Leon Lowenstein Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

• EIN: 13-6015951
• Annual Giving: $6,495,000 (2024)
• Total Assets: $173,213,876
• Grant Range: $5,000 - $1,000,000
• Typical Grant: $25,000
• Average Grant: $80,465
• Number of Grants: 86 awards (2024)
• Geographic Focus: Nationwide with emphasis on New York and California
• Application Method: Invitation only - no unsolicited applications accepted

Contact Details

Mailing Address:
Leon Lowenstein Foundation
71 Bradley Rd, Ste 4-E
Madison, CT 06443

Phone: (212) 319-0670

Website: https://lowensteinfdn.org

Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm (Staff is fully remote)

Note: While the foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for support, they welcome hearing about organizations and their work through their online contact form. However, they note "We can't promise a response (so don't write a novel!)."

Overview

The Leon Lowenstein Foundation was incorporated in 1941 in New York by Leon Lowenstein, a business executive and philanthropist who served as president and chairman of M. Lowenstein Corp., a major textile corporation. Leon Lowenstein served as chairman of the foundation until his death in 1976, when leadership passed to his two nephews, John Bendheim and Robert Bendheim. Robert Bendheim served as president until 2007, when leadership transitioned to the third generation. Today, Andrew Bendheim serves as President/Chair, with Stewart Hudson as Executive Director, and five of six directors are family members.

With over $173 million in assets and annual giving of approximately $6.5 million, the foundation operates as a family foundation that supports organizations working on projects that are measurable, innovative, scalable, and transformational. The foundation has shifted toward a more strategic, systems-change approach in recent years, particularly in healthcare. As Executive Director Stewart Hudson explained: "It's part of our DNA at the Lowenstein Foundation to say that if you don't have a goal that can organize or focus your efforts and inspire others to join in, then you're not going to get to the destination you're after."

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates three primary program areas:

1. Health: Advancing Equity + Mobile Health Delivery

• Focus: Increasing access to essential healthcare services through mobile health delivery
• Grant Examples:
  • NACHC Mobile Health Advancement grants: $20,000 each (10 awards available in 2025)
  • State-level Mobile Unit Capacity Building: $12,500 grants to 10 community health organizations
  • Mobile Health Innovation Program: Up to $25,000 each (10 awards)
  • Major funder of "Driving Health Forward" nationwide campaign (launched February 2025)
• Key Partners: Mobile Healthcare Association, National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), School-Based Health Alliance, Mobile Health Map (Harvard Medical School), Direct Relief

2. Education: Increasing Student Success Roles

• Focus: Increasing individuals in student success roles through high-impact tutoring and mentoring
• Grant Examples:
  • Partnership for Student Success Community Collaboration Challenge: $5,000-$10,000 stipends ($163,000 total to 23 communities)
  • OpenStax at Rice University: Creating affordable digital education materials
  • Arizona State University Student Success Coaching: Open access to 12 nanocourses training community members
• Goal: Support the National Partnership for Student Success in increasing quality tutors and mentors by 200,000

3. Environment: Clean Energy + Resilient Communities

• Focus: Broadening use and access to clean energy in historically underserved communities
• Grant Examples:
  • Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF): $175,000 PRI + $35,000 grant (February 2023)
  • Gib"SUN" Plaza Project: $153,000 grant for solar energy and cool roof at affordable senior housing in Miami-Dade County
  • GRID Alternatives: Solar Workforce Development with Spanish-language job training

Priority Areas

The foundation seeks organizations and projects that demonstrate:

• Measurability: Clear outcomes and impact metrics
• Innovation: Novel approaches to persistent problems
• Scalability: Potential to expand and reach more beneficiaries
• Transformational Impact: Ability to create systems-level change

The foundation emphasizes:

• Equity and serving those most in need
• Partnership and collaboration with other funders
• Geographic diversity within target communities
• Projects that address healthcare deserts, educational disparities, and climate vulnerability in disadvantaged communities

What They Don't Fund

Based on their focused strategy and invitation-only approach:

• Organizations outside their three program areas (health, education, environment)
• Projects that don't demonstrate innovation, scalability, or transformational potential
• Organizations without established track records
• General operating support for organizations outside their strategic focus

Governance and Leadership

Andrew Bendheim, President/Chair
Robert Bendheim's son, representing the third generation of family leadership. The family maintains strong involvement with five of six directors being family members.

Stewart Hudson, Executive Director
One of two full-time staff members. Hudson leads the foundation's strategic direction and partnership-based approach. Under his leadership, the foundation has shifted toward more focused, systems-change grantmaking with cumulative grants of $42.5 million.

Key quotes from Stewart Hudson:

• On mobile healthcare: "For those who are unhoused, young people, those in active addiction, people in rural and urban areas alike, and many others in disenfranchised communities, mobile healthcare delivery is an essential service that increases access to healthcare."
• On goal-setting: "It's part of our DNA at the Lowenstein Foundation to say that if you don't have a goal that can organize or focus your efforts and inspire others to join in, then you're not going to get to the destination you're after."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Leon Lowenstein Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis and only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations. They do not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

According to Inside Philanthropy, "This foundation is an exceptionally tough nut to crack" and advises that potential applicants "do not attempt to directly contact the foundation."

However, the foundation's website states: "While we don't accept unsolicited requests for support, we would love to hear about your organization and its work." Organizations can submit brief information through the online contact form on their website, though the foundation notes "We can't promise a response (so don't write a novel!)."

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation employs a proactive, partnership-based approach to identify potential grantees:

1. Existing Grantee Networks: The foundation engages grantee partners in strategy development and relies on trusted partners to recommend other organizations.

2. Field-Specific Associations: The foundation works closely with sector organizations:

   • Mobile Healthcare Association (MHA)
   • National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)
   • Partnership for Student Success
   • Grantmakers in Health

3. Geographic Considerations: The majority of grants go to New York or California, with a concentration in the metropolitan New York City area.

4. Strategic Alignment: Organizations positioned as innovative solutions to systems-level problems in their focus areas may attract attention.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. As an invitation-only foundation with a small staff (2 full-time employees) and family board involvement, decisions likely occur on a rolling basis.

Success Rates

Not publicly available. The foundation made 86 grants in 2024, suggesting relatively consistent annual grantmaking volume.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable due to invitation-only model. However, the foundation's partnership approach suggests they maintain long-term relationships with successful grantees.

Application Success Factors

Since the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, organizations most likely to be identified and invited demonstrate:

1. Systems-Level Thinking: Focus on systems change rather than direct service alone
2. Clear, Ambitious Goals: Bold visions backed by clear metrics (e.g., doubling mobile health clinics in 5 years)
3. Focus on Equity: Every program area explicitly targets those most in need
4. Innovation with Scalability: Novel approaches with potential to expand
5. Measurable Outcomes: Clear data collection and evaluation systems
6. Collaborative Approach: Partnership with other organizations and funders
7. Geographic Alignment: Majority of grants go to New York or California
8. University-Based or Large-Scale Programs: Foundation supports large-scale, university-based initiatives

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• This foundation is not accessible through traditional grant applications - focus on building visibility within relevant field networks
• Position work as systems-change, not just service delivery
• Set ambitious, concrete goals backed by clear metrics
• Equity must be central - every funded program explicitly centers those most in need
• Geographic focus on New York and California - organizations elsewhere need exceptional innovation
• Build relationships with existing grantees who inform future strategy
• Consider Program-Related Investments - foundation uses PRIs alongside traditional grants

References

1. Leon Lowenstein Foundation official website - https://lowensteinfdn.org (accessed February 2026)
2. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Leon Lowenstein Foundation Inc (EIN 13-6015951) - https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/136015951
3. Inside Philanthropy - Leon Lowenstein Foundation profile - https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant/grants-l/leon-lowenstein-foundation
4. Grantmakers.io Profile - https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/136015951-leon-lowenstein-foundation-inc/
5. Mobile Health Map - "Funding the Future of Health Care" - Interview with Stewart Hudson
6. Grantmakers In Health - "Striving for Equity: Riding to Success with Mobile Health"
7. Driving Health Forward - "New Campaign to Boost Healthcare Access Nationwide Through Mobile Health Clinics"
8. NACHC - "Mobile Health Advancement: Operations, Outreach, Expansion"
9. Partnership for Student Success - "2025 Community Collaboration Challenge Awardees"
10. Solar and Energy Loan Fund - "SELF Receives Investment, Grant from Leon Lowenstein Foundation"