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Carol And Gene Ludwig Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$11.3M
Grant Range
$1K - $5.3M

Carol And Gene Ludwig Family Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $11,252,806 (2023)
  • Total Assets: Approximately $115 million
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $5,300,000
  • Median Grant: $20,000
  • Total Grants (2023): 74 awards
  • Geographic Focus: Washington, DC; Martha's Vineyard, MA; New York City, NY
  • Application Method: Invitation only

Contact Details

Website: https://www.ludwigfamilyfoundation.org/

Location: Washington, DC

Note: The foundation maintains a contact form on their website but does not accept unsolicited funding proposals.

Overview

Established in 2002, the Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation makes strategic charitable investments in support of medical research, education, and community engagement. With total assets of approximately $115 million and annual giving of over $11 million, the foundation operates as a private grantmaking organization led by its founders. Carol Ludwig, a neurologist and neuropathologist who was a Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Public Health Service, serves as President, while Eugene Ludwig, former U.S. Comptroller of the Currency (1993-1998), serves as Vice President. The foundation has awarded over $44 million in medical research funding to 15 different institutions and has established major research centers at Columbia University and Yale University. The foundation focuses on three strategic areas: accelerating medical and scientific discovery in neurodegenerative diseases, enabling access to educational and economic opportunity for young people from low-income backgrounds, and enriching communities where the founders live and work.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Medical Research - The foundation invests in neuroscience research talent addressing neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's disease:

  • The Carol and Gene Ludwig Center for Research on Neurodegeneration at Columbia University - Provides pilot grants up to $150,000 annually to support high-risk/high-reward research projects
  • The Carol and Gene Ludwig Program for the Study of Neuroimmune Interactions in Dementia at Yale - Offers two types of grants:
    • Pilot Project Awards: One-year funding of $50,000 - $100,000
    • Development Awards: Two-year grants of $100,000 - $200,000
  • Ludwig Neurodegenerative Disease Seed Grants Program at Harvard Medical School - Supports early-stage research toward treatment approaches
  • Over $44 million awarded to 15 institutions for medical research

Education - Focuses on empowering young people from low-income backgrounds:

  • KIPP National Ludwig College Persistence Fund - Microgrant program helping KIPP alumni persist through college
  • Ludwig Match Scholarship at KIPP DC - Fully funds financial gaps for four years for students matching to colleges with higher graduation rates
  • National Academy Foundation (NAF) - Carol and Gene Ludwig Alumni Scholars Program
  • Georgia State University - Grant to National Institute for Student Success for Keep Hope Alive initiative at three Georgia institutions including two HBCUs
  • Yale Law School - $5.3M grant (2023) supporting the Carol and Gene Ludwig Program in Public Sector Leadership and Eugene and Carol Ludwig Center for Community & Economic Development

Community Engagement - General operating support to organizations in Washington, DC; Martha's Vineyard, MA; and New York City, NY:

  • Arts organizations including Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Paul Taylor Dance Foundation, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and National Gallery of Art
  • Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity (LISEP) - $750K grant (2023), founded by Gene Ludwig to improve economic well-being of middle- and lower-income Americans

Priority Areas

  • Medical and scientific discovery, particularly neuroscience related to neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's disease
  • Educational and economic opportunity for young people from low-income backgrounds
  • Postsecondary-to-workforce pathways
  • Research exploring lipid metabolism and neuroimmunology in neurodegeneration
  • Community organizations in Washington, DC; Martha's Vineyard, MA; and New York City, NY
  • Organizations assisting in improving education, especially in the greater Washington, DC area
  • Organizations improving living conditions of low and moderate-income families
  • Support for the homeless and indigent
  • Medical facilities and research into life-threatening diseases
  • Arts and cultural organizations that improve mental and emotional well-being

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited funding requests, so organizations outside their existing network and strategic focus areas are unlikely to receive funding.

Governance and Leadership

Carol Ludwig - President, Secretary, and Director

  • Neurologist and neuropathologist
  • Alumna of Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (summa cum laude)
  • Summa cum laude graduate of Bryn Mawr College
  • Former Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Public Health Service
  • Former researcher and clinic director at the National Institutes of Health and the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
  • Former faculty member at the Department of Neurology at George Washington University Medical Center
  • Serves on the Board of Advisors at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
  • Board member of KIPP DC

Eugene A. Ludwig - Vice President, Treasurer, and Director

  • Former U.S. Comptroller of the Currency (1993-1998)
  • Former vice chairman of Bankers Trust/Deutsche Bank (1998-1999)
  • Co-founder and managing partner of Canapi Ventures
  • Founder and CEO of Ludwig Advisors
  • Founder of Promontory Financial Group (2001)
  • Founder of Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity (LISEP) in 2019
  • Yale Law School graduate (Class of 1973)
  • Has endowed funds at New College Oxford, Yale Law School, and Haverford College

Board Members:

  • Robert B. Barnett, Esq. - Partner at Williams & Connolly LLP
  • Matthew Giacomini
  • Catherine Kaplun

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

According to the foundation's official website: "We review grant proposals on an invitation-only basis and regrettably cannot accept unsolicited funding requests."

The foundation identifies and invites organizations that align with their strategic focus areas. Grants are made through direct relationships with institutions and organizations in their existing network.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation has specific established programs at major universities (Columbia, Yale, Harvard) where researchers can apply for pilot grants through those institutional programs. For example:

  • Columbia University: Faculty and researchers can apply for The Carol and Gene Ludwig Pilot Grant Program in Neurodegeneration through Columbia's Neurology Department
  • Yale University: Researchers can apply for grants through The Carol and Gene Ludwig Program for the Study of Neuroimmune Interactions in Dementia at Yale School of Medicine

For education-focused organizations, the foundation appears to work through established relationships with specific institutions (KIPP, Georgia State University, National Academy Foundation) and through board connections (Carol Ludwig serves on the KIPP DC board).

For community organizations in Washington, DC; Martha's Vineyard, MA; or New York City, NY, the foundation may identify potential grantees through the founders' networks in these communities.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Decisions are made at the discretion of the foundation's leadership and board.

Success Rates

Not publicly available, as the foundation operates on an invitation-only basis.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Application Success Factors

Since this is an invitation-only funder, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, organizations that have received funding share these characteristics:

Alignment with Strategic Focus Areas:

  • The foundation has demonstrated deep commitment to neurodegeneration research, particularly Alzheimer's disease, with a focus on neuroimmunology and lipid metabolism
  • Education grants prioritize programs serving low-income students and supporting college persistence
  • Community grants focus on the specific geographic areas where the founders live and work

Major Institutional Partnerships:

  • The foundation prefers to make transformational gifts to establish named programs and centers at prestigious institutions (Columbia, Yale, Harvard)
  • Recent large grants include Yale Law School ($5.3M in 2023) and Harvard Medical School ($1.2M in 2023)

Evidence-Based Approaches:

  • For education, the foundation supports programs with demonstrated outcomes, such as Georgia State's Keep Hope Alive initiative which has proven success in student retention

Personal Connections to Mission:

  • Carol Ludwig's background as a neurologist and neuropathologist directly informs the foundation's focus on neurodegeneration research
  • Her service on the KIPP DC board demonstrates how board involvement can lead to grant opportunities

High-Risk/High-Reward Research:

  • Medical research grants explicitly support "high-risk/high-reward research projects in promising areas" suggesting openness to innovative approaches
  • Pilot grants are designed to "accelerate innovative new research projects"

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: This foundation only accepts proposals by invitation. Do not submit unsolicited requests.
  • Pathway through institutions: If you are a researcher in neurodegeneration, apply through established Ludwig programs at Columbia, Yale, or Harvard rather than approaching the foundation directly.
  • Geographic specificity matters: For community grants, organizations must operate in Washington, DC; Martha's Vineyard, MA; or New York City, NY.
  • Focus on transformational giving: Recent grants show a pattern of major gifts ($1M+) to establish named programs and centers, alongside smaller operating grants.
  • Education grants emphasize outcomes: Support for education focuses on proven programs that help low-income students achieve educational and professional goals, particularly college persistence.
  • Board connections are significant: Carol Ludwig's board service at KIPP DC demonstrates how board relationships can connect organizations to the foundation.
  • Long-term institutional commitments: The foundation prefers sustained relationships with grantees, establishing multi-year programs and centers rather than one-time grants.

References

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