Enlight Foundation

OVERVIEW:  The Enlight Foundation’s grantmaking supports higher education, voter participation, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

IP TAKE: Even if a nonprofit’s mission aligns perfectly with the Enlight Foundation, it can be challenging to secure this inaccessible funder’s support: according to tax records, the foundation is not open to unsolicited grant requests and only supports pre-selected organizations. The foundation keeps a low public profile, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities. Grantseekers will need to network here to get on this funder’s radar.

PROFILE: Established in 2004, the Enlight Foundation was founded by Chinese electrical engineer Yongping Duan and journalist Xin Liu. Yongping was once on the foundation's record, but he is no longer working with Enlight or affiliated in any way. Recent 990s indicate Xin Liu as the sole trustee and president of Enlight Foundation. Enlight's charitable work focuses on higher education, voter participation, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Grants for Higher Education

Without a website, the foundation does not appear to maintain specific programs instead preferring to fund interests more broadly. However, the Enlight Foundation grantmaking to education includes a $3 million gift to the Presidio Graduate School. Enlight has steadily supported Stanford University, including establishing a fellowship program for Chinese students. The Enlight Foundation also recently provided World Savvy with a $1 million gift in support of the organization’s work preparing K-12 students in the U.S. as global citizens. Some of this expansion will take place in the San Francisco Bay Area. Enlight has also recently given at least $4.2 million to the Solutions Journalism Network for educational purposes, $1 million to Boston University in 2021, and $2 million to Syracuse University in 2022.

Grants for Democracy and Civic Engagement

Enlight heavily supported civic participation and voter engagement organizations in recent years and gave at least $9 million to The Voter Participation Center and $2 million to Everybody Votes.

Grants for the Bay Area

Enlight supports a variety of culture and human services groups throughout the Bay Area, including Chinese Historical Society of America, Palo Alto Art Center, Magical Bridge Foundation, Exploratorium, Creative Center of Los Altos, Safehouse for the Performing Arts, Fangcao Reading Circle, Lucile Packard Children’s Fund, Asian Art Museum Foundation of San Francisco, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Friends of Palo Alto Parks, which received a seven-figure gift in a recent year. 

The foundatipon has also supported local school districts and K-12 groups including Barron Park Elementary School PTA, Henry M Gunn High School Sports Booster Club, New Teacher Center, and Palo Alto Partners in Education.

Learn more about past grantees in the funder’s tax records.

Important Grant Details

Grants range from $2,500 to $7.2 million, and the average amount is $10,000. According to tax filings, this is not a funder that accepts unsolicited proposals or requests for funding.

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CONTACT:

Enlight Foundation

954 Roble Ridge Rd.

Palo Alto, CA 94306