The Lulu Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Minneapolis, MN EIN: 82-3555198

The Lulu Foundation is a private foundation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Its 2025 grants supported organizations working in areas including reproductive health, gun safety, racial justice, affordable housing, education, workforce development, and responses to intimate partner violence.

The Lulu Foundation at a glance

In short: The Lulu Foundation gave $550K across 40 grants in 2025 (avg $14K), top state Minnesota. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$550,000
+13.4% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
40
+11.1% vs 2024
Average grant
$13,750
+2.1% vs 2024
Median grant
$10,000
Total assets
$18,409
-84.9% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
18% first-time grantees (7 of 40, 2025)
Primary geography
Minnesota (47% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

How to apply to The Lulu 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: PO Box 390144, Minneapolis, MN 55439
Phone: (612) 219-5126

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who The Lulu Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Planned Parenthood North Central States: $40KPlanned Parenthood NorthCentral States$40KAmerican Civil Liberties Union of MN: $30KAmerican Civil Liberties Unionof MN$30KEverytown for Gun Safety Support Fund: $30KEverytown for Gun SafetySupport Fund$30KSouthern Poverty Law Center: $30KSouthern Poverty Law Center$30KWomen in Need: $30KWomen in Need$30KAeon: $20KAeon$20KCenter for Victims of Torture: $20KCenter for Victims of Torture$20KFamily Tree Clinic: $20KFamily Tree Clinic$20KNonviolent Peaceforce: $20KNonviolent Peaceforce$20KPage Education Foundation: $20KPage Education Foundation$20K

The largest 2025 recipient was Planned Parenthood North Central States ($40K). Together the top 10 received $260K.

Grant Size Distribution

169 grants across all recorded years

169<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 169 grants of 169 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, Minnesota recipients received 47% of grant dollars, New York recipients 25%, Alabama recipients 7%, District of Columbia recipients 6%, and Louisiana recipients 5%.

Grant Distribution by State

15states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 40 itemized grants.

Cities

Saint PaulMinneapolisNew YorkWashingtonMontgomeryNew OrleansBrooklynSan FranciscoGermantownVeniceChicagoLos AngelesSanta MonicaAustinHoustonAlexandriaArlingtonBerkeleyBrooklyn ParkCambridge

Is The Lulu Foundation open to new grantees?

18%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 7 of 40 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $15K. How we count

Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.

  • 80% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 28% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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

$0$200K$400K$600K36 grants2020 27 grants2021 33 grants2022 33 grants2023 36 grants2024 40 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $307K (2021) to $568K (2020). In 2025 it made 40 grants totaling $550K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Planned Parenthood North Central States Saint Paul, MNGeneral Fund$40,000
American Civil Liberties Union of MN Minneapolis, MNGeneral Fund$30,000
Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund New York, NYGeneral Fund$30,000
Southern Poverty Law Center Montgomery, ALGeneral Fund$30,000
Women in Need New York, NYGeneral Fund$30,000
Aeon Minneapolis, MNGeneral Fund$20,000
Center for Victims of Torture Saint Paul, MNGeneral Fund$20,000
Family Tree Clinic Minneapolis, MNGeneral Fund$20,000
Nonviolent Peaceforce Saint Paul, MNGeneral Fund$20,000
Page Education Foundation Minneapolis, MNGeneral Fund$20,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$18,409$455,612$558,742$550,00040$550,000$352,764$6,361
2024$121,539$460,359$490,753$485,00036$485,000$342,108$2,339
2023$151,933$495,372$350,167$350,00033$350,121$405,040—
2022$6,728$-86,230$431,157$430,00033$431,121$3,303$18,841
2021$524,115$745,249$309,667$307,00027$309,648$1,299$21,173
2020$88,533$278,872$570,616$568,45736—$1,396$7,904

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lulu Foundation reported a distributable amount of $6K 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 grantees describe a range of missions: Planned Parenthood North Central States says it supports access to high-quality, affordable reproductive health care; Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund says it works to reduce gun violence through research, policy, public communication, and community and court initiatives; and the Southern Poverty Law Center says it works with communities to advance racial justice and human rights.

Other 2025 grantees describe work in unarmed civilian protection and peacebuilding (Nonviolent Peaceforce), post-secondary support for Minnesota students of color (Page Education Foundation), quality affordable housing (Aeon), workforce and self-sufficiency development (Summit Academy OIC), and systemic change in responses to intimate partner violence (Battered Women’s Justice Project).

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation made 40 grants totaling $550,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $40,000, with a median of $10,000. Its largest 2025 grant was $40,000 to Planned Parenthood North Central States. Other notable grants included $30,000 each to the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Women in Need; and $20,000 each to Aeon, Center for Victims of Torture, Family Tree Clinic, Nonviolent Peaceforce, Page Education Foundation, Summit Academy OIC, and Battered Women’s Justice Project. The listed grant purposes were “GENERAL FUND.”

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Richard A. Erickson as president and director, Tyler C. Erickson as vice president and secretary, and Lucas C. Erickson as vice president and treasurer.

The Lulu Foundation is led by Richard A. Erickson, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Richard A. Erickson

    President & Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Lucas C. Erickson

    Vice President & Treasurer

    Vice President & Treasurer A → Vice President & Treasurer, 2025

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Tyler C. Erickson

    Vice President & Secretary

    Vice President & Secretary A → Vice President & Secretary, 2025

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Lulu Foundation

How much does The Lulu Foundation give each year?

The Lulu Foundation gave $550K across 40 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $485K across 36 grants.

What is The Lulu Foundation's typical grant size?

The Lulu Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $13,750, across 40 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Lulu Foundation that year got $9K on average.

Where does The Lulu Foundation give grants?

The Lulu Foundation's top state is Minnesota, with 47% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (25%) and Alabama (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Saint Paul, MN (8 grants), New York, NY (8 grants), Minneapolis, MN (5 grants) and Washington, DC (4 grants).

Does The Lulu Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of The Lulu Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (40 of 40) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are The Lulu Foundation's largest grantees?

The Lulu Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Planned Parenthood North Central States ($40,000), American Civil Liberties Union of MN ($30,000) and Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is The Lulu Foundation?

The Lulu Foundation reported $18K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $550K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $6K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does The Lulu Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Lulu 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 Lulu Foundation's EIN?

The Lulu Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-3555198. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Does The Lulu 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.

Data update history

(7)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 3, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 22, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 16, 2026)
  7. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). The Lulu Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-lulu-foundation-morg_09268b2b957c407dbc100a5d258c287d

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_823555198_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{The Lulu Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-lulu-foundation-morg_09268b2b957c407dbc100a5d258c287d},
  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 Lulu 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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