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The Lewis Foundation

Annual Giving
$12.4M
Grant Range
$500K - $2.0M

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The Lewis Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $12,395,157 (2023)
  • Assets: $132 million
  • Grant Range: $500,000 - $2,000,000
  • Number of Grants: 6-9 grants annually
  • Median Grant Size: $1,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Colorado (Aspen region), with select grants in California, Illinois, New York, Utah, Washington D.C.
  • Application Method: Invitation only / No public application process

Contact Details

Lewis Foundation Aspen, Colorado EIN: 41-2063101

Note: The foundation does not maintain a public website or published contact information for grant inquiries.

Overview

The Lewis Foundation was established in 2002 in Colorado by Peter B. Lewis, the late chairman of Progressive Insurance Companies. Following Peter Lewis's death in 2013, his son Adam J. Lewis assumed the role of president and has continued the family's philanthropic legacy. The foundation currently holds approximately $132 million in assets and distributes over $12 million annually through a selective grantmaking approach. Under Adam Lewis's leadership, the foundation has maintained its founder's commitment to civil liberties, environmental conservation, and progressive causes while developing a strong focus on supporting Aspen-based and Colorado nonprofit organisations. The foundation operates as a private independent foundation with a deliberate, relationship-based approach to philanthropy, making relatively few but substantial grants each year to carefully selected organisations.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Lewis Foundation does not offer formal grant programmes or streams. All grants are awarded through trustee discretion to preselected organisations. Recent grant amounts have ranged from $500,000 to $2,000,000, with a median grant size of approximately $1,000,000.

Priority Areas

Environmental Conservation: The foundation has a demonstrated commitment to environmental causes, having provided over $2 million to the Rocky Mountain Institute since 2015. Recent grants include:

  • Rocky Mountain Institute: $1,000,000 (2024)
  • Earthjustice: $500,000 (2024)

Education: Support for educational institutions, particularly in the Aspen area:

  • Aspen Country Day School: $1,000,000 (2024)

Civil Liberties and Social Justice: Continuing Peter B. Lewis's legacy of supporting organisations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), though specific recent grant amounts are not publicly disclosed.

Community Development: Support for local and regional nonprofit infrastructure:

  • Aspen Community Foundation: $1,000,000 (2024)
  • The Aspen Institute: $2,000,000 and $1,000,000 (2024)

Documentary and Media: The foundation has supported documentary production through organisations like Impact Partners, focusing on environmental issues and social justice topics.

Geographic Focus

The foundation primarily supports organisations in Colorado, particularly the Aspen and Rocky Mountain region, with additional grants to organisations in major U.S. cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not publicly specify exclusions, but based on their grantmaking pattern, they do not appear to fund:

  • International organisations (focus is domestic U.S.)
  • Individual scholarships or fellowships
  • Religious organisations
  • Medical research
  • Arts and culture outside of documentary film

Governance and Leadership

Adam J. Lewis - President (unpaid, voluntary position) Adam Lewis is the son of the late billionaire Peter B. Lewis, founder of the foundation and former chairman of Progressive Insurance. Under Adam's leadership, the foundation has continued supporting progressive causes, civil liberties, and environmental organisations while developing stronger ties to the Aspen community and Colorado-based nonprofits.

Melony M. Lewis - Vice President (unpaid, voluntary position) Serves alongside Adam Lewis in foundation leadership.

Both trustees work on a voluntary basis without compensation, keeping administrative costs minimal and directing the maximum amount of resources to grantmaking.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

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

Grants are awarded through trustee discretion based on the foundation's strategic priorities and existing relationships. Organisations are typically identified and selected by the foundation's leadership rather than through an application process.

Getting on Their Radar

Given the foundation's close ties to the Aspen community and Colorado nonprofit sector, the most viable pathways to potential funding include:

Aspen Community Connections: The foundation has demonstrated strong support for Aspen-based organisations, awarding $1 million to the Aspen Community Foundation in 2024. Organisations working in the Aspen area or partnering with established Aspen institutions may have greater visibility to the foundation.

Environmental Network: Through their longstanding relationship with the Rocky Mountain Institute (over $2 million since 2015) and recent support of Earthjustice, the foundation appears to be connected to environmental conservation networks. Organisations working on environmental issues in the Rocky Mountain region or collaborating with these established grantees may gain visibility.

Progressive Philanthropic Circles: The foundation's support of organisations like the ACLU and the Obama Foundation indicates involvement in progressive philanthropic networks. Organisations active in these circles or recommended by peer organisations may be more likely to come to the foundation's attention.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made through trustee discretion rather than application cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable due to invitation-only grantmaking approach. The foundation makes 6-9 grants annually from presumably a much smaller pool of organisations under consideration compared to foundations with open application processes.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Application Success Factors

Given the foundation's invitation-only approach, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, organisations may increase their likelihood of being considered by:

Demonstrating strong organisational capacity: The foundation's median grant of $1 million suggests they seek established organisations with the capacity to effectively deploy significant funding.

Alignment with founder's values: Peter B. Lewis was deeply committed to civil liberties, drug policy reform, LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive rights, and environmental conservation. Organisations working in these areas align with the foundation's legacy. According to the ACLU of Ohio's tribute to Peter Lewis, he was "especially concerned about expressions of personal freedom including the rights of gay and lesbian people, the protection of reproductive rights and the decriminalisation of drugs in America."

Colorado and Aspen connections: The foundation has significantly increased its focus on Colorado-based organisations under Adam Lewis's leadership, with major recent grants going to Aspen-area nonprofits.

Established track record: The foundation's grantmaking pattern shows support for well-established organisations like the Rocky Mountain Institute, Earthjustice, and the Aspen Institute rather than emerging organisations.

Environmental impact: Climate and environmental conservation appear to be growing priority areas for the foundation, particularly organisations working in the Rocky Mountain region.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - The foundation only supports preselected organisations, so traditional grant seeking approaches will not be effective
  • Focus on large, impactful grants - With a median grant size of $1 million and only 6-9 grants annually, the foundation makes fewer but more substantial investments
  • Colorado/Aspen connection is valuable - Recent grantmaking shows strong preference for Aspen-area and Colorado organisations
  • Environmental conservation is a priority - Multiple large grants to environmental organisations suggest this is a core funding area
  • Legacy of progressive values - Organisations supporting civil liberties, personal freedom, and social justice align with the foundation's historical mission
  • Relationship-based philanthropy - Success depends on being known to and selected by foundation leadership rather than competitive application processes
  • Established organisations preferred - Grant amounts and recipient profile suggest the foundation seeks organisations with proven capacity and track records

References

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