The George Lucas Educational Foundation
The George Lucas Educational Foundation is a private foundation based in San Rafael, California, founded by filmmaker George Lucas in 1991. It works to improve pre-K–12 education through direct initiatives and projects, including sharing effective educational practices and developing learning resources.
The George Lucas Educational Foundation at a glance
- Total assets
- $4,371,137
- -34.9% vs 2023
- Revenue (2024)
- $6,518,752
- -45.4% vs 2023
- Qualifying distributions (2024)
- $8,549,864
- -8.4% vs 2023
- Expenses (2024)
- $9,072,517
- -5.0% vs 2023
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The George Lucas Educational Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 3494, San Rafael, CA 94912
Phone: (415) 662-1600
Website: https://glef.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The George Lucas Educational Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
42 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 14 grants of 42 (33%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Reported 2023 recipients included organizations in Concord, Massachusetts; Evanston, Illinois; Berkeley, California; and New York, New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
How The George Lucas Educational Foundation gives
- Giving fell 66% from 2020 to 2023. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2023, annual grant giving ranged from $1.0M (2023) to $2.9M (2020). In 2023 it made 8 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Harvard University Cambridge, MA | Democratic Knowledge Project | $503,048 |
| The Concord Consortium Concord, MA | Interdisciplinary Project-Based Data Science Education | $150,000 |
| Michigan State University East Lansing, MI | Multiple literacies in project-based learning course adaptation for virtual and hybrid environments | $100,000 |
| University of Georgia Athens, GA | Multiple literacies in project-based learning course adaptation design principles | $50,499 |
| University of California Berkeley Berkeley, CA | The Computing as Multiliteracies Partnership | $50,000 |
| University of Colorado - Boulder Boulder, CO | Designing Equity-Centered Learning & Teacher Development | $50,000 |
| Northwestern University Chicago, IL | Designing Equity-Centered Learning & Teacher Development | $50,000 |
| New York University New York, NY | The Computing as Multiliteracies Partnership | $50,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $4,371,137 | $6,518,752 | $9,072,517 | — | — | $8,549,864 | $241,484 |
| 2023 | $6,717,099 | $11,929,698 | $9,545,327 | $1,003,547 | 8 | $9,338,979 | $174,294 |
| 2022 | $4,198,520 | $7,463,232 | $9,524,740 | $2,057,819 | 12 | $9,910,262 | $5,548 |
| 2021 | $6,425,809 | $14,665,129 | $11,703,370 | $2,713,246 | 10 | $11,544,824 | $129 |
| 2020 | $3,596,192 | $10,510,579 | $11,335,609 | $2,911,313 | 12 | — | $143 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to improve the pre-K–12 learning process by promoting effective educational models, identifying evidence for effective learning practices, and developing educational software, technology, and materials.
Its work includes Edutopia, which shares effective educational practices through interactive media and an online community; Lucas Learning, which is developing research-based digital simulations using project-based learning; and the Lucas Education Research archive, which curates research studies and related curriculum links. The foundation describes its broader vision as one in which rigorous project-based learning and social-emotional learning are the norm.
Grantmaking
The foundation reports grants to outside organizations in 2022 and 2023, despite its stated emphasis on direct initiatives. It reported 8 grants totaling $1,003,547 in 2023, an average of about $125,443 per grant. In 2022, it reported 12 grants totaling $2,057,819, an average of about $171,485 per grant. Its 2024 filing reported no grants.
Examples of 2023 recipients include The Concord Consortium Incorporated ($150,000), Northwestern University ($50,000), the University of California Berkeley Foundation ($50,000), and New York University ($50,000). The Concord Consortium describes its mission as advancing equitable, large-scale improvements in STEM teaching and learning through technology. Northwestern describes its mission as teaching, research, and the personal and intellectual growth of students. The University of California Berkeley Foundation describes its mission as advancing the university’s interests and welfare, including broader educational opportunities. NYU describes its primary missions as education, research and scholarship, and patient care.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists George W. Lucas Jr. as chairman; Stephen D. Arnold as vice-chair and CFO; and Cynthia Johanson Irish as secretary and executive director. Directors listed on that filing are Marshall Turner, Andrea Wishom, Robert Bradley, Kim Meredith, Kate Nyegaard (until September 30, 2024), and Mellody Hobson. The foundation’s website identifies Cindy Johanson as executive director.
The George Lucas Educational Foundation is led by Cynthia Johanson Irish, Secretary & Executive Director since 2023 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 9 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Cynthia Johanson Irish
Secretary & Executive Director
Edutopia Executive Director → Secretary & Edutopia Executive Director, 2022
Secretary & Edutopia Executive Director → Secretary & Executive Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
50 hrs/week
$342K (2020) → $376K (2024)
George W. Lucas Jr.
Chairman
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrea Wishom
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kate Nyegaard
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kim Meredith
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marshall Turner
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mellody Hobson
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Bradley
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephen D. Arnold
Vice Chair & CFO
On filings since 2020
7 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Kristin De Vivo (2020–2023) — Ler Executive 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 $376K, to Cynthia Johanson Irish (Secretary/Exec. DIR.).
Frequently asked questions about The George Lucas Educational Foundation
How large is The George Lucas Educational Foundation?
The George Lucas Educational Foundation reported $4.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $6.5M.
What does The George Lucas Educational Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to improve the pre-K–12 learning process by promoting effective educational models, identifying evidence for effective learning practices, and developing educational software, technology, and materials. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The George Lucas Educational Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does The George Lucas Educational Foundation make grants?
Reported 2023 recipients included organizations in Concord, Massachusetts; Evanston, Illinois; Berkeley, California; and New York, New York.
What is The George Lucas Educational Foundation's EIN?
The George Lucas Educational Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 68-0065687. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The George Lucas Educational 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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