Colorado · Public charity
Lena Foundation
LENA FOUNDATION's mission is to transform children's futures through early talk technology and data-driven programs.
- $499k
- Granted FY2023
- 15
- Itemized grants FY2023
- 15
- Organizations funded FY2023
- 67%
- First-time grantees FY2023
- Itemized, FY2023
- $481k
- The rest is grants the schedule does not break out
- Median grant, FY2023
- $20,000
- Largest grant, FY2023
- $149,946
- Organizations funded a year
- 5 to 28
- FY2017 to FY2023
- States reached, FY2023
- 6
- Total assets, FY2023
- $9.9M
How open it is to new grantees
In FY2023, 67% of the organizations Lena Foundation funded were first-time grantees, receiving 53% of its grant dollars.
New vs renewed · share of each year
In FY2023, 47% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $257k went to new ones.
RenewedFirst-time
Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant
EducationHuman ServicesPhilanthropyHealthYouth DevelopmentSocial ScienceOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.
The numbers by year
| Fiscal year | Organizations funded | To those organizations | First-time grantees |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2023 | 15 | $481k | 67% |
| FY2022 | 18 | $314k | 83% |
| FY2021 | 23 | $681k | 65% |
| FY2020 | 28 | $893k | 82% |
| FY2019 | 22 | $1.0M | 91% |
| FY2018 | 5 | $126k | 100% |
| FY2017 | 9 | $441k | n/a |
100% classified
What it funded, over time
Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2023.
Education$1.8MHuman Services$654kFood & Nutrition$553kYouth Development$310kCommunity Improvement$227kPublic Benefit$100kHealth$100kSocial Science$80kOther$0
Where its grants go
Grant dollars by states, across the years we hold.
Which US states its grants reach
AK
ID
IL
WI
MI
NY
MA
IA
OH
PA
NJ
CT
CA
CO
NE
MO
KY
VA
MD
DE
AZ
NM
AR
TN
NC
SC
DC
HI
LA
MS
AL
GA
TX
FL
Top grantees
Largest recipients by total granted, FY2017 to FY2023, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.
| Grantee | Total granted | Years | Share of their budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Magic | $420,716 | 3 | 32% |
| City of Hartford | $259,939 | 3 | n/a |
| Virginia Beach City Public Schools | $257,315 | 3 | n/a |
| Brilliant Detroit | $226,967 | 3 | 2% |
| National Center for Families Learning Inc | $191,109 | 3 | 2% |
| Arapahoe County Early Childhood Council Inc | $147,312 | 2 | 6% |
| Institute for Child Success Inc | $80,000 | 1 | 4% |
| University of Wisconsin | $77,750 | 3 | n/a |
| Maryland Family Network Inc | $65,703 | 2 | 0% |
| Birmingham Talks | $61,992 | 1 | n/a |
Show all 96 grantees
| Grantee | Total granted | Years | Share of their budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Magic | $420,716 | 3 | 32% |
| City of Hartford | $259,939 | 3 | n/a |
| Virginia Beach City Public Schools | $257,315 | 3 | n/a |
| Brilliant Detroit | $226,967 | 3 | 2% |
| National Center for Families Learning Inc | $191,109 | 3 | 2% |
| Arapahoe County Early Childhood Council Inc | $147,312 | 2 | 6% |
| Institute for Child Success Inc | $80,000 | 1 | 4% |
| University of Wisconsin | $77,750 | 3 | n/a |
| Maryland Family Network Inc | $65,703 | 2 | 0% |
| Birmingham Talks | $61,992 | 1 | n/a |
| Guilford County Partnership for Children Inc | $59,350 | 1 | n/a |
| Studer Community Institute Inc | $59,350 | 1 | 8% |
| Centers for Family Development Inc | $59,350 | 1 | 0% |
| Appletree Institute for Education Innovation | $54,612 | 1 | 0% |
| Springfield Public Library | $52,500 | 1 | n/a |
| The University of Memphis | $51,425 | 1 | n/a |
| Turn the Page Kc Inc | $50,000 | 1 | 21% |
| Seeding Success | $50,000 | 1 | 4% |
| Denver Public Library Friends Foundation | $49,850 | 1 | 2% |
| Grand Street Settlement Inc | $49,088 | 3 | 0% |
| Mequite ISD | $46,395 | 2 | n/a |
| Cherokee County School District | $45,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Women's Housing & Economic Development Corporation | $44,600 | 2 | 0% |
| Catholic Charities & Community Serv of the Archdiocese of Denver | $43,539 | 3 | 0% |
| County of Riverside Community Health Agency | $42,500 | 2 | n/a |
| The Centers for Families and Children | $41,400 | 2 | 0% |
| Virginia Beach Growsmart Foundation | $40,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Phoenix Public Library Foundation | $40,000 | 2 | 24% |
| Fort Worth Isd | $38,641 | 2 | n/a |
| Collaborative Support Services Inc | $38,000 | 1 | 5% |
| Evanstonskokie Community Consolidated School District 65 | $36,400 | 1 | n/a |
| Pikes Peak Library District Foundation Inc | $35,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Literacy Volunteers of Central Connecticut Inc | $35,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Friends of the Spartanburg County Public Libraries | $33,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Adelphi University | $33,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Sparked | $33,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Acelero | $32,768 | 1 | n/a |
| Municipality of Anchorage | $31,900 | 1 | n/a |
| Read-Aloud Delaware Inc | $31,900 | 1 | 7% |
| Team Up | $31,400 | 1 | 2% |
| Episcopal Children's Services Inc | $30,000 | 3 | 0% |
| District of Columbia Head Start Association | $28,511 | 1 | 42% |
| Easter Seals Serving DC MD VA Inc | $28,206 | 1 | 0% |
| South Side Learning & Development Center | $27,500 | 1 | 1% |
| For Oak Cliff | $26,900 | 1 | n/a |
| Salus University | $26,400 | 1 | 0% |
| El Dorado County Aqmd | $25,634 | 1 | n/a |
| New Legacy Charter School | $25,100 | 1 | 1% |
| University of Pacific | $25,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Louisiana Department of Education | $25,000 | 1 | n/a |
| West Central Health District | $25,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Best Memories Academy | $23,450 | 1 | n/a |
| Northern Illinois University | $23,000 | 1 | n/a |
| County of Jefferson State of Colorado | $22,628 | 1 | n/a |
| Little Einsteins Academy | $22,246 | 1 | n/a |
| City of San Jose | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Washington County Opportunities Inc | $20,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Early Childhood Partnership of Adams Cou | $20,000 | 1 | 1% |
| Next Door Foundation Inc | $20,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Family Services Inc | $20,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Bay County Library System | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Early Works Museum | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Gunnison County Department of Healt | $19,439 | 1 | n/a |
| Garrett County Maryland Community Action Committee | $18,562 | 1 | 0% |
| Community College of Aurora | $18,454 | 1 | n/a |
| Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce | $15,000 | 1 | 2% |
| Denver Early Childhood Council | $13,241 | 1 | 0% |
| Raising Readers in Story County | $12,350 | 1 | 4% |
| El Nido Family Centers | $12,350 | 1 | 0% |
| Early Childhood Partners Inc | $11,003 | 1 | 1% |
| Childcaring Inc | $10,000 | 1 | 1% |
| School Readiness Coalition of Sarasota County Inc | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Children and Families First | $10,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Pierre Part Elementary | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Parents and Children Together | $10,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Young Mens Christian Association of Central Ohio | $10,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Preschool Promise Inc | $10,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Spartanburg County First Steps to School Readiness Partnership | $10,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children | $10,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Polk County School Readiness Coalition Inc | $10,000 | 1 | 0% |
| San Joaquin County Office of Education | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Richland County First Steps to School Readiness Partnership | $10,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Hopes Community Action Partnership | $10,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Mile High United Way Inc | $10,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Jubilee Jumpstart | $9,149 | 1 | 0% |
| City of Chattanooga | $8,790 | 1 | n/a |
| Smart Start of New Hanover County | $8,414 | 1 | 1% |
| Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative | $8,400 | 1 | 0% |
| Early Learning Coalition of Pasco and Hernando Counties Inc | $8,398 | 1 | 0% |
| North Central Texas Council of Governments | $7,500 | 1 | n/a |
| University of Connecticut | $7,500 | 1 | n/a |
| North Central Texas Council of Governments Foundation Inc | $7,500 | 1 | n/a |
| Childcaregroup | $7,500 | 1 | 0% |
| Early Childhood Council for Yuma Washington & Kit Carson Counties | $7,406 | 1 | 2% |
| New Deal Design LLC | $6,079 | 1 | n/a |
| Sequatchie Valley Planning & Development Agency Dba Dayton Early Head Sta | $6,000 | 1 | n/a |
Plus 1 recipient with no EIN on record ($6k), not named here.
Where it is load-bearing
Lena Foundation supplied at least a quarter of the budget for 2 of its grantees at some point. The chart plots its 54 largest grantees; load-bearing ones sit top left.
Tap a dot to name the grantee.
How this is measured
Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 54.
Co-funders
Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.
Temple Hoyne Buell FoundationCO24.2× affinity10 shared granteesties to 10 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →
Open a dossier: Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation · Early Milestones Colorado · The Colorado Health Foundation · Caring for Colorado Foundation · Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund Inc · Colorado Gives Foundation · Mile High United Way Inc · Results for America · WK Kellogg Foundation · Rose Community Foundation · National Council on Aging Inc · Gary Philanthropy
How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.
About Lena Foundation
- How much does Lena Foundation give?
- Lena Foundation reported 15 itemized grants totaling $481,455, out of $499,047 in total grant expense reported on the return in its FY2023 IRS filing. It funded between 5 and 28 organizations a year over FY2017 to FY2023.
- What does Lena Foundation fund?
- By grant dollars over FY2017 to FY2023, its largest causes are Education (45%), Human Services (16%), Food & Nutrition (14%).
- Who are Lena Foundation's largest grantees?
- By total granted over FY2017 to FY2023: Small Magic ($421k), City of Hartford ($260k), Virginia Beach City Public Schools ($257k).
- Does Lena Foundation fund new organizations?
- In FY2023, 67% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
- Which funders back the same organizations as Lena Foundation?
- Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation, Early Milestones Colorado, The Colorado Health Foundation.
- Where is Lena Foundation based?
- Lena Foundation is based in CO.
Play a game based on Lena’s filings →
More from the funding graph
The unnamed billions
grants reported with no recipient in the public record
The regranting layer
51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
The DAF merry-go-round
$9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
The endowment market
who holds foundation money, and what just moved
The camps
funders cluster by geography, not ideology
By state
where grant money is based, and what stays home