The Lilly Family Foundation
The Lilly Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Superior, Colorado. Its 2024 filing states that payments from the trust are for charitable, religious, educational, and scientific purposes, and that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
The Lilly Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Lilly Family Foundation gave $105K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $10K), mostly in Colorado. 36% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $105,100
- +28.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,555
- +28.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,155,103
- +0.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (4 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (81% 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 The Lilly Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 341 Antero Place, Superior, CO 80027-8677
Phone: (303) 444-2971
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Lilly Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Colorado Foundation ($50K). Together the top 10 received $104K.
Grant Size Distribution
60 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 59 grants of 60 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In filing year 2025, 81% of grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado, 18% to California, and 1% to Kansas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Lilly Family Foundation open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 11 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $7K repeat.
- 64% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 97% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 96% 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 (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $21K (2021) to $105K (2025). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $105K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Colorado Foundation Denver, CO | General Fund | $50,000 |
| Exceeding Expectations Cathedral City, CA | General Fund | $15,000 |
| Boulder Community Health Foundation Boulder, CO | General Fund | $8,000 |
| New Horizons House Littleton, CO | General Fund | $7,500 |
| Lotus Network Englewood, CO | General Fund | $6,500 |
| Immaculate Conception Church Denver, CO | General Fund | $5,000 |
| Local Theatre Company Boulder, CO | General Fund | $5,000 |
| Sister Carmen Community Center Food Bank Lafayette, CO | General Fund | $3,000 |
| Loving All Animals Coachella, CA | General Fund | $2,000 |
| St Anthony High School Long Beach, CA | General Fund | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Lilly Family 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 | $1,155,103 | $115,613 | $115,026 | $105,100 | 11 | $105,100 | $115,817 | $109,085 |
| 2024 | $1,154,516 | $200,172 | $90,809 | $81,600 | 11 | $81,600 | $191,315 | $93,475 |
| 2023 | $1,045,153 | $99,382 | $105,295 | $94,550 | 18 | $94,550 | $91,541 | $82,237 |
| 2022 | $1,051,066 | $165,064 | $61,897 | $53,250 | 13 | $53,250 | $156,417 | $91,160 |
| 2021 | $947,899 | $40,198 | $31,765 | $21,000 | 7 | — | $32,387 | $79,598 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lilly Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $109K 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 stated purpose is to make payments for charitable, religious, educational, and scientific purposes. Its 2025 grants included support for a university foundation, health care, services for human trafficking victims, animal welfare, and poverty-related work. These examples reflect the grantees’ stated missions: for instance, New Horizons House says it provides holistic care for human trafficking victims, while Loving All Animals says it works to stop the killing of adoptable animals. The grants listed in the filing were generally designated for “GENERAL FUND”; the grant to Unbound was for “GENERAL ACTIVITIES.”
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $105,100 through 11 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $1,100 to $50,000, with a median grant of $5,000. Its largest grants included $50,000 to the University of Colorado Foundation, $15,000 to Exceeding Expectations, $8,000 to Boulder Community Health Foundation, $7,500 to New Horizons House, and $6,500 to Lotus Network.
Other 2025 recipients included Immaculate Conception Church ($5,000), Local Theatre Company ($5,000), Sister Carmen Community Center Food Bank ($3,000), Loving All Animals ($2,000), St Anthony High School ($2,000), and Unbound ($1,100).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Paul F Lilly as director/president; Brenda J Lilly as director/vice president; and Katherine Lilly and Amanda Lilly as directors.
The Lilly Family Foundation is led by Paul F. Lilly, Director & President on every filing since 2021; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Paul F. Lilly
Director & President
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Amanda Lilly
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Brenda J. Lilly
Director & Vice President
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Katherine Lilly
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 The Lilly Family Foundation
How much does The Lilly Family Foundation give each year?
The Lilly Family Foundation gave $105K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $82K across 11 grants.
What is The Lilly Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Lilly Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $9,555, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Lilly Family Foundation that year got $14K on average.
Where does The Lilly Family Foundation give grants?
The Lilly Family Foundation gives mostly in Colorado: 81% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (18%). The most frequent recipient cities were Denver, CO (2 grants) and Boulder, CO (2 grants).
Does The Lilly Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Lilly Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (11 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Lilly Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Lilly Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include University of Colorado Foundation ($50,000), Exceeding Expectations ($15,000) and Boulder Community Health Foundation ($8,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 69% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Lilly Family Foundation?
The Lilly Family Foundation reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $105K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $109K (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 Lilly Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated purpose is to make payments for charitable, religious, educational, and scientific purposes. Its 2025 grants included support for a university foundation, health care, services for human trafficking victims, animal welfare, and poverty-related work. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Lilly Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and 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 Lilly Family Foundation's EIN?
The Lilly Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-1366379. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does The Lilly Family 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 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Lilly Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-lilly-family-foundation-morg_50a89342e4bb406c82aa541bcb0cb7a2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_841366379_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Lilly Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-lilly-family-foundation-morg_50a89342e4bb406c82aa541bcb0cb7a2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Lilly Family 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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