OVERVIEW: The Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation supports nonprofits focused on arts and culture, film, education, and human services.
IP TAKE: This is the funding vehicle of George Lucas and Mellody Hobson. A key source of grants for film and education, the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation is profoundly private. Additionally, in recent years, it has prioritized bringing the Los Angeles-based Lucas Museum of Narrative Art to life through $1 billion spent on construction and endowments. This means that other funding interests have taken a backseat as a result; however, Hobson and Lucas are both Giving Pledge signatories, so expect their giving to ramp up significantly once the museum opens. Lucas is considered an education funding heavyweight that also makes education grants via the George Lucas Educational Foundation.
The good news is that the foundation accepts unsolicited letters of inquiry, so reach out to pitch your education or film preservation project. Grantseekers are advised to contact the foundation first prior to sending an application in order to better cultivate a relationship with grant officers here, as well as improve your application.
PROFILE: Established in 2005, the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation (formerly the George Lucas Family Foundation) is the private foundation of George Lucas and Mellody Hobson.
Born in Modesto, California, George Lucas is best known as the creator of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones film franchises, as well as founder of Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic, the Academy Award-winning motion picture visual effects company. He also co-founded the film production company, American Zoetrope, with Francis Ford Coppola. In 2012, Lucas sold Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Company for over $4 billion.
Mellody Hobson is president and co-CEO of Ariel Investments, a Chicago-based investment company. Previously she served as Chairman of the Board of Directors at DreamWorks Animation SKG and Starbucks, where she was “the first black chairwoman of an S&P 500 company.” A Princeton University graduate, Hobson has served on the boards of the Chicago Public Library, the Field Museum, and the Chicago Public Education Fund. The couple are Giving Pledge signatories and have pledged to give away at least half of their wealth to philanthropy.
The foundation’s focus areas include education, arts, and community growth.
Grants for K-12 and College Access
Education grants are broad and often invest in K-12 public education, as well as in youth organizations that support children in this age range. College-related grants tend to prioritize large universities with film schools or universities with established arts departments. As well, higher ed grants invest in organizations and funds that invest in collect access.
- Some of Hobson/Lucas’ largest grants go to the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a separate Lucas funding vehicle, which Lucas established in 1991 to transform “K-12 education so that all students can acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to thrive in their studies, careers, and adult lives.”
- Education grantees include $250,000 to the Chicago Public Education Fund, $250,000 to College Advising Corps, $100,000 and $25,000 to College Track, $250,000 to Teach For America, and $13 million to Princeton as payment 3/5.
- In higher ed, Lucas once gave $175 million to help expand the University of Southern California’s film school. Other historical grantees include Michigan State University, Stanford University, University of Colorado, University of Washington, Columbia University’s School of the Arts, American Indian College Fund, Jackie Robinson Foundation, and Princeton University, Hobson’s alma mater.
Grants for Film, Arts and Culture
This funder’s film grants tend to invest in film preservation, film organizations, museums, performing arts, visual arts, Black arts and culture institutions; and major cultural exhibitions. Grantees tend to be established organizations across the U.S.
- Hobson/Lucas has also invested heavily in the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which houses Lucas’s collection of movie memorabilia, illustrations, pop art, and props, worth approximately $1 billion. It opens in 2026. The museum is a cultural institution, not a grantmaking program. It will hold more than 40,000 works and 35 galleries across 100,000 square feet, focused on narrative art, illustration, comics, children’s book illustration, science fiction illustration and cinematic artifacts.
- Recent 2024 grantees include $1 million to Apollo Theater Foundation, $500,000 to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for “Black Dandy: Elements of Style,” $50,000 to Norman Rockwell Museum for a Mad Magazine exhibition, and grants to LACMA, Studio Museum in Harlem and the Paley Center.
Grants for Community Development and Human Services
The foundation gives millions each year to a wide mix of human services and community organizations. Its funding reaches childhood development and mentoring, medical research and outreach, gun violence prevention, cultural awareness, faith-based resource centers, refugee aid, inner-city youth programs, environmental and wildlife work, museums, public media and more.
Recent giving patterns also point to strong interest in youth development, civil rights and legal advocacy, food security, health and mental health, homelessness and basic needs, disability services, women’s organizations and local community nonprofits.
- The couple prioritizes Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
- Grantees include the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Children’s Defense Fund, Harlem Children’s Zone, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, Southern Poverty Law Center, San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, St. Anthony’s, North Beach Citizens, NAMI Marin, and Homeward Bound of Marin.
Grants for Disaster Relief
Hobson/Lucas does not typically support organizations that respond to natural disasters; however, as IP has reported, the foundation contributed to the J. Paul Getty Trust led L.A. Arts Community Fire Relief Fund, an emergency fund for arts workers impacted by the L.A.-area fires.
- In 2024, the foundation made American Red Cross grants for Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton relief and a Thame disaster relief grant through the American Himalayan Foundation.
Important Grant Details:
In the most recent year, this funder gave $57 million, 336 grants, with a $5,000 median grant, and a range of $500 to $13 million.
- Recent records show large or notable grants to Schwab Charitable Fund in 2021 and 2022, National Philanthropic Trust in 2020, Tides Foundation in 2020, Tides Center in 2020, Fractured Atlas in 2021, Amalgamated Charitable Foundation in 2023, CAF America in 2022, and Chapel & York U.S. Foundation in 2024.
- According to recent tax records, this funder accepts unsolicited letters of inquiry via post (see below) or email at publicity@skywalkerranch.com.
- Contact: Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation; PO Box 2009; San Rafael, CA 94912; (415) 746-5059
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