The Lu Foundation
The Lu Foundation is a private foundation based in Denver, Colorado. Its 2024 filing reports 12 charitable grants totaling $218,000 to organizations in several states.
The Lu Foundation at a glance
In short: The Lu Foundation gave $218K across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $18K), top state Colorado. 0% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $218,000
- +6.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $18,167
- +6.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,500
- Total assets
- $4,012,388
- +3.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 12, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (42% 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 Lu 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: 820 S Monaco Pkwy Unit 340, Denver, CO 80224
Phone: (303) 898-0287
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Lu Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Project Angel Heart ($50K). Together the top 10 received $208K.
Grant Size Distribution
55 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 50 grants of 55 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado (42%), New York (31%), California (14%), Wisconsin (4%), and Florida (4%). The listed grants also included recipients in Washington, DC, and Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Lu Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 0 of 12 grantees (0%) 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. How we count
- 100% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 34% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 89% 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 $154K (2020) to $218K (2024). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $218K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Project Angel Heart Denver, CO | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | Charitable | $40,000 |
| Pro Publica New York, NY | Charitable | $27,500 |
| ActivateWork Denver Denver, CO | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Foundation for National Progress San Francisco, CA | Charitable | $20,000 |
| Chinese Hospital San Francisco San Francisco, CA | Charitable | $11,000 |
| SafeHouse Denver Inc Denver, CO | Charitable | $10,000 |
| State Innovation Exchange Madison, WI | Charitable | $8,500 |
| Adopt a Family of Palm Beach Lake Worth Beach, FL | Charitable | $8,500 |
| Urban Peak Denver, CO | Charitable | $7,500 |
Ready to take the next step with The Lu 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $4,012,388 | $370,975 | $254,384 | $218,000 | 12 | $218,000 | $295,088 | $245,512 |
| 2023 | $3,895,797 | $285,926 | $233,604 | $204,000 | 12 | $204,000 | $222,752 | $217,623 |
| 2022 | $3,841,348 | $742,744 | $212,986 | $190,000 | 11 | $190,000 | $562,681 | $203,757 |
| 2021 | $3,017,168 | $337,452 | $181,429 | $162,500 | 10 | $162,500 | $204,699 | $190,062 |
| 2020 | $2,861,145 | $196,533 | $179,642 | $153,500 | 10 | — | $68,753 | $166,160 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lu Foundation reported a distributable amount of $246K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grantees include organizations with varied missions. Project Angel Heart says it improves health and well-being for people with life-threatening illnesses through medically tailored meals. ProPublica describes itself as an independent nonprofit newsroom producing investigative journalism in the public interest. SafeHouse Denver says it supports adults, children, and youth affected by domestic violence through services including shelter, counseling, and advocacy.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 12 grants totaling $218,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $50,000, with a median of $10,500. The largest awards included $50,000 to Project Angel Heart, $40,000 to Doctors Without Borders, $27,500 to ProPublica, $25,000 to ActivateWork Denver, and $20,000 to Foundation for National Progress.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists C Mike Lu as president, C Maria Lu as secretary, and Y Jeff Lu and Connie Lu as directors.
The Lu Foundation is led by C. Maria Lu, President & Secretary on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
C. Maria Lu
President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Connie Lu
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Y. Jeff Lu
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 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 Lu Foundation
How much does The Lu Foundation give each year?
The Lu Foundation gave $218K across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $204K across 12 grants.
What is The Lu Foundation's typical grant size?
The Lu Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,500, and its average grant was $18,167, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Lu Foundation give grants?
The Lu Foundation's top state is Colorado, with 42% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (31%) and California (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Denver, CO (4 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and San Francisco, CA (2 grants).
Does The Lu Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on The Lu Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (12 grants).
Who are The Lu Foundation's largest grantees?
The Lu Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Project Angel Heart ($50,000), Doctors Without Borders ($40,000) and Pro Publica ($27,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Lu Foundation?
The Lu Foundation reported $4.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $218K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $246K (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 Lu Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grantees include organizations with varied missions. Project Angel Heart says it improves health and well-being for people with life-threatening illnesses through medically tailored meals. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Lu 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 The Lu Foundation's EIN?
The Lu Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-4664674. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Lu Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-lu-foundation-morg_1ade24da2001473784ea2f7b227cf593
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_204664674_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Lu Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-lu-foundation-morg_1ade24da2001473784ea2f7b227cf593},
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 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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