The Liman Foundation
The Liman Foundation is a private foundation based in West Palm Beach, Florida. Its 2025 filing reports 28 grants totaling $232,050, including support for universities, legal-service organizations, and arts and cultural institutions.
The Liman Foundation at a glance
In short: The Liman Foundation gave $232K across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), top state New York. 7% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $232,050
- +77.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- +21.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $8,288
- +45.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,400,587
- -13.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (2 of 28, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (32% 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 Liman 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: 505 S Flagler Drive 900, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Phone: (561) 832-9292
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Liman Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Stanford University ($30K). Together the top 10 received $174K.
Grant Size Distribution
144 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 143 grants of 144 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, New York recipients received 32% of grant dollars, followed by Florida (20%), California (13%), Rhode Island (10%), and Connecticut (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Liman Foundation open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 28 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 54% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 40% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 334% 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 $131K (2024) to $758K (2019). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $232K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Stanford University Stanford, CA | Operating Support | $30,000 |
| Brown University Providence, RI | Operating Support | $24,000 |
| Legal Action Center New York, NY | Operating Support | $20,000 |
| Barnard College Summer Fellowships New York, NY | Operating Support | $18,000 |
| Yale Law School New Haven, CT | Operating Support | $18,000 |
| The Jewish Museum Miami Beach, FL | Operating Support | $15,000 |
| Legal Aid Society New York, NY | Operating Support | $15,000 |
| Princeton University Princeton, NJ | Operating Support | $12,000 |
| Spelman College Atlanta, GA | Operating Support | $12,000 |
| Society of the Four Arts Palm Beach, FL | Operating Support | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Liman 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 | $1,400,587 | $56,864 | $271,862 | $232,050 | 28 | $247,383 | $39,788 | $74,035 |
| 2024 | $1,615,585 | $538,712 | $163,318 | $131,000 | 23 | $146,508 | $510,050 | $53,685 |
| 2023 | $1,240,191 | $-169,103 | $236,847 | $200,250 | 24 | $216,057 | $32,643 | $66,417 |
| 2022 | $1,646,141 | $48,200 | $434,230 | $385,650 | 34 | $405,148 | $19,686 | $79,778 |
| 2021 | $2,032,171 | $67,954 | $696,035 | $639,600 | 35 | $658,063 | $37,046 | $109,502 |
| 2020 | $2,660,252 | $535,226 | $741,084 | $685,547 | 34 | — | $497,339 | $137,672 |
| 2019 | $2,866,110 | $253,530 | $839,230 | $758,244 | 47 | — | $189,994 | $181,034 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Liman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $74K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations in areas including education, legal services, and the arts and culture. For example, the School of the Arts Foundation says its mission is to enhance the art and academic programs at the Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts; the Legal Action Center is among the foundation’s largest 2025 grantees; and the National Academy of Design describes its mission as promoting the fine arts in America through exhibition and education.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 28 grants totaling $232,050. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $30,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest awards included $30,000 to Stanford University, $24,000 to Brown University, $20,000 to Legal Action Center, and $18,000 each to Barnard College Summer Fellowships and Yale Law School. These grants were listed for operating support.
Other 2025 recipients included the Jewish Museum ($15,000), Legal Aid Society ($15,000), Princeton University ($12,000), Spelman College ($12,000), and Society of the Four Arts ($10,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s 2025 filing lists Ellen Liman as president and treasurer, Douglas Liman as vice president, and Abagail Liman and Gillian Liman as trustees.
The Liman Foundation is led by Ellen Liman, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ellen Liman
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
15 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Abagail Liman
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gillian Liman
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Douglas Liman
Vice President
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Emily Liman (2019–2024) — Vice President
- Former: Lewis Liman (2019–2024) — Secretary
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 The Liman Foundation
How much does The Liman Foundation give each year?
The Liman Foundation gave $232K across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $131K across 23 grants.
What is The Liman Foundation's typical grant size?
The Liman Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $8,288, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Liman Foundation that year got $8K on average.
Where does The Liman Foundation give grants?
The Liman Foundation's top state is New York, with 32% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Florida (20%) and California (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (9 grants), Palm Beach, FL (3 grants), West Palm Beach, FL (3 grants) and Vineyard Haven, MA (2 grants).
Does The Liman Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Liman Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (28 of 28) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Liman Foundation's largest grantees?
The Liman Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Stanford University ($30,000), Brown University ($24,000) and Legal Action Center ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Liman Foundation?
The Liman Foundation reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $247K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $74K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Liman Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations in areas including education, legal services, and the arts and culture. For example, the School of the Arts Foundation says its mission is to enhance the art and academic programs at the Alexander W. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Liman Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 ↑
What is The Liman Foundation's EIN?
The Liman Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-4062758. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Liman 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 8, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 1, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 1, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 30, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Liman Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Liman Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-liman-foundation-morg_4380af2f23194e86b2fe9b0ae7dd8adc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_134062758_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Liman Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-liman-foundation-morg_4380af2f23194e86b2fe9b0ae7dd8adc},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Liman 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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