Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation is a public charity based in Redmond, Washington, that supports health, education, immigrant justice, and community resilience, with a primary focus on low-income immigrant and refugee communities in Washington’s King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. Founded in 2008, it combines compassion and strategic grantmaking to advance quality health and education for all.
Key facts about Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation
In short: Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation gave $2.1M across 67 grants in 2024 (avg $32K), mostly in Washington. 27% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- EIN
- 26-3276872
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990 filing, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,122,286
- Grants made (2024)
- 67
- Average grant
- $31,676
- Median grant
- $31,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (18 of 67, 2024)
- Total assets
- $10,879,677
- Primary geography
- Washington (96% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; organizations must be invited to apply, and it asks prospective organizations to submit an inquiry form for staff review. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990 filing, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 filing · View filing
Total Assets
$10.9M
-5.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.1M
+23.4% YoY
Grant Count
67
+31.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$32K
-6.1% YoY
Is Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 18 of 67 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $20K; repeat grants $36K. How we count
Medians: $18K first-time, $33K repeat.
- 64% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+15%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to combine compassion and philanthropy with strategic grantmaking to advance quality health and education for all. Its grantmaking includes Health & Education Access, Immigrant Justice, Rapid Response, Sponsorships, Community-Led Grants, and disaster relief and recovery. It also operates the Lotus Scholarship for students; that program supports individuals rather than outside applicant organizations.
Health & Education Access funding has supported organizations working to improve equitable access to healthcare and education for immigrant and refugee communities. The foundation describes support for removing barriers to care, culturally and linguistically appropriate healthcare, diversity in healthcare, and students and families navigating early education, secondary-school completion, and college transitions. Its Justice Fund has supported immigrant- and refugee-serving organizations working on inclusive economic opportunity, narrative change, advocacy and systems change, and legal representation. Rapid Response grants address unanticipated emergencies, while Community-Led Grants support nonprofits nominated by existing grantees.
The grantees’ stated missions illustrate the range of organizations funded. Byrd Barr Place says it works toward a more equitable future for Washingtonians through programs and advocacy. HealthPoint says it improves community health by delivering services and breaking down barriers to access. OneAmerica says it builds power within immigrant communities to advance democracy and justice. Denise Louie Education Center says it promotes school and life readiness through multicultural early learning services.
The foundation gives preference to smaller, community-based organizations serving low-income immigrants and refugees, and says organizations should demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. It supports immediate community needs as well as efforts addressing structural inequalities.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 67 grants totaling $2,122,286. Individual grants ranged from $5,150 to $125,000, with a median of $31,500. Its filing describes 32 Health and Education Access grants, 23 Justice Fund grants, 13 Rapid Response grants, and 10 Community-Led grants, as well as sponsorships of community events and special-project grants. It also awarded 33 individual Lotus Scholarships that year.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation
Ready to take the next step with Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated primary focus is immigrant and refugee communities in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties in Washington. Its geographic guidelines make exceptions for national immigrant rights advocacy organizations and disaster relief projects. In 2024, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, 3% to California, and 1% to the District of Columbia. The filing states that grants for use outside the United States support disaster relief and recovery conducted by U.S.-based nonprofits.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 67 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.7M (2023) to $2.2M (2022). In 2024 it made 67 grants totaling $2.1M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Byrd Barr Place ($125K). Together the top 10 received $547K.
Grant Size Distribution
345 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 327 grants of 345 (95%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Byrd Barr Place Seattle, WA | Sabbatical Program Support | $125,000 |
| Healthpoint Renton, WA | Capital Campaign, Health and Education Access | $90,000 |
| Together Center Redmond, WA | Justice Fund | $50,000 |
| Asian Counseling and Referral Service Seattle, WA | Sponsorship, Health and Education Access | $43,000 |
| World Relief Western Washington Kent, WA | Rapid response for health access pilot, health and education access | $41,600 |
| Kin on Seattle, WA | Sponsorship, Health and Education Access | $41,000 |
| International Community Health Services (Ichs) Seattle, WA | Health and Education Access | $40,000 |
| Oneamerica Seattle, WA | Sponsorship, rapid response for health access pilot, health and education access | $40,000 |
| Denise Louie Education Center Seattle, WA | Sponsorship, Health and Education Access | $39,000 |
| International Rescue Committee Seatac, WA | Sponsorship, rapid response for health access pilot, health and education access | $37,640 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $10,879,677 | $1,796,335 | $2,601,527 | $2,122,286 |
| 2023 | $11,502,957 | $2,043,207 | $2,322,846 | $1,719,950 |
| 2022 | $10,801,811 | $1,887,190 | $2,598,773 | $2,168,669 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $10,879,677 | $11,502,957 | $10,801,811 |
| Revenue | $1,796,335 | $2,043,207 | $1,887,190 |
| Expenses | $2,601,527 | $2,322,846 | $2,598,773 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $1,192,454 | $660,292 | $120,036 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Fo-Ching Lu as president, Susan Yang as secretary, Andrew Roberts as treasurer, and Heather Edlund, Dexter Kuah, Teresa Piersa, and Huma Zarif as directors. Rachel Allen is listed as executive director.
Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation is led by Rachel Allen, Executive Director since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 8 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Rachel Allen
Executive Director
Vice President, Director of Programs & Operations → Vice President, Director of Programs & Ops, 2023
Vice President, Director of Programs & Ops → Executive Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
$71K (2020) → $99K (2024)
Fo-Ching Lu
President
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dexter Kuah
Director
Director → Board Member, 2023
Board Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Heather Edlund
Director
Director → Board Member, 2023
Board Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Teresa Piersa
Director
Director → Board Member, 2023
Board Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Huma Zarif
Director
Director → Board Member, 2023
Board Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Roberts
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan Yang
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Andy Roberts (2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Jack Hung (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Fo-Chi Lu (2020) — 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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $99K, to Rachel Allen (Executive Director).
Contact
Mailing address: 17102 Ne 40Th Ct, Redmond, WA 98052
Phone: (425) 883-3500
Website: https://sylfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation
How much does Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation give each year?
Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation gave $2.1M across 67 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. In 2023 it gave $1.7M across 51 grants.
What is Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation's typical grant size?
Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $31,500, and its average grant was $31,676, across 67 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation that year got $20K on average.
Where does Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation give grants?
Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (33 grants), Seatac, WA (6 grants), Kent, WA (6 grants) and Burien, WA (4 grants).
Does Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 67 grants with a stated purpose on Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990 filing were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Justice Fund" (16 grants), "Sponsorship, Health and Education Access" (14 grants) and "Health and Education Access" (11 grants).
Who are Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation's largest grantees?
Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Byrd Barr Place ($125,000), Healthpoint ($90,000) and Together Center ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Together they received 12% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation?
Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation reported $10.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Its revenue that year was $1.8M.
What does Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to combine compassion and philanthropy with strategic grantmaking to advance quality health and education for all. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; organizations must be invited to apply, and it asks prospective organizations to submit an inquiry form for staff review. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation's EIN?
Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-3276872. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation by hand.
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