Lawrence Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Lawrence Foundation gives for climate change, environmental conservation, wildlife and human services.
IP TAKE: This small but accessible family foundation makes about $200,000 in grants a year. It runs two grantmaking cycles each year and accepts applications via the common grant application website, so grantseekers will want to keep an eye on the foundation’s site for upcoming CFPs.
More than half of the Lawrence Foundation’s grants support environmental initiatives. Secondary areas of interest include global development and education. While this funder’s environmental grants tend to support large, well-established organizations, many of its other grants support small community-led projects and programs. While environmental, climate change and wildlife grants tend to support large organizations, in its other areas of interest, the foundation has given to small grassroots operations.
This funder is approachable, but response times may lag given it’s small size.
PROFILE: Jeff Lawrence established the Lawrence Foundation in 2000 after Intel acquired his communications software company Trillium Digital Systems. This private family foundation is based in Santa Monica, California and supports organizations that work “to solve pressing environmental, educational, human services, and other issues.” More than half of Lawrence’s grants support conservation, clean energy and wildlife organizations, but the foundation also names human services and disaster and COVID-19 relief efforts as areas of priority. This funder does not set geographic restrictions to its grantmaking, but most grants support organizations that are headquartered in the U.S.
Grants for Environmental Conservation
Environmental conservation is the Lawrence Foundation’s largest area of giving. The foundation does not outline specific goals for its grantmaking in this area, but many grants have gone to large well-known conservation organizations that operate in the U.S. and abroad. Recent grantees include Conservation Patagonia, the Nature Conservancy, Galapagos Conservation and the Environmental Advocates of New York.
Grants for Climate Change and Clean Energy
Some of the Lawrence Foundation’s environmental grants have supported efforts to mitigate climate change and promote clean energy sources. One grantee in this area, Earth Economics, provides consultancy in the areas of emissions reduction and sustainable industry and buildings. The foundation has also given to Minnesota’s Rural Renewal Energy Alliance and Grid Alternatives, a California nonprofit that promotes the installation and adoption of solar power systems.
Grants for Animals and Wildlife
The Lawrence Foundation has demonstrated a strong interest in wildlife conservation, although it does not outline specific goals for its funding in this area. Past grantees include the World Wildlife Federation, the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, the Snow Leopard Trust and the Institute for Bird Population. The foundation has also supported the Human Society International, which works to protect domesticated animals and root out illegal trafficking of wild animals.
Grants for Global Development
The Lawrence Foundation’s development grants generally support global organizations that are headquartered in the U.S. The foundation does not name specific goals for its grantmaking in this area. Past grantees include Engineers without Borders, which helps underserved communities build infrastructure to meet basic needs, and World Vision, an Evangelical organization that runs aid, development and advocacy programs for communities in need around the world.
Grants for Education
The Lawrence Foundation does not name education as an area of grantmaking interest but has made several recent grants supporting educational programs. In higher education, Lawrence’s alma mater, the UCLA School of Engineering, has received support. The foundation has also given to New Beginning, a California organization that supports incarcerated veterans who enroll in educational programs. The foundation’s K-12 funding mainly supports out-of-school learning opportunities for underserved or special needs students. The foundation has also given to several organizations that provide books to children who lack access to quality reading materials. Past grantees include Camp Thorpe, which runs programs for disabled children in Vermont and Proyecto Pastoral, which runs educational and service-learning programs for children and youth in the Los Angeles Boyle Heights neighborhood.
Important Grant Details:
The Lawrence Foundation makes about $200,000 in grants each year. Most grants range from $5,000 to $10,000. For information about past grantees, see the foundation’s information and returns page.
This funder accepts applications from organizations working in its areas of interest through the Common Grant Application website. The foundation runs two annual grant cycles, with application deadlines on April 30 and October 31 of each year. General inquiries may be submitted to the foundation via its contact page.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
LINKS:
