SJL Foundation
SJL Foundation is a private foundation based in Montecito, California. Its 2025 filing describes the SJL Education Project, which is developing a pilot program to reimagine elementary education, with a focus on modern facilities, skilled educators, and comprehensive support systems—particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
SJL Foundation at a glance
In short: SJL Foundation gave $90K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in California. 13% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $90,048
- -13.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- -40.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,628
- +45.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $669
- Total assets
- $449,358
- -17.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (2 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (50% 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 SJL Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1482 East Valley Road 712, Montecito, CA 93108
Phone: (805) 963-1837
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who SJL Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was ME&US Foundation ($33K). Together the top 10 received $89K.
Grant Size Distribution
98 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 98 grants of 98 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in California (50%), Massachusetts (28%), and Pennsylvania (22%). The filing also lists Arizona and Indiana at 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is SJL Foundation open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 16 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $80; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $80 first-time, $1K repeat.
- 88% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 20% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 394% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $34K (2019) to $443K (2020). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $90K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ME&US Foundation Montecito, CA | Kotorart 2025 international music festival, $20,000; in support of milos karadaglic foundation for young musical artists $10,000; heal the bay project, expense for university of montenegro professors to travel to ucsb $3,000 | $33,000 |
| Boston University Boston, MA | SCRCC Scholarship | $25,000 |
| Penn State University University Park, PA | Education | $20,000 |
| His Island Outreach Carpinteria, CA | In Furtherance of 501(C)(3)EXEMPT Purpose | $4,550 |
| Uc Regents Santa Barbara, CA | Education | $2,500 |
| Santa Barbara Symphony Santa Barbara, CA | In Furtherance of 501(C)(3)EXEMPT Purpose | $2,000 |
| Santa Barbara Foundation Santa Barbara, CA | Birnam Wood Helping Hand | $1,000 |
| Women's Fund of Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA | In Furtherance of 501(C)(3)EXEMPT Purpose | $1,000 |
| Santa Barbara Puerto Vallarta Sister Cities Committee Santa Barbara, CA | In Furtherance of 501(C)(3)EXEMPT Purpose | $338 |
| Grand Canyon Trust Flagstaff, AZ | Sports & Recreation | $100 |
Ready to take the next step with SJL 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 | $449,358 | $26,662 | $118,707 | $90,048 | 16 | $108,447 | $15,589 | $27,543 |
| 2024 | $541,403 | $13,469 | $136,386 | $104,186 | 27 | $126,786 | $12,034 | $32,103 |
| 2023 | $664,320 | $324,196 | $102,529 | $83,950 | 19 | $92,284 | $9,369 | $27,538 |
| 2022 | $442,653 | $45,725 | $99,026 | $74,800 | 17 | $91,979 | $11,293 | $22,572 |
| 2021 | $495,954 | $259,158 | $81,105 | $67,786 | 19 | $75,484 | $26,925 | $25,361 |
| 2020 | $317,901 | $203,198 | $473,008 | $443,366 | 21 | — | $10,028 | $21,261 |
| 2019 | $587,711 | $45,695 | $49,111 | $33,600 | 16 | — | $16,040 | $29,835 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, SJL Foundation reported a distributable amount of $28K 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’s filing describes the SJL Education Project as developing a pilot program to transform elementary schools and support children’s academic and developmental milestones, particularly children from disadvantaged backgrounds. It also describes outreach to state legislators to change how educational inequity is addressed.
In 2025, the foundation gave to organizations with varied purposes. For example, the Santa Barbara Foundation describes itself as a community foundation that invests philanthropic capital to address challenges in Santa Barbara County. The Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara describes itself as a volunteer-led collective donor organization supporting women, children, and families in South Santa Barbara County. The Santa Barbara Museum of Art describes its mission as integrating art into people’s lives.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $90,048. Grants ranged from $60 to $33,000, with a median of $669. The largest grants included $33,000 to ME&US Foundation for the KotorArt 2025 International Music Festival, support for the Milos Karadaglic Foundation for Young Musical Artists, and travel expenses for University of Montenegro professors to UCSB; $25,000 to Boston University for an SCRCC scholarship; and $20,000 to Penn State University for education. Other reported grants included $4,550 to His Island Outreach, $2,500 to UC Regents, $2,000 to Santa Barbara Symphony, and $1,000 each to Santa Barbara Foundation and Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists George D Lilly, Brian M Lilly, Kevin T Lilly, Denise L Lilly, Parker Lilly, and Kayla Lilly as trustees.
SJL Foundation's 2025 filing lists 6 officers; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Brian M. Lilly
Trustee
On filings since 2019
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Denise L. Lilly
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
George D. Lilly
Trustee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kayla Lilly
Trustee
On filings since 2019
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kevin T. Lilly
Trustee
On filings since 2019
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Parker Lilly
Trustee
On filings since 2019
0.2 hrs/week
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 SJL Foundation
How much does SJL Foundation give each year?
SJL Foundation gave $90K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $104K across 27 grants.
What is SJL Foundation's typical grant size?
SJL Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $669, and its average grant was $5,628, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from SJL Foundation that year got $80 on average.
Where does SJL Foundation give grants?
SJL Foundation gives mostly in California: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (28%) and Pennsylvania (22%). The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Barbara, CA (7 grants) and Montecito, CA (2 grants).
Who are SJL Foundation's largest grantees?
SJL Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include ME&US Foundation ($33,000), Boston University ($25,000) and Penn State University ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 87% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is SJL Foundation?
SJL Foundation reported $449K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $108K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $28K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does SJL Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing describes the SJL Education Project as developing a pilot program to transform elementary schools and support children’s academic and developmental milestones, particularly children from disadvantaged backgrounds. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from SJL Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 SJL Foundation's EIN?
SJL Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3584276. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does SJL 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 4, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 12, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 24, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). SJL Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sjl-foundation-morg_78783e38bff5409c8909d89861b48b66
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363584276_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{SJL Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sjl-foundation-morg_78783e38bff5409c8909d89861b48b66},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 SJL 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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