The Ludwick Family Foundation
The Ludwick Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Palo Alto, California. It made 10 grants totaling $420,000 in filing year 2024.
Key facts about The Ludwick Family Foundation
In short: The Ludwick Family Foundation gave $420K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $42K), mostly in California. 10% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 77-0472486
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $420,000
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- Average grant
- $42,000
- Median grant
- $17,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (1 of 10, 2024)
- Total assets
- $9,493,678
- Primary geography
- California (88% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- 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. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$9.5M
+7.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$420K
-17.9% YoY
Grant Count
10
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$42K
-17.9% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ludwick Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $450K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Ludwick Family Foundation open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 1 of 10 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $46K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 90% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−8%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 94% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement is provided. The 2024 grants went to organizations including an aquarium, a university, a research institution, a hospital, museums, and children’s organizations. Rochester Institute of Technology, which received $25,000, describes its mission as shaping the future and improving the world through creativity and innovation, using technology, the arts, and design for the greater good. That is RIT’s mission, not a stated mission of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $420,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $125,000, with a median of $17,500. Notable grants included $125,000 to Monterey Bay Aquarium, $100,000 each to the 49-er Foundation and Hoover Institution, and $25,000 each to Rochester Institute of Technology and WM Keck Observatory.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 6% to New York, and 6% to Hawaii.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $420K (2024) to $517K (2022). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $420K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Monterey Bay Aquarium ($125K). Together the top 10 received $420K.
Grant Size Distribution
57 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 39 grants of 57 (68%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Monterey Bay Aquarium Monterey, CA | GRANT | $125,000 |
| 49-Er Foundation Santa Clara, CA | GRANT | $100,000 |
| Hoover Institution Stanford, CA | GRANT | $100,000 |
| Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY | GRANT | $25,000 |
| Wm Keck Observatory Waimea, HI | GRANT | $25,000 |
| Lucille Packard Children's Hospital Palo Alto, CA | GRANT | $10,000 |
| San Jose Museum of Art San Jose, CA | GRANT | $10,000 |
| The Tech Museum of Innovation San Jose, CA | GRANT | $10,000 |
| Weingarten Children's Center Redwood City, CA | GRANT | $10,000 |
| A Foundation Building Strength Palo Alto, CA | GRANT | $5,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant total | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $9,493,678 | $618,163 | $475,534 | $420,000 | 10 |
| 2023 | $8,854,727 | $268,029 | $552,621 | $511,333 | 10 |
| 2022 | $8,064,324 | $209,085 | $558,674 | $517,000 | 10 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $9,493,678 | $8,854,727 | $8,064,324 |
| Revenue | $618,163 | $268,029 | $209,085 |
| Expenses | $475,534 | $552,621 | $558,674 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $423,060 | $514,629 | $519,900 |
| Net Investment Income | $565,689 | $230,037 | $170,311 |
| Distributable Amount | $450,095 | $413,887 | $428,864 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Worth Z Ludwick as president and CEO, Andrew Ludwick as CFO, Theodore Ludwick as secretary, and Jocelyn Ludwick and Christopher Ludwick as directors.
The Ludwick Family Foundation is led by Worth Z. Ludwick, President & CEO since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Worth Z. Ludwick
President & CEO
President & CEO → President, 2021
President → President & CEO, 2024
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Christopher Ludwick
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jocelyn Ludwick
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Andrew Ludwick
CFO
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Theodore Ludwick
Secretary
On filings since 2020
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 491 Santa Rita Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Phone: (650) 326-5818
Frequently asked questions about The Ludwick Family Foundation
How much does The Ludwick Family Foundation give each year?
The Ludwick Family Foundation gave $420K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $511K across 10 grants.
What is The Ludwick Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Ludwick Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $17,500, and its average grant was $42,000, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Ludwick Family Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Ludwick Family Foundation give grants?
The Ludwick Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (6%) and Hawaii (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Jose, CA (2 grants) and Palo Alto, CA (2 grants).
Does The Ludwick Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on The Ludwick Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Grant" (10 grants).
Who are The Ludwick Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Ludwick Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Monterey Bay Aquarium ($125,000), 49-Er Foundation ($100,000) and Hoover Institution ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 77% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Ludwick Family Foundation?
The Ludwick Family Foundation reported $9.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $423K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $450K (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 Ludwick Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2024 grants went to organizations including an aquarium, a university, a research institution, a hospital, museums, and children’s organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ludwick Family 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 Ludwick Family Foundation's EIN?
The Ludwick Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 77-0472486. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Ludwick Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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