Enlight Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- Enlight Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and works by invitation only, so a small charity should not send it a cold proposal.
- Its stated focus on education equality, youth mental wellbeing, youth climate solutions and next-generation social change makers is the main test of fit, and it says it seeks ambitious social entrepreneurs and bold ideas.
- About 8 in 10 of its grants fall between $77,000 and $3,000,000, and the median grant is $500,000, so a request sized near the middle of that band is realistic, though the largest grant was about $28,500,000, so that band is not a ceiling.
- In its latest filing, 80% of grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in one of the two earlier filings, so existing relationships appear to matter a great deal.
Overview
Enlight Foundation is a US private foundation based in Palo Alto, CA.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
Enlight Foundation describes its work as advancing education equality and youth empowerment. It invests in young people and their communities, elevates youth voices and works with foundations, researchers and nonprofits to create systems change. Its stated priorities include youth mental wellbeing, youth-driven climate change solutions and next-generation social change makers. Its approach is to identify and invest in ambitious social entrepreneurs and bold ideas, offering flexible, multi-year grants as catalytic capital for pilots, research and scaling proven solutions. It works with grant partners on shared learning and sustainability and collaborates with like-minded funders for greater collective impact.
Themes
- Education equality
- Youth mental wellbeing
- Youth climate solutions
- Next-generation social change makers
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Pennsylvania, California, New York and Minnesota.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 80% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 68 grants to organisations were $500,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- It seeks to identify and invest in ambitious social entrepreneurs and bold ideas.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 50% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 80% of grant dollars went to organisations Enlight Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 63% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 29 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $330k (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- National Philanthropic Trust · Charity$28,333,3332024 tax year
- Action for the Climate Emergency · Medical & charity$3,000,0002024 tax year
- World Savvy · Education$3,000,0002024 tax year
- Schwab Charitable Donor Advised Fund · Charity (statement 5)$2,300,0002024 tax year
- Solutions Journalism Network · Culture$2,250,0002024 tax year
- San Francisco General Hospital Foundation · Child trauma research program.$2,000,0002024 tax year
- Boston University · General education program$1,500,0002024 tax year
- Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation · Charity$1,200,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Xin Liu — Director, CEO
- Lindsay A Louie — CEO
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $27,212,532 | $24,735,664 | $386,399,461 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $47,545,397 | $39,613,833 | $461,385,239 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $55,894,622 | $48,989,253 | $465,795,754 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to Enlight Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Palo Alto, CA
- enlightfoundation.org
Applying to Enlight Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Palo Alto, CA
- enlightfoundation.org