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Corabelle Lumps Foundation

Annual Giving
$18.1M
Grant Range
$2500K - $18.1M
Success Rate
12%

Corabelle Lumps Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $18,150,000 (2024)
  • Total Assets: $223,454,450
  • Grant Range: $2,500,000 - $18,150,000
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Massachusetts and New York
  • Application Process: No public application process (invitation only)
  • Number of Annual Grants: 1-5 grants per year

Contact Details

Address: PO Box 8257, Princeton, NJ 08543
Phone: (518) 886-4215
Website: None
Email: Not publicly available

Note: This foundation does not maintain a website and keeps a low public profile.

Overview

The Corabelle Lumps Foundation was established in 2008 as a private grantmaking foundation. With assets exceeding $223 million and annual giving of approximately $18 million, the foundation operates under the sole trusteeship of Anne Dinning, a managing director and executive committee member at D.E. Shaw & Co. Forbes listed Dinning's net worth at $900 million in 2022. The foundation is characterized by its highly selective, concentrated giving strategy, supporting only a few major grantees each year with substantial multi-million dollar grants. The foundation operates with no staff and minimal administrative overhead, focusing its resources entirely on charitable disbursements. Rather than accepting unsolicited applications, the foundation makes grants based on trustee discretion, with Dinning's board memberships and personal connections appearing to guide funding decisions.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with set application cycles. Instead, it makes strategic grants on a discretionary basis.

Recent Major Recipients (2022-2024):

  • Partners in Health: $5M (2022), $7.5M (2023), $8M-$18M (2024) - Healthcare for poor communities worldwide, co-founded by health pioneer Paul Farmer
  • Robin Hood Foundation: $4.87M (2018), $3.75M (2022), $3M (2023), $2.7M (2024) - Anti-poverty work in New York City focused on education, early childhood development, workforce development, housing, and homelessness
  • Natural Resources Defense Council: $2.5M (2024) - Environmental advocacy

Priority Areas

Based on grant history and Dinning's board memberships, the foundation prioritizes:

  1. Health & Human Services: Global health access and medical care for underserved populations
  2. Anti-Poverty Work: Comprehensive poverty alleviation including education, housing, and economic opportunity
  3. STEM Education: Computer science education, mathematics education in public schools, and college success programs

Organizations where Dinning serves on the board receive the most substantial and consistent support, suggesting board service is closely tied to funding decisions.

Geographic Focus

Primary funding concentrates in:

  • Massachusetts (particularly Boston area)
  • New York (particularly New York City)
  • International projects through organizations like Partners in Health

What They Don't Fund

Based on grant history, the foundation does not appear to support:

  • Small local organizations
  • Arts and culture
  • Religious organizations
  • Individual scholarships or direct aid to individuals
  • Capital campaigns
  • Operating expenses for organizations where trustee has no connection

Governance and Leadership

Anne Dinning - Sole Trustee

Anne Dinning holds a Ph.D. in computer science from NYU's Courant Institute and graduated from the University of Washington in 1984. She joined D.E. Shaw in 1990 as an early employee and now serves as managing director and executive committee member, jointly supervising the firm's worldwide asset management businesses.

Board Service (indicating philanthropic priorities):

  • Robin Hood Foundation (Board Member)
  • Partners in Health (Board Member)
  • Math for America (Board Member)
  • Code.org (Board Member)

Dinning contributes approximately 30 minutes weekly to foundation administration and receives no compensation for her trustee role.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

The Corabelle Lumps Foundation operates as an invitation-only funder making grants based on trustee discretion. The foundation does not:

  • Accept unsolicited applications
  • Maintain a website with application guidelines
  • Publish funding priorities or RFPs
  • Have application deadlines or cycles

Grants appear to be awarded based on Anne Dinning's personal knowledge of organizations, typically those where she serves on the board or has established relationships with leadership.

Getting on Their Radar

Given the foundation's highly selective nature and close connection to trustee board service, there are limited pathways for new organizations:

Board Connection Strategy: Organizations where Anne Dinning serves on the board receive the most substantial funding. The foundation's two largest recipients—Robin Hood Foundation and Partners in Health—both have Dinning as a board member.

Sector Alignment: Organizations working in the foundation's demonstrated priority areas (global health access, comprehensive anti-poverty programs, STEM education) and operating in Massachusetts or New York have the best strategic fit.

Established Organizations: The foundation funds large, established organizations with proven track records rather than emerging nonprofits. All documented recipients are major national or international organizations.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation does not operate on a public application cycle.

Success Rates

According to available data, the foundation:

  • Reports a 12% acceptance rate for new applicants (though this may reflect indirect inquiries rather than formal applications)
  • Makes only 1-5 grants annually
  • Awards total annual grants of 473 (this figure appears inconsistent with other data showing only a handful of major grants and may reflect a data error in third-party sources)

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the absence of a public application process.

Application Success Factors

Given the foundation's closed application process, success factors are less about application strategy and more about organizational positioning:

Board Relationships Are Critical: The clearest pattern is that organizations where Anne Dinning serves on the board receive the largest, most consistent funding. Both Partners in Health and Robin Hood Foundation have received multi-year, multi-million dollar support.

Alignment with Dinning's Background: As a computer scientist and quantitative finance professional, organizations working in STEM education (Code.org, Math for America, University of Washington Computer Science) align with her professional expertise and personal interests.

Scale and Impact: The foundation supports organizations operating at significant scale addressing systemic issues rather than local problems. Partners in Health operates in multiple countries; Robin Hood addresses New York City poverty comprehensively.

Concentrated Giving Philosophy: The foundation practices "few grantees, large grants" rather than distributing many small grants. In 2018, just two organizations received all $5.6 million in grants. This suggests the foundation prefers deep, sustained partnerships over broad-based funding.

Health and Human Services Priority: Multiple sources identify health and human services as a top priority based on seven-figure annual gifts to Partners in Health and support for Robin Hood's comprehensive services.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Not publicly accessible: This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and is not a viable prospect for most organizations
  • Board service equals funding: The strongest predictor of receiving support is Anne Dinning's board membership
  • Very large grants only: Typical grants range from $2.5M to $18M—this is not a funder for organizations seeking grants under seven figures
  • Extremely selective: With only 1-5 grants made annually, this is one of the most selective funders relative to its asset size
  • Focus on established leaders: All documented recipients are major, established organizations with national or international reach
  • Long-term partnerships: Recipients like Robin Hood and Partners in Health receive multi-year support, suggesting the foundation values sustained relationships over one-time grants
  • Low transparency: The foundation maintains no website, provides no public guidelines, and keeps a deliberately low profile in the philanthropic sector

References

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