The Li Lu Foundation
The Li Lu Foundation is a private foundation based in Seattle, Washington. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in education, community participation, international environmental causes, and other areas.
The Li Lu Foundation at a glance
In short: The Li Lu Foundation gave $3.9M across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $321K), mostly in New York. 8% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $3,854,998
- -28.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- -53.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $321,250
- +55.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $75,000
- Total assets
- $102,878,561
- +27.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (1 of 12, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (80% 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 The Li Lu Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1301 2Nd Avenue 2100, Seattle, WA 98101
Phone: (206) 707-0768
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Li Lu Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Asian American Foundation ($2.0M). Together the top 10 received $3.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
107 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 55 grants of 107 (51%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 80% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 8% to recipients in Washington, DC, 5% to recipients in Washington, and 4% to recipients in California. The remaining 3% was assigned to an unspecified state in the filing data.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Li Lu Foundation open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 1 of 12 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $349K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $100K repeat.
- 92% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−2%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 86% 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 (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 $1.9M (2022) to $5.4M (2023). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $3.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Asian American Foundation New York, NY | To support the asian American and pacific islander community in their pursuit of belonging and prosperity that is free from discrimination, slander, and violence. | $2,000,000 |
| Columbia University New York, NY | Contribution to support the develoment of the university's faculty and student body and support | $1,002,500 |
| Endowment of the US Institute of Peace Washington, DC | To support activities in furtherance of the united states institute of peace | $300,000 |
| University of California San Diego La Jolla, CA | To Support Education | $120,000 |
| The Paradise International Foundation | To Support International Environmental Causes | $103,098 |
| University of Washington Foundation Seattle, WA | To Support Education | $100,000 |
| Committee of 100 New York, NY | Contrubution to support participation of chinese americans in American society | $50,000 |
| Edward Charles Foundation Beverly Hills, CA | Contribution to support impacting lives and communities in worthwhile causes | $50,000 |
| Seattle University Seattle, WA | TO | $50,000 |
| NYU Stern Business School New York, NY | Support the Education Provided by Stern Business School | $33,400 |
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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 | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $102,878,561 | $18,025,765 | $4,317,971 | $3,854,998 | 12 | $3,854,998 | $2,615,525 | $4,480,509 |
| 2023 | $80,479,131 | $17,829,077 | $5,655,456 | $5,375,800 | 26 | $5,375,800 | $1,759,421 | $3,254,623 |
| 2022 | $69,265,193 | $18,297,721 | $2,017,753 | $1,920,000 | 20 | $1,920,000 | $199,968 | $2,929,427 |
| 2021 | $64,243,332 | $7,072,493 | $4,171,852 | $3,933,297 | 26 | $3,943,656 | $2,905,330 | $3,323,796 |
| 2020 | $61,342,691 | $30,656,359 | $4,325,689 | $3,353,500 | 23 | — | $681,096 | $1,870,126 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Li Lu Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.5M 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
The foundation’s own filing does not state a mission. Its 2024 grants include support for education, Asian American and Pacific Islander community belonging and prosperity, participation of Chinese Americans in American society, and international environmental causes.
The grantees describe their own work in varied terms. The Committee of 100 says it promotes Chinese Americans’ full participation in American society and constructive dialogue between the United States and Greater China. St Thomas School says it develops responsible global citizens through academic learning, leadership, and character development. Seattle University describes its work as educating the whole person and empowering leaders for a just and humane world.
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 12 grants totaling $3,854,998 in 2024, 26 grants totaling $5,375,800 in 2023, and 20 grants totaling $1,920,000 in 2022. In 2024, grants ranged from $15,000 to $2,000,000, with a median grant of $75,000.
The largest 2024 awards included $2,000,000 to The Asian American Foundation to support the Asian American and Pacific Islander community; $1,002,500 to Columbia University to support development of its faculty and student body; and $300,000 to the Endowment of the US Institute of Peace. Other awards included $120,000 to the University of California San Diego for education, $103,098 to The Paradise International Foundation for international environmental causes, and $100,000 to the University of Washington Foundation for education.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Li Lu as grantor.
The Li Lu Foundation's only listed officer is Li Lu, Grantor on every filing since 2020 (uncompensated).
Officers on the 2024 filing
Li Lu
Grantor
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 The Li Lu Foundation
How much does The Li Lu Foundation give each year?
The Li Lu Foundation gave $3.9M across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $5.4M across 26 grants.
What is The Li Lu Foundation's typical grant size?
The Li Lu Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $75,000, and its average grant was $321,250, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Li Lu Foundation that year got $15K on average.
Where does The Li Lu Foundation give grants?
The Li Lu Foundation gives mostly in New York: 80% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (5 grants) and Seattle, WA (2 grants).
Does The Li Lu Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on The Li Lu Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Li Lu Foundation's largest grantees?
The Li Lu Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Asian American Foundation ($2,000,000), Columbia University ($1,002,500) and Endowment of the US Institute of Peace ($300,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 86% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Li Lu Foundation?
The Li Lu Foundation reported $102.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.5M (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 The Li Lu Foundation fund?
The foundation’s own filing does not state a mission. Its 2024 grants include support for education, Asian American and Pacific Islander community belonging and prosperity, participation of Chinese Americans in American society, and international environmental causes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Li Lu Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Li Lu Foundation's EIN?
The Li Lu Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-5193233. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Li Lu 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Li Lu Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Li Lu Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-li-lu-foundation-morg_54687b5084cb49e79b24bd333718f8f6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_455193233_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Li Lu Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-li-lu-foundation-morg_54687b5084cb49e79b24bd333718f8f6},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 The Li Lu 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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