc that year got $300K on average.
Where does Luminate Foundation Inc give grants?
Luminate Foundation Inc's top state is District of Columbia, with 17% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (16%) and California (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (9 grants), New York, NY (9 grants), San Francisco, CA (4 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (2 grants).
Does Luminate Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Occasionally: 4% of Luminate Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 91) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Luminate Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Luminate Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include East West Management Institute ($1,213,173 across 3 grants), Amalgamated Charitable Foundation ($1,000,000) and Association for Progressive Communications (APC) ($675,020 across 3 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($125,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 13% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Luminate Foundation Inc?
Luminate Foundation Inc reported $11.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $22.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Luminate Foundation Inc fund?
Luminate’s stated aim is for technology to serve people and their wellbeing. Its website describes work on sustainable technology; data dignity and privacy; a healthy public square; protections for people working across digital supply chains and platforms; and digital markets and economic power. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Luminate Foundation Inc?
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 Luminate Foundation Inc's EIN?
Luminate Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-3941326. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Luminate Foundation Inc 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
Other open foundation grants in District of Columbia
District of Columbia Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Luminate Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
The Ford Foundation
New York, NY
The Ford Foundation funds organizations and initiatives working to reduce inequality and advance social justice, including work on civic engagement, civil rights, climate justice, disability rights, and technology and society. In 2024, its grants ranged from $45 to $15 million, with a median of $100,000, supporting work in the U.S. and internationally. It says most grants are identified by the foundation and it does not accept unsolicited proposals by mail, email, or phone; limited opportunities may be offered separately.
Assets
$17.5B
Grants
4,007
Total Given
$844.7M
Foundation to Promote Open Society
New York, NY
The Foundation to Promote Open Society funds organizations advancing human rights, civil society, democratic practice, equity, research, and education, with grants spanning the United States and six global regions. In 2024, its grants ranged from $5,000 to $44.9 million, with a median of $257,214. It funds only preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$10.8B
Grants
738
Total Given
$481.5M
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 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
John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation
Chicago, IL
The MacArthur Foundation funds work advancing a more just, verdant, and peaceful world, including climate solutions, criminal justice, journalism, technology, and Chicago. In 2024, its grants had a median of $160,000, though awards ranged widely; it generally does not accept unsolicited requests, with possible exceptions for specific open calls or proposals that meet program guidelines.
Assets
$9.3B
Grants
1,086
Total Given
$356.1M
Wellspring Philanthropic Fund Inc
New York, NY
Wellspring Philanthropic Fund supports human rights and social and economic justice, including work on climate, the environment, civic engagement, and Jewish causes, in the United States and internationally. Its 2024 grants had a median of $200,000, with amounts ranging from $500 to $9.75 million. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests; it plans to end grantmaking by the end of 2028.
Assets
$134.4M
Grants
1,101
Total Given
$326.0M
More similar funders
More Funders in District of Columbia
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Luminate Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/luminate-foundation-inc-morg_a2a55579d477445ca198067321d5836c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_823941326_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Luminate Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/luminate-foundation-inc-morg_a2a55579d477445ca198067321d5836c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Luminate Foundation Inc'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.
Luminate Foundation Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?