Lazar Foundation
/OVERVIEW: This Portland, Oregon-based environmental funder has given to both large conservation projects and community-led conservation and sustainable agriculture initiatives. Its stated geographic priority is the Pacific Northwest, and more than half of its grants remain in the state of Oregon, but some organizations on the East Coast have also received grants.
IP TAKE: An accessible and approachable funder, the Lazar Foundation accepts one-page letters of inquiry via email at any time. If selected, applicants will be invited to submit full applications and detailed proposals. Grantees are required to submit narrative and financial reports at the conclusion projects.
PROFILE: The Lazar Foundation was established in 1956 by Jack and Helen Lazar. The couple founded Kimberly Knitwear, Inc., the fashion brand that popularized knit dresses in the 1960s and 70s. The Lazars died in the 1990s, and their foundation is now led by their son, Bill Lazar, and their daughter and son-in-law, Jean and Michael Morency. Based in Portland, Oregon, this funder supports “innovative and strategic projects that protect the environment in the Pacific Northwest,” although some funding has funded projects in other areas of the U.S. Grantmaking supports land, water and wildlife conservation and awareness programs, as well as sustainable agriculture initiatives.
Grants for Environmental Conservation
Land conservation appears to be the foundation’s largest area of giving. Most grants in this area fund large conservation programs, public awareness campaigns and policy development initiatives. Conservation grantmaking prioritizes projects and organizations in the Western U.S. One past grantee, the Western Environmental Law Center, received funding for its forest preservation program, and the Pew Charitable Trusts received support for the development of policy supporting the protection of 2.5 million acres of forest in Oregon. Other past conservation grantees include the Alaska Conservation Foundation, Virginia’s Blue Ridge Wildlife Center, the Idaho Conservation League and the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center in Ashland, Oregon.
Grants for Marine and Freshwater Conservation
The Lazar Foundation names aquatic ecosystems as a main area of interest for their conservation funding. Recent grantmaking in this area prioritizes organizations in Oregon. One past grantee, WaterWatch of Oregon, works to protect natural rivers and streams throughout the state. Another grantee, the Lower Nehalem Community Trust, used funding to support its Marine Reserve Project and related educational programs. Other water conservation grantees include the Oregon Oceans Fund, the Surfrider Foundation and Coast Range Association of Corvallis, Oregon.
Grants for Animals and Wildlife
Lazar names the preservation of biological diversity as one of its main areas of grantmaking interest and has funded several organizations and projects that aim to protect endangered species and habitats. Recent grants have gone to the Wild Salmon Center of Portland, Oregon; the San Francisco’s Consultative Group on Biological Diversity; the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center of Boyce, Virginia; and the Portland Audubon Society.
Grants for Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable agriculture is an emerging interest for the Lazar Foundation. While the foundation hasn’t defined its strategies in this space, it appears to fund a broad range of outfits. According to recent tax filings, the foundation has supported the Rogue Farm Corps and the Agricultural Committee of 1000 Friends of Oregon, a conservation and sustainable development group.
Important Grant Details:
The Lazar Foundation makes between $700,000 and $800,000 a year in grants ranging from $2,000 to $60,000. The foundation’s average grant size is about $15,000. This funder gives to a broad range of grantees including large conservation trusts and small, local efforts to protect lands, waters and wildlife. More than half of all grants remain in the state of Oregon. For additional information about past grantmaking, see the foundation’s past grants page or its recent tax filings.
This funder accepts one-page letters of inquiry via email on an ongoing basis. If selected, applicants will be asked to submit a full proposal and complete application form. Grantees are required to submit narrative and financial reports at the conclusion projects. General inquiries may be submitted to the foundation’s executive director, Sybil Ackerman-Munson, via email or telephone at 503-225-0265.
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