Luluma Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $11,990,150 (2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: $2,500 - $2,500,000
• Geographic Focus: Primary focus on Georgia (particularly Atlanta metro); also California and Texas

Contact Details

• Website: https://luluma.org/
• Phone: Not publicly available
• Email: Not publicly available
• Registered Address: 10 S Dearborn St, IL1-0111, Chicago, IL 60603-2300
• Trustee: JPMorgan Trust Company of Delaware

Overview

The Luluma Charitable Trust, which operates publicly as the LuluMa Foundation, is a private independent foundation established in 2022 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. With total assets of approximately $17.5 million and annual charitable disbursements reaching nearly $12 million in 2024, the foundation has rapidly scaled its grant-making activity from 56 awards in 2021 to 171 awards in 2024.

The foundation operates through JPMorgan Trust Company of Delaware as its sole corporate trustee and maintains no employees. Its mission centers on investing in young people through innovative problem-solving and creative self-expression, with a stated approach of giving "with humility while listening with empathy and curiosity." Approximately 98.6% of the foundation's expenses go directly to grants, demonstrating exceptional operational efficiency.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation makes discretionary grants ranging from $2,500 to $2,500,000. Recent documented grants include:

• Piston Foundation: $50,000 (2025) - Tech-school scholarships and career path programs for aspiring collector car technicians
• Trust for Public Land: $1,000,000 - Chattahoochee RiverLands trail and parks system in metro Atlanta
• East Atlanta Kids Club: Funding for free counseling/therapy services for at-risk youth aged 5-17
• Wilderness Works: Program support for underserved Atlanta youth outdoor experiences
• Achieve Atlanta: College access and success scholarships

Priority Areas

• Youth development and services (particularly underserved and at-risk youth)
• Education and workforce development (scholarships, career training, college access)
• Environmental conservation and outdoor access
• Arts and culture programming
• Mental health and wellbeing services for youth
• Skilled trades and technical education

What They Don't Fund

No formal exclusion list has been publicly documented.

Governance and Leadership

The foundation operates entirely through JPMorgan Trust Company of Delaware as its fiduciary trustee, with trustee compensation of $157,122 in 2024. No individual trustees, board members, program officers, or foundation staff are publicly named.

The foundation's philosophy, as quoted in the Piston Foundation grant announcement, emphasizes "supporting social change by investing in young people" through "innovative problem-solving and creative self-expression."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Luluma Charitable Trust is a private trust administered by JPMorgan Trust Company of Delaware. It does not publish grant guidelines, operate an application portal, or accept unsolicited grant applications. Grant awards are made at the discretion of the trustee based on internal criteria.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - no public grant cycle exists.

Success Rates

Not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the absence of a public application process.

Application Success Factors

Based on the pattern of documented grants:

• Youth-centered mission is essential: Every identified grantee serves young people directly - organizations whose core beneficiaries are children and youth align most consistently with the foundation's giving
• Geographic alignment matters: The majority of grants go to organizations in the Atlanta, Georgia metro area, with secondary focus on California and Texas
• Demonstrate innovation and creativity: The foundation specifically seeks programs featuring "innovative problem-solving" and "creative self-expression"
• Scale flexibility: The foundation makes both small programmatic grants ($2,500+) and major capital investments (up to $2.5 million)
• JPMorgan relationship is key: As the sole trustee, JPMorgan Trust Company of Delaware manages all grant decisions - visibility through their philanthropy services team may be crucial

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process exists - focus on relationship-building rather than direct application
• JPMorgan is the gatekeeper - building relationships with JPMorgan's philanthropy and grants management team in Chicago may be the most direct route to visibility
• Atlanta-area organizations have strongest alignment despite the Chicago registration address
• Youth impact must be clearly articulated across all program areas
• Foundation is growing rapidly - grant-making tripled between 2021-2023, suggesting expanding opportunities
• Grant size is highly flexible - from $2,500 to $2.5 million documented
• Monitor existing grantees for insights into emerging priorities, as the foundation website provides minimal information

References

• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Luluma Charitable Tr: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/367754898 (accessed February 2026)
• Instrumentl 990 Report - Luluma Charitable Trust: https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/luluma-charitable-tr (accessed February 2026)
• Cause IQ - Form 990 filings and analysis: https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/luluma-charitable-trust,367754898/ (accessed February 2026)
• LuluMa Foundation official website: https://luluma.org/ (accessed February 2026)
• Piston Foundation blog - "Piston Foundation Receives Largest Grant to Date from LuLuMa Foundation" (2025): https://pistonfoundation.org/blog/luluma-foundation-grant-2025/ (accessed February 2026)
• Trust for Public Land press release: https://www.tpl.org/media-room/the-luluma-foundation-contributes-1-million-to-trust-for-public-land (accessed February 2026)
• Atlanta News First - "East Atlanta nonprofit teams up with counselors to bring free therapy to at-risk youth" (May 1, 2024)
• Wilderness Works sponsor acknowledgment: https://wildernessworks.org/grateful-for-our-sponsors/ (accessed February 2026)
• Achieve Atlanta partner page: https://achieveatlanta.org/partners/luluma-foundation/ (accessed February 2026)