Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation
The Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation is a private foundation based in La Jolla, California. It provides grants to U.S. organizations recognized by the IRS as 501(c)(3) charities, with the stated mission of improving the lives of culturally, socially, and economically disadvantaged people.
Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation at a glance
In short: Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation gave $116K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), top state California. 22% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $115,700
- +33.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,428
- +33.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $6,500
- Total assets
- $3,864,507
- +24.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (4 of 18, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (48% 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 Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing says the foundation reviews grant requests and that many organizations solicit it. Requests must be made in accordance with its policy. Eligible applicants are U.S. organizations determined by the IRS to be 501(c)(3) charities. Requests may be for general operating support, program-related support, or sponsorship of nonprofit functions or events. The foundation says it identifies and determines which organizations effectively meet its mission; its award letter specifies grant terms. The filing lists political, labor, and fraternal organizations and civic clubs; religious organizations seeking support for sectarian purposes; national health organizations or disease-specific advocacy groups; travel events, including student trips and tours; assistance for a specified individual’s scholarship or fellowship; memorial campaigns; membership dues; and certain special advertising requests or premium items as ineligible.
- Contact
Application contact: Lakshmi Sundaram
Mailing address: 8677 Villa La Jolla Dr 733, La Jolla, CA 92037
Phone: (248) 765-0527
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Our Biswas ($15K). Together the top 10 received $91K.
Grant Size Distribution
86 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 86 grants of 86 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in California (48%), Michigan (35%), New York (11%), New Jersey (6%), and Colorado (1%). These are the recipient-state shares reported in the filing.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 18 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 78% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 38% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 76% 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 (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $30K (2019) to $116K (2025). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $116K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Our Biswas East Lansing, MI | Nano Finance Program | $15,000 |
| Wayne State University Detroit, MI | Scholarship Fund | $12,500 |
| Maternal Help Hope Fund San Jose, CA | Prevention and treatment of childbirth injuries promarily obstetric fistula | $10,000 |
| Fistula Foundation San Jose, CA | Prevention and treatment of childbirth injuries promarily obstetric fistula | $10,000 |
| Karuna America Pomona, CA | Health & Literacy | $7,500 |
| Sankara Eye Foundation USA Milpitas, CA | Eradicate Cureable Blindness in India | $7,500 |
| Focus Hope Detroit, MI | Job Training | $7,500 |
| Aravind Eye Foundation New York, NY | Treatment of Eye Diseases | $7,500 |
| Share and Care Foundation Rochelle Park, NJ | Support and empower women & children in rural india | $7,000 |
| Education Empowerment Women Cupertino, CA | Education | $6,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,864,507 | $887,528 | $120,587 | $115,700 | 18 | $117,375 | $136,378 | $154,976 |
| 2024 | $3,097,566 | $841,762 | $90,464 | $87,000 | 18 | $88,329 | $90,717 | $118,018 |
| 2023 | $2,346,268 | $620,009 | $87,712 | $85,000 | 19 | $87,712 | $35,619 | $90,528 |
| 2022 | $1,813,971 | $138,254 | $87,565 | $84,000 | 18 | $86,275 | $11,524 | $86,862 |
| 2021 | $1,762,882 | $104,162 | $77,106 | $74,000 | 13 | $75,720 | $2,517 | $85,362 |
| 2020 | $1,735,806 | $263,516 | $55,205 | $52,000 | 13 | — | $11,567 | $75,611 |
| 2019 | $1,527,495 | $471,238 | $33,655 | $30,000 | 11 | — | $18,945 | $54,523 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation reported a distributable amount of $155K 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
The foundation states that its mission is to provide resources and support to improve the lives of culturally, socially, and economically disadvantaged persons. It considers requests for general operating or program-related support and sponsorship of nonprofit functions or events.
Grantee descriptions illustrate the range of supported work. Maternal Help Hope Fund describes its mission as preventing and treating childbirth injuries through local partners in Sub-Saharan Africa. Sankara Eye Foundation USA says it works to eradicate curable blindness in India. Karuna America says it funds and supports rural health and education programs. Accounting Aid Society describes work including free tax preparation, financial coaching, small-business financial services, and workforce training. WaterAid America says it works to improve access to clean water, hygiene, and sanitation in poor communities.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 18 grants totaling $115,700. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $15,000, with a median of $6,500.
Among the largest reported grants were $15,000 to Our Biswas for a nano finance program; $12,500 to Wayne State University for a scholarship fund; and $10,000 each to Maternal Help Hope Fund and Fistula Foundation for prevention and treatment of childbirth injuries, primarily obstetric fistula. Other notable grants included $7,500 each to Karuna America for health and literacy, Sankara Eye Foundation USA to eradicate curable blindness in India, Focus Hope for job training, and Aravind Eye Foundation for treatment of eye diseases.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lakshmi Sundaram as Chair, Ram Sundaram as Secretary, and Nallan C Krishnan as Director.
Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation is led by Lakshmi Sundaram, Chair on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lakshmi Sundaram
Chair
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Nallan C. Krishnan
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Ram Sundaram
Secretary
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation
How much does Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation give each year?
Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation gave $116K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $87K across 18 grants.
What is Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation's typical grant size?
Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $6,500, and its average grant was $6,428, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation give grants?
Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation's top state is California, with 48% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Michigan (35%) and New York (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Detroit, MI (3 grants), San Jose, CA (2 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and San Diego, CA (2 grants).
Does Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation's largest grantees?
Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Our Biswas ($15,000), Wayne State University ($12,500) and Maternal Help Hope Fund ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation?
Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation reported $3.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $117K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $155K (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 Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation fund?
The foundation states that its mission is to provide resources and support to improve the lives of culturally, socially, and economically disadvantaged persons. It considers requests for general operating or program-related support and sponsorship of nonprofit functions or events. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation?
The filing says the foundation reviews grant requests and that many organizations solicit it. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation's EIN?
Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-3313027. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 29, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 15, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 23, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 14, 2024)
Live grants for the work Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ram-and-lakshmi-sundaram-foundation-morg_b66ee0d6d442430e97766af2dc5e9846
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_823313027_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ram-and-lakshmi-sundaram-foundation-morg_b66ee0d6d442430e97766af2dc5e9846},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Ram and Lakshmi Sundaram 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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