Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation
/OVERVIEW: This funder supports health and education organizations in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties in the state of Washington. New grant seekers can submit brief summaries of their work as an introduction.
IP TAKE: This is a great funder to know for emerging organizations in Washington. Sheng-Yen Lu prioritizes support for groups with annual budgets below $500,000.
PROFILE: The Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation is based in Redmond, Washington, and makes grants in education and health. It was established in 2008 by Living Buddha Lian Sheng. The Living Buddha lives in Seattle and teaches at the Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple in Redmond, Washington. He is the founder of the True Buddha School, which has over five million disciples around the world. While the foundation takes cues from Buddhist principals, grants go to people of all faiths. Both local and international communities are of interest to the Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation.
The Washington counties of King, Pierce, and Snohomish are high priorities here. Foundation grants typically support groups that help immigrants, refugees, people of color, and other marginalized communities in the counties. Other grants support international disaster relief and scholarships for immigrant and refugee students.
Health grants typically support programs linking local people to health and medical services they need but cannot afford. Health grantees include Kin On Health Care Center, Washington State Smile Partners, and Project Access Northwest.
Education grants support early learning for children from birth to five years old. High school graduation rates and the enrollment and completion of post-secondary education are also priorities here. Within these categories, education for low-income, immigrant, and refugee students is a prioritized. Education grantees include Iraqi Community Center of Washington, Arts Corps, and Bellevue LifeSpring.
The foundation had over $8.5 million in net assets at the end of a recent year. View foundation financial data here. The foundation accepts volunteers and donations in support of its mission to improve health and education for the people who need it.
Unfortunately for grant seekers, Sheng-Yen Lu makes grants by invitation-only. However, interested groups can submit a brief summary of their work here to get on this funder’s radar. For grant seekers who have received funding in the past, no inquiry form is necessary. The foundation contacts organizations that it is interested in during the months of January and February. From this point, nonprofits submit a letter of inquiry, due March 1, and receive notification by mid-April if a full proposal is requested. Proposals are due May 15, site visits take place in May and June, and celebratory events for new grantees are held in August or September.
Keep up with foundation news and interests here.
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