Lumina Foundation for Education Inc
Accepts applications
Lumina Foundation for Education Inc is a private foundation in Indianapolis, Indiana. In tax year 2024 it gave $30.2 million in 357 grants; the typical grant was $12,500 and the largest $2.5 million. It accepts applications; its filing gives the instructions below.
From its IRS Form 990-PF for tax year 2024.
- Grants paid, 2024$30.2 million
- Number of grants357
- Typical grant$12,500
- Largest grant$2.5 million
- Assets$1.5 billion
- New grantees63%
Giving in 2024 was down from $54.8 million the year before.
63% of its 2024 grantees had not received a grant from it the year before, a sign it is open to new organizations.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants paid | Number of grants | Assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $54.8 million | 335 | $1.4 billion |
| 2024 | $30.2 million | 357 | $1.5 billion |
How to apply
| Contact | Program Office New Inquiry Lumina Foundation for Education PO, Box 1806, Indianapolis, IN 46206-1806 |
|---|---|
| What to submit | Lumina Foundation does not have a formal letter of inquiry (LOI) policy. However, we do review unsolicited requests. Unsolicited requests are reviewed by the grants management team for alignment with the Foundation's current strategic priorities. If the request aligns with current work, it is referred to a program officer for further review. Requests considered viable are invited to submit concept papers for further consideration by Lumina Executive Team members. Formal invitations for full proposal may be advanced following initial evaluation. |
| Deadlines | Unsolicited inquiries received by the end of september for the year |
| Restrictions | Lumina carefully reviews every grant inquiry that meets foundation guidelines. Following the initial review, we will inform applicants within two months of receipt whether the inquiry fits our current priorities and resources. Due to limited resources, we cannot request proposals from all inquiries that meet our criteria. If we decide to request a full proposal, a Program Officer will contact the applicant to request additional information and to provide instructions on applying for a grant. An invitation to submit a proposal does not guarantee funding. Lumina carefully considers all solicited proposals; occasionally, we invite external experts to review proposals as well. We are diligent in our efforts to respond promptly to proposals. Assuming potential grantees' timely responses to requests for information, the entire review and approval process typically takes approximately six months. |
Foundation website IRS filings on ProPublica
What Lumina Foundation for Education Inc funds
Where it gives
Its US grants went to recipients in 33 states, the most to District of Columbia. It also paid $355,000 in 2 grants to recipients outside the US.
| State | Grants | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 75 | $6.9 million |
| Indiana | 114 | $2.8 million |
| South Carolina | 2 | $2.5 million |
| California | 26 | $2.3 million |
| New York | 24 | $1.9 million |
| Illinois | 9 | $1.6 million |
| North Carolina | 8 | $1.4 million |
| Massachusetts | 8 | $1.0 million |
| Pennsylvania | 7 | $960,000 |
| Arizona | 4 | $915,000 |
Grants paid in 2024
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Blackbaud Giving Fund | To support Lumina's 2023-2024 Gift Programs through the Blackbaud Giving Fund. | $2.5 million |
| Georgetown University | To strengthen the alignment of postsecondary education and workforce via research and technical assistance. | $900,000 |
| Illinois Board of Higher Education | To implement direct admissions statewide in Illinois for community college transfer students and high school seniors, using the Common App | $750,000 |
| Northern Arizona University Foundation | To expand Northern Arizona University's universal admissions program to nine Arizona community college districts | $750,000 |
| Trustees of the California State University | To automate admissions to the CSU system through California's official K-12 college & career readiness platform | $750,000 |
| The Third Way Foundation Inc | To assess the true costs of developing and offering short-term workforce development programs at community colleges and evaluate the implications of these costs for school administrators. | $745,000 |
| Complete College America | to support the continued implementation of the Historically Black Community College Network | $740,000 |
| Competency-Based Education Network | To pilot competency-based math course redesign models to foster more equitable pathways to success at community colleges | $700,000 |
| John N Gardner Institute | To work with Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education institutions to create and implement five-year plans that transform the foundational postsecondary experience. | $670,000 |
| Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association Inc | To support public television news broadcast segments related to the nation's need for increased educational attainment after high school. | $650,000 |
| Washington Monthly Institute Inc | To support independent, policy-oriented journalism about issues vital to creating a better-educated country. | $650,000 |
| Research for Action | To conduct research and evaluation on Lumina's Great Admissions Redesign Challenge grantees. | $550,000 |
| Association of Community College Trustees | To support the Kids on Campus framework for co-locating Head Start programs on community college campuses | $450,000 |
| SUNY Impact Foundation Inc | To support the SUNY system in implementing the ASAP | ACE model with 10 institutions. | $425,000 |
| Public Radio Exchange | To support coverage of immigrants seeking education and training after high school. | $400,000 |
| Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System | To study the impact of integrating proactive financial aid notifications with direct admissions programs in at least two states, in partnership with Scholarship America | $350,000 |
| Rutgers The State University of New Jersey | To support sustainability efforts of the Non-degree Credentials Research Network (NCRN) | $350,000 |
| Louisiana Board of Regents | To support a faculty professional development program to equip faculty with equity-driven pedagogical tools to improve student learning and close equity gaps. | $330,000 |
| VIP Consortium Inc | To further the efforts of the Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Consortium of postsecondary institutions seeking to enhance student employability. | $330,000 |
| Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University | To support the SIU system to implement evidence-based interventions to improve academic progress, decrease DFW rates, and increase students' sense of belonging. | $300,000 |
| Community Services Society of New York | To provide capacity building support to the Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program. | $300,000 |
| Louisiana Board of Regents | To plan for automated admissions for Louisiana's universal transfer pathway students and high school seniors | $300,000 |
| Miami University | To implement a faculty professional development intervention to promote innovation and equity in redesigning programs, courses, and learning environments. | $300,000 |
| Regents of the University of California - Merced | To conduct an analysis of student family wealth and existing Pell awards towards the development of the framework of a supplemental, wealth-based Pell Grant | $300,000 |
| UnidosUS | To support research, policy analysis, and non-partisan advocacy in support of efforts to increase postsecondary attainment and quality for Latino students in postsecondary education. | $300,000 |
| Open Campus Media Inc | To support in-depth coverage of race and equity in higher education, and higher education coverage in Indiana. | $275,000 |
| Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development | To identify international best practices in how collaboration between higher ed institutions, cities, and regions can support sustainable development goals. | $265,000 |
| Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Inc | To support the Higher Ed Forward joint funder effort designed to advance student success, academic freedom, and democratic principles through designated pooled funding. | $250,000 |
| American Academy of Arts and Sciences | To support the Aspen Higher Education Forum with journalists' participation. | $250,000 |
| Education Strategy Group | To provide technical assistance to SHEEOs involved in cross-agency workforce collaboratives, and facilitate the launch for an 8 state collaborative on electric vehicles. | $250,000 |
| Leadership Conference Education Fund The | To convene a coalition of national civil rights partners around advancing racial equity and economic mobility in federal higher education policy | $250,000 |
| Schott Foundation for Public Education The | To provide operating support for the next iteration of the Executives' Alliance for Boys and Men of Color. | $250,000 |
| State Higher Education Executive Officers | To build capacity among SHEEOs to advance equitable policy agendas. | $250,000 |
| Texas Higher Education Foundation | To develop direct admissions pathways for Texas students using the state's official college & career readiness platform | $250,000 |
| Washington Student Achievement Council | To conduct research around the narrative surrounding higher education and its benefits and deliver new messaging to target audiences | $250,000 |
| Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law | To address challenges arising from US Supreme Court rulings prohibiting colleges and universities from considering race as one factor among many in college admissions | $230,000 |
| Memorial Community Development Corporation | To provide general operating support for Our Times, a Black community newspaper in Evansville, Indiana. | $210,000 |
| Civic News Company | To support higher education coverage in Colorado. | $200,000 |
| Excelencia in Education Inc | To inform institutional, state, and national policy with practices and strategies to address affordability and more intentionally serve Latino students | $200,000 |
| Foundation for California Community Colleges | To support the California Education Learning Lab to develop a novel statewide, intersegmental professional learning cooperative serving California's public higher education institutions. | $200,000 |
Officers and trustees
- Alisa Miller
- Allan Hubbard
- Austan Goolsbee
- Christine Pambianchi
- David Wilson
- Joseph Boateng
- Justin Christian
- Katherine Davis
- Matthew Breitfelder
- Matthew Goldberg
- Pardis Mahdavi
- Teresa Lubbers
- William Serrata
- Chauncy Lennon
- Courtney Brown
Questions people ask
Does Lumina Foundation for Education Inc accept grant applications?
Yes. Its latest IRS filing says it accepts applications, with this on deadlines: Unsolicited inquiries received by the end of september for the year.
How much does Lumina Foundation for Education Inc give?
$30.2 million in tax year 2024, across 357 grants, with a typical grant of $12,500.
Who runs Lumina Foundation for Education Inc?
Its 2024 filing lists Alisa Miller (Board Chair), Allan Hubbard (Board Member (Retired 4/10/2024)), Austan Goolsbee (Board Member) and Christine Pambianchi (Board Member) among 15 officers and trustees.
What does Lumina Foundation for Education Inc fund?
Based on its grants, mainly education, science and research and community development.