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The Walt and Lilly Disney Foundation

Annual Giving
$11.7M
000

The Walt and Lilly Disney Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $11,693,450 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: Varies significantly (average $1,461,681 per grant)
  • Geographic Focus: Multi-state (California, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania)
  • Total Assets: $153,244,358

Contact Details

Address: 50 Fremont St Fl 4, San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: 415-453-0883
Website: Not publicly available
Email: Not publicly available

Note: This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications or inquiries.

Overview

The Walt and Lilly Disney Foundation was established in 1974 in California, founded in the name of Walt Disney by his wife, Lillian (Lilly) Disney. With assets totaling over $153 million, the foundation distributed approximately $11.7 million in grants in 2023 across 8 awards. The foundation focuses its philanthropic efforts on arts and culture, education, and human services initiatives. Now managed by Walt and Lilly's descendants through their daughter Diane Disney Miller's family line, the foundation maintains a private, trustee-directed approach to grantmaking, supporting preselected organizations primarily in major urban centers including San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and surrounding communities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through trustee discretion rather than formal grant programs. Recent data shows:

  • Average Grant Size: $1,461,681 (2023)
  • Number of Annual Grants: 8 grants awarded in most recent reporting period
  • Application Method: Invitation only; does not accept unsolicited applications

Priority Areas

The foundation supports initiatives in three primary areas:

  1. Arts and Culture: Supporting cultural institutions and artistic programs
  2. Education: Funding educational initiatives and institutions
  3. Human Services: Supporting organizations providing social services

Geographic Focus

  • California: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Clarita, Levittown
  • Illinois: Chicago
  • New York: New York City
  • Pennsylvania: Various communities

What They Don't Fund

  • Unsolicited applications from organizations not already known to the trustees
  • Organizations outside their geographic focus areas
  • Areas outside arts/culture, education, and human services

Governance and Leadership

The foundation is governed by members of the Miller family, descendants of Walt and Lilly Disney through their daughter Diane Disney Miller, who co-founded The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco and remained active in preserving her father's legacy until her death in 2013.

Current Leadership (all serve without compensation):

  • Walter Ed Miller: President
  • Christopher D Miller: Vice President/Treasurer
  • Tamara D Miller: Secretary

The Miller family continues the philanthropic legacy of Lillian Disney, maintaining a private, family-directed approach to grantmaking.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation explicitly states that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

Grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees to organizations they have identified and selected. There is no online portal, application form, or formal submission process available to the public.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Grant decisions are made internally by the board of trustees on their own timeline.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications from organizations it has not already selected.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application success factors do not apply. Organizations that receive funding are preselected by the trustees based on criteria and relationships not publicly disclosed.

Key points for organizations hoping to receive funding:

  • The foundation operates entirely through trustee discretion
  • Funding decisions are made privately without public input
  • There is no pathway for unsolicited organizations to apply
  • Geographic proximity to the foundation's focus areas (particularly California and major urban centers) may be relevant
  • Alignment with arts/culture, education, or human services missions is essential
  • The foundation appears to support established institutions rather than grassroots organizations, based on average grant size

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant applications
  • Family-directed philanthropy: Managed by Walt and Lilly Disney's descendants who maintain tight control over grantmaking
  • Substantial grants: With an average grant size of nearly $1.5 million, this foundation makes significant investments when it does fund
  • Limited number of grantees: Only 8 grants awarded annually suggests highly selective, focused giving
  • Geographic concentration: Focus on California (particularly San Francisco and Los Angeles) and other major urban centers
  • Three priority areas: Exclusively funds arts/culture, education, and human services
  • Relationship-driven: Organizations are preselected by trustees, suggesting the importance of existing relationships or board connections

References

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