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Ls Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Ls Foundation

Its FY2020 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$665k
Granted FY2020
1
Grants FY2020
1
States reached
$665k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2020.

Education$1.7MHealth$129kScience & Tech$120kArts & Culture$92kInternational$15kRecreation & Sports$10kEnvironment$5kHousing & Shelter$5kOther$0
02FY2020 · 1 grant

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

$665,000
Median grant
1
States reached
$6.4M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
VARIOUS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS$665,000
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Dollar for dollar, its grants (FY17–20) land where the poverty rate runs at 10%, against an area that typically sits at 8%. 81% of its dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 8%HARVARD UNIVERSITY: $10k → 8%FOUNDATION FOR ACCEL VASCULAR RESEA: $8k → 7%PALO ALTO MEDICAL FOUNDATION: $25k → 8%UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY SCHOLARSHIP OFFICE: $17k → 10%FINE ARTS MUSEUMS OF SAN FRANCISCO: $10k → 10%MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM: $3k → 12%CA STATE UNIVERSITY SACRAMENTO: $50k → 12%UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS: $110k → 16%KALAMAZOO COLLEGE: $50k → 12%UNIV OF MICHIGAN LAW SCHOOL: $10k → 14%MERCY CORPS: $5k → 12%SAVE THE CHILDREN: $5k → 9%HARVARD UNIVERSITY: $10k → 8%PALO ALTO MEDICAL FOUNDATION: $25k → 8%SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF MODERN ART: $10k → 10%MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM: $3k → 12%UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS: $50k → 16%KALAMAZOO COLLEGE: $50k → 12%UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN LAW SCHOOL: $10k → 14%MERCY CORPS: $5k → 12%SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF MODERN ART: $5k → 8%SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY: $25k → 10%WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY: $25k → 12%BREAST CANCER CONNECTIONS: $5k → 8%SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY: $10k → 10%EAST PALO ALTO TENNIS TUTORING FOUN: $5k → 8%AMERICAN CONSERVATORY THEATER: $8k → 10%FOOTHILL COLLEGE: $1k → 8%AMERICAN CONSERVATORY THEATER: $8k → 10%EAST PALO ALTO TENNIS & TUTORING FOUNDATION: $5k → 8%HABITAT FOR HUMANITY: $5k → 10%CHILDREN'S HEALTH COUNCIL: $10k → 8%VARIOUS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: $665k → 10%LUCILE PACKARD CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL: $5k → 8%VARIOUS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: $500k → 10%LUCILE PACKARD CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL: $5k → 8%KQED: $1k → 10%STANFORD UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC DEPART: $10k → 8%KQED: $1k → 10%THEATERWORKS: $8k → 8%THEATERWORKS: $8k → 8%STANFORD UNIVERSITY CANTOR ARTS CEN: $5k → 8%SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY: $81k → 8%HOOVER INSTITUTION: $1k → 8%SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY: $76k → 8%HOOVER INSTITUTION: $1k → 8%COMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM: $50k → 8%COMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM: $50k → 8%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

92%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$1.9M · 17 repeat orgs$162k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +39% since the first grant, against +21% for those funded once.

17 repeat relationships: 1 still active in FY2020, 16 since wound down.

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

17
18

Total granted

$1.9M
$162k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+39%
+21%

Still filing today

59%
22%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2020, 100% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $0 went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’17’18’19’20
Arts & CultureHealthEducationInternationalAnimalsOther
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.

Backed again, and grew

  • PO
    PRESIDENT-BOARD OF TRUSTEES SANTA CLARA COLLEGE
    2× · 2017–2018 · $157k · revenue +39%
  • KC
    KALAMAZOO COLLEGE
    2× · 2017–2018 · $100k · revenue +41%
  • CH
    COMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM
    2× · 2017–2018 · $100k · revenue +93%

Funded once

  • CS
    CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY SACRAMENTO
    one grant, 2018 · $50k
  • WM
    WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
    one grant, 2017 · $25k
  • UO
    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY SCHOLARSHIP OFFICE
    one grant, 2018 · $17k
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
University of Southern California

The central mission of the university of southern california is the development of human beings and society as a whole through the cultivation and enrichment of the human mind and spirit. the principal means by which our mission is…

Education
2
Sutter Bay Hospitals

MISSION STATEMENT: MISSION: CARING FOR OUR PATIENTS FIRST AND OUR PEOPLE ALWAYS. VISION: TO BE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE, INTEGRATED AND CONNECTED HEALTH SYSTEM FOR GETTING AND STAYING WELL. VALUES: EXCELLENCE - We deliver high-quality,…

Health
3
Southern California University of Health Sciences

The mission of southern california university of health sciences (scu) is to educate students as competent, caring and successful practitioners of integrative healthcare. the university is committed to providing excellence in academics,…

Education
4
American Museum of Natural History

The museum's mission statement is: "to discover, interpret, and disseminate - through scientific research and education - knowledge about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe."

Arts & Culture
5
San Jose Museum of Art Association

Nurture empathy and connection by engaging communities with socially relevant contemporary art

Arts & Culture
6
Science Museum of Minnesota

The museum's mission statement is "turn on the science: inspire learning. inform policy. improve lives."

Arts & Culture
7
University of Miami

See Form 990, Part I, Line 1, Description of Organization Mission.

Education
8
Association for Computing Machinery Inc

We are an intl. scientific & educational org. dedicated to advancing art, science & technology.

Science & Tech
9
New York University

Nyu is a private university with approximately 60,000 matriculating students in 20 schools and institutes. nyu's primary missions are education, research and scholarship, and patient care.

Education
10
Lowell Observatory

The mission of lowell observatory is to pursue the study of astronomy, especially the study of our solar system and its evolution; to conduct pure research in astronomical phenomena; and to maintain quality public education and outreach…

Science & Tech
11
Oakland Museum of California

The museum's mission is to inspire all californians to create a more vibrant future for themselves and their communities. through collections, exhibitions, education programs, and public dialogue, we inspire people of all ages and…

Arts & Culture
12
Boston Architectural College

The bac is committed to provide excellence in design education grounded in practice and accessible to diverse communities.

—
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is President-Board of Trustees Santa Clara College; the most unlike its peers is Computer History Museum. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

16 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 16 of the 37 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

0
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
0
Early backer (in before they grew)
16/16
Grantees still filing
12/16
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

VARIOUS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: $1,165,000 · OtherVARIOUS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONSUNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA- DAVIS: $160,000 · OtherUNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA- DAVIS+19 more: $203,300 · Other+19 morePRESIDENT-BOARD OF TRUSTEES SANTA CLARA COLLEGE: $157,000 · EducationPRESIDENT-BOARD…KALAMAZOO COLLEGE: $100,000 · EducationKALAMAZOO COLLE…President and Fellows of Harvard College: $20,000 · EducationPresident and F…+1 more: $2,000 · EducationCOMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM: $100,000 · Arts & CultureCOMPUTER …SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY: $35,000 · Arts & CultureSAN FRANC…AMERICAN CONSERVATORY THEATRE FOUNDATION: $15,000 · Arts & CultureAMERICAN …SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF MODERN ART: $15,000 · Arts & CultureSAN FRANC…CORPORATION OF THE FINE ARTS MUSEUMS: $10,000 · Arts & CultureCORPORATI…+1 more: $2,000 · Arts & CultureSUTTER BAY MEDICAL FOUNDATION: $50,000 · HealthCHILDREN'S HEALTH COUNCIL INC: $10,000 · HealthBAY AREA CANCER CONNECTIONS: $5,000 · HealthMercy Corps: $10,000 · InternationalSave The Children Federation Inc: $5,000 · InternationalMONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM FOUNDATION: $5,000 · Animals
Other$1,528,300Education$279,000Arts & Culture$177,000Health$65,000International$15,000Animals$5,000

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetPRESIDENT-BOARD OF TRUSTEES SANTA CLARA COLLEGE: $157,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetKALAMAZOO COLLEGE: $100,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetCOMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM: $100,000 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetSUTTER BAY MEDICAL FOUNDATION: $50,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetSAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY: $35,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetPresident and Fellows of Harvard College: $20,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetAMERICAN CONSERVATORY THEATRE FOUNDATION: $15,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetSAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF MODERN ART: $15,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetCHILDREN'S HEALTH COUNCIL INC: $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetMercy Corps: $10,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetCORPORATION OF THE FINE ARTS MUSEUMS: $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM FOUNDATION: $5,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetSave The Children Federation Inc: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBAY AREA CANCER CONNECTIONS: $5,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetTHE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY: $2,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetKQED INC: $2,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

  • Who funds PRESIDENT-BOARD OF TRUSTEES SANTA CLARA COLLEGE ↗
  • Who funds KALAMAZOO COLLEGE ↗
  • Who funds COMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM ↗
  • Who funds SUTTER BAY MEDICAL FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY ↗
  • Who funds President and Fellows of Harvard College ↗
  • Who funds AMERICAN CONSERVATORY THEATRE FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF MODERN ART ↗
  • Who funds CHILDREN'S HEALTH COUNCIL INC ↗
  • Who funds Mercy Corps ↗
  • Who funds CORPORATION OF THE FINE ARTS MUSEUMS ↗
  • Who funds MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds Save The Children Federation Inc ↗
  • Who funds BAY AREA CANCER CONNECTIONS ↗
  • Who funds THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY ↗
  • Who funds KQED INC ↗

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization Ls Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Ls Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%19%38%56%75%share of the org’s income from government →median 30%
  • Mercy Corps: 47% of income from government
  • Save the Children Federation Inc: 30% of income from government
  • President and Fellows of Harvard College: 7% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
0get no government money at all
3report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
0rely on government for over half their income
⤢ axis zoomed · 0–75%
typical government reliance, FY20–25
How this is measured
Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.

On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 37 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

How this is measured
Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2020, released 2020. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Ls’ 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