The Estee Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and works by invitation only, so an organisation that has not been invited should not send a cold application; the first step is to find a route to its team.
- Its mission of enabling women and girls to thrive through health, education and entrepreneurship, and its Girls' Education Initiative, are the places to test whether your work fits, and the foundation says requests should align with those focus areas.
- Most of its grants are modest: half of its 213 grants to organisations across the filings were $25,000 or less, and about 8 in 10 grants fell in a band of $2,500 to $250,000, so a request in that region is the most realistic.
- Repeat funding is strong, with 65% of its grant dollars in its latest filing going to organisations it had also funded in the filing before, so most of its grant dollars have gone to organisations it already knew.
Overview
The Estee Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation is a US private foundation based in New York, NY.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2023, TY2022) and web pages about the foundation (elcompanies.com), with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to enable women and girls to thrive and advance through health, education and entrepreneurship. It makes grants to organisations globally that align with those focus areas. Through its Girls’ Education Initiative, it supports organisations working to expand girls’ access to quality education, equip them to bring about lasting change for themselves and their communities, and help them grow into leadership roles. The initiative takes a comprehensive approach, supporting groups that combine education with health, counselling, tutoring, extracurricular activities, social and family support, life-skills and entrepreneurial skills-building, and mentorship. Some support focuses on underserved communities and at-risk populations; the initiative also seeks to reach boys alongside girls to promote equitable outcomes.
Themes
- Health
- Education
- Entrepreneurship
Geographic Focus
Globally. (as reported in other published sources)
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2023 filing, 65% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022 and TY2023 filings, half of its 213 grants to organisations were $25,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Requests should align with the foundation’s focus areas of health, education and entrepreneurship. (as reported in other published sources)
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2023.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 4%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 1%
- The largest single recipient received 21% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2023, 65% of grant dollars went to organisations The Estee Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 29% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 141 grants in tax year 2023 by size
Median $21,000 (tax year 2023)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Co-Impact Philanthropic Funds · To support the gender fund$3,000,0002023 tax year
- Breast Cancer Research Foundation · For year two of a five-year program to support bcrf disparities initiative$3,000,0002023 tax year
- Student Leadership Network · The young women's leadership schools and the young women's leadership network affiliate schools$1,000,0002023 tax year
- Vital Voices Global Partnership · Vital voices visionaries program$681,5002023 tax year
- Conservation International Foundation · To support facing the climate emergency with women and indigenous peoples$500,0002023 tax year
- Breast Cancer Research Foundation · One year to support the evelyn h. lauder founder's fund$500,0002023 tax year
- Pratham USA · Second chance program and beauty and entrepreneurship program$415,0002023 tax year
- Solutions Project · Resourcing & amplifying grassroots climate justice solutions & narratives$300,0002023 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Jane Lauder — Director
- Meridith Webster — Director
- Sara Moss — Director
- Tracey Travis — Director
- Nancy Mahon — Director (Non-Voting) And Executive Director
- Anthony Thompson — Director And Treasurer
- Fabrizio Freda — Director And President
- William P Lauder — Director And Chairman Of The Board
- Stephane De La Faverie — Director
- Deborah Landesman — Director
- Dr Marsha Gordon — Director
- Pat Fili-Krushel — Director
- Jordan Roth — Director
- Kathleen Sebelius — Director
- Marilu Marshall — Director
- Jane Hertzmark Hudis — Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
2 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $15,657,027 | $14,646,185 | $33,440,308 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $18,528,887 | $18,463,062 | $32,802,969 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
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At a glance
Applying to The Estee Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- New York, NY
Applying to The Estee Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- New York, NY