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Lor Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$11.2M
Grant Range
$0K - $2.0M
Decision Time
2w

Lor Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $11,238,059 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Varies - aims for rapid response; no formal application deadlines
  • Grant Range: $140 - $2,000,000 (typical range $2,000 - $25,000)
  • Geographic Focus: Seven communities in the Mountain West (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Wyoming)

Contact Details

Website: lorfoundation.org
General Inquiries: connect@lorfoundation.org | 307-699-5343
Media Inquiries: media@lorfoundation.org | 720-202-2356
Mailing Address: 933 S High St, West Chester, PA 19382-5400 | 610-745-6957

Community Officers (regional contacts available for each location):

  • Cortez, CO: Nicci Crowley
  • Monte Vista, CO: Ivette Atencio
  • Weiser, ID: Jennifer Huff
  • Libby, MT: Tabitha Viergutz
  • Questa, NM: Maria Gonzalez
  • Taos, NM: Sonya Struck
  • Lander, WY: Ami Vincent

Overview

The LOR Foundation Inc was established in 2007 by Swiss-American philanthropist Amy Wyss and her husband Edward Jaramillo in Taos, New Mexico. The foundation's name represents its core values: Livability, Opportunity, and Responsibility. With annual giving exceeding $11 million, LOR operates as a place-based funder working exclusively in seven rural communities across the Mountain West (Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico). The foundation's distinctive approach involves embedding community officers in each town to identify local priorities and fund community-driven solutions. LOR describes itself as "like a start-up accelerator for community-driven ideas," prioritizing rapid response over bureaucratic processes. The foundation typically commits to working in each community for three to five years before moving to serve new locations, having distributed over $50 million in grassroots funding by the early 2020s.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

1. Field Work Initiative (Annual, Theme-Based)

  • Amount: $1,000 - $25,000
  • 2025 Focus: Mental health and social well-being in rural communities
  • Timeline: Applications typically open in May (May 12 - June 6, 2025)
  • Investment: Approximately $500,000 distributed across 26 projects
  • Application: Online at lorfoundation.org/field-work
  • Eligibility: Individuals, local governments, hospitals, schools, nonprofits, for-profits, chambers of commerce, libraries, and other organizations in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, or Wyoming

2. Community-Based Funding (Rolling Basis)

  • Amount: $140 - $2,000,000 (most grants between $2,000 - $100,000)
  • Process: Informal conversation-based approach through community officers
  • Geographic Restriction: Limited to seven active communities only (Cortez, CO; Monte Vista, CO; Weiser, ID; Libby, MT; Questa, NM; Taos, NM; Lander, WY)
  • Application: No formal application process; submit ideas through online form or contact local community officer

Example 2024 Community Investment: In Lander, WY alone, LOR invested $715,575 across 95 projects, including everything from a $140 grant for MathCounts team expansion to a $29,997 investment in the SafeRides program.

Priority Areas

LOR categorizes funded projects into eight key areas:

  • Economy: Small business incubators, entrepreneurship, workforce development
  • Education: Early childhood education, MathCounts programs, educational facilities
  • Engagement: Community events, social connection initiatives, arts programs
  • Environment: Conservation, waterway restoration, forest management, plastic-to-building-material innovation
  • Health: Mental health services, SafeRides programs, carbon monoxide detector distribution
  • Housing: Affordable housing, home repair programs, rental assistance
  • Transportation: Community transportation solutions
  • Water: Agricultural water innovation, water conservation

The foundation prioritizes community-identified needs over externally imposed priorities, focusing on projects that:

  • Address local quality-of-life challenges
  • Have clear, well-formed implementation plans
  • Demonstrate community benefit
  • Show innovative approaches to persistent rural challenges

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations outside their seven active communities (for community-based funding; Field Work is open statewide)
  • National or large-scale infrastructure projects (focuses on grassroots efforts)
  • The foundation "does not accept unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits" in the traditional sense, but is "open to nonprofit communications and always looking to grow its network"

Governance and Leadership

Executive Leadership

Amy Wyss - Co-Founder
Daughter of Swiss businessman Hansjörg Wyss; established LOR Foundation with her husband in 2007

Edward Jaramillo - Co-Founder & Board Member
Taos, New Mexico native; also serves as board member of Wy'East Mountain Academy

Gary Wilmot - Executive Director
Email: gary@lorfoundation.org
Former program manager at the National Outdoor Leadership School

Joan McGrath - Chief Program Officer
Email: joan@lorfoundation.org

Kasey Cordell - Chief Communications Officer
Email: kasey@lorfoundation.org

Alex Dunlop - Chief Business Development Officer
Email: alex@lorfoundation.org

Foundation Philosophy

The organization's guiding principle emphasizes: "We have a responsibility to listen first and explore local solutions to local problems to help enhance quality of life."

Leadership describes their approach: "We don't come to a community believing that... our solution might be able to improve livability in a place. Instead, our mission is to come ready to listen."

On their funding process, staff note: "If the idea is fully formed, you've got a plan, you know how much it costs, your coffee could turn into a funding request."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

For Community-Based Funding (Active Communities Only):

LOR has no formal application process or deadlines. The foundation operates on a conversation-based model:

  1. Submit an Idea: Use the online form at lorfoundation.org or contact your local community officer
  2. Start a Conversation: Discuss your idea with LOR staff (can happen over coffee)
  3. Rapid Response: Well-formed ideas with clear plans and budgets can be funded quickly

Required Information for Idea Submission:

  • Contact information (name, email, phone)
  • Community location (must be one of seven active communities)
  • Problem description
  • Proposed solution

For Field Work Initiative:

Annual competitive process with specific application windows:

  1. Application Period: Typically opens in May (2025: May 12 - June 6)
  2. Online Application: Submit at lorfoundation.org/field-work
  3. Required Materials: Contact information, brief innovation statement, project details
  4. Important: Submit only one project proposal per applicant; contact connect@lorfoundation.org for guidance on multiple ideas

Decision Timeline

Community-Based Funding: Variable and rapid - the foundation prioritizes "acting quickly" and can approve funding during initial conversations if projects are well-defined

Field Work Initiative: Applicants notified by late June (approximately 3-4 weeks after June deadline)

Success Rates

Specific success rates are not publicly disclosed. However, the foundation funded:

  • 2024 Field Work: 26 projects from applicants across five states (~$500,000 distributed)
  • 2024 Lander Community: 95 projects funded in a single community

The foundation emphasizes accessibility and encourages anyone with community-improvement ideas to reach out.

Reapplication Policy

Not explicitly stated. Given the informal, conversation-based approach and rolling basis for community funding, reapplication appears to be welcomed. For Field Work, contact connect@lorfoundation.org with questions about resubmission.

Application Success Factors

What LOR Looks For (Foundation-Specific):

1. Community-Driven Solutions LOR works "with rural communities... to enhance livability and prosperity while preserving the character that makes each community unique." Projects must originate from local residents who understand community needs. As staff note: "LOR looks to the community to define and prioritize solutions that improve livability."

2. Well-Formed Ideas with Clear Plans "If the idea is fully formed, you've got a plan, you know how much it costs, your coffee could turn into a funding request." Successful applicants arrive with:

  • Clearly defined problems
  • Specific solutions
  • Budget estimates
  • Implementation timelines

3. Innovation and Creativity The Field Work initiative specifically seeks "innovative approaches" to persistent rural challenges. Past funded innovations include:

  • Converting plastic waste into building materials (Taos, NM)
  • Gallery program helping homeless artists create and sell art (Cortez, CO)
  • Home repair programs that create affordable rental housing (Questa, NM)

4. Direct Quality-of-Life Impact Successful projects demonstrate tangible benefits to community livability across LOR's eight priority areas: economy, education, engagement, environment, health, housing, transportation, and water.

5. Accessibility to Everyday People LOR explicitly welcomes applications from "senior citizens, small-town mayors, veterans, pastors, and busy parents." Success comes from being any community member with a good idea, not necessarily from being an established organization.

Examples of Recently Funded Projects:

  • SafeRides program: $29,997 (Lander, WY)
  • MathCounts team expansion: $140 (Lander, WY)
  • Carbon monoxide detector distribution: 300 free detectors (Lander, WY)
  • Coworking space/small business incubator (Taos, NM)
  • Waterway restoration programs (multiple communities)
  • Mental health service access initiatives (statewide Field Work 2025)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Geography is critical: For community-based funding, you must be located in one of seven active communities (Cortez, Monte Vista, Weiser, Libby, Questa, Taos, or Lander). Field Work is open statewide in CO, ID, MT, NM, WY.

  • Skip the formal grant writing: LOR's model is conversation-first. Contact your community officer or use the online idea submission form instead of preparing traditional grant proposals.

  • Come prepared with specifics: While the process is informal, successful funding requires well-formed ideas with clear plans, defined costs, and realistic implementation strategies.

  • Think community benefit, not organizational capacity: LOR funds ideas, not institutions. Focus on how your project improves community livability rather than organizational credentials.

  • Act on local priorities: The most successful projects address needs that the community itself has identified as priorities, not externally imposed solutions.

  • Consider Field Work for innovation: If you have an innovative approach to a persistent rural challenge (2025 focus: mental health), the annual Field Work initiative offers competitive funding up to $25,000.

  • Be accessible and local: The foundation's philosophy centers on listening to everyday community members. You don't need to be a large nonprofit or have prior grant experience to receive funding.

References

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