Lytton-Kambara Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $1,491,900 (2023)
Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
Grant Range: $100 - $1,000,000
Average Grant: $74,595
Total Assets: $71.5 million (2024)
Geographic Focus: Primarily New York, California, and Virginia; also supports organizations in District of Columbia, Georgia, Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
Number of Grants: 20 grants (2023)

Contact Details

Address: Foundation Source, 501 Silverside Road, Wilmington, DE 19809

EIN: 81-4172003

Note: The foundation does not have a public website, email, or phone contact information available.

Overview

The Lytton-Kambara Foundation was established as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) private grantmaking foundation in August 2017. With total assets of $71.5 million and annual giving of approximately $1.5 million, the foundation focuses its philanthropic efforts on education, health care, and philanthropy/voluntarism/grantmaking sectors. The foundation operates with a small family-based governance structure led by three directors: Laurence Lytton, Janice Kambara, and Katherine Lytton. In 2023, the foundation received significant capital contributions of $26.5 million, representing a substantial infusion that has strengthened its grantmaking capacity. The foundation distributes approximately 89% of its expenses as charitable disbursements, demonstrating a strong commitment to its grantmaking mission.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates as a private grantmaking foundation with trustee-discretion grants. All grants are made to preselected charitable organizations chosen by the foundation's directors.

Grant Range: $100 - $1,000,000
Average Grant Size: $74,595
Application Method: Invitation only/trustee discretion

Priority Areas

The foundation's grantmaking focuses on:

Education: Supporting educational institutions and programs
Health Care: Funding health-related organizations and initiatives
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking: Supporting other charitable and philanthropic organizations

Geographic Focus

Primary focus areas:

New York
California
Virginia

Secondary support areas:

District of Columbia
Georgia
Maine
New Jersey
Pennsylvania

Specific cities where the foundation has funded projects include: Albany, Arlington, Brunswick, Bryn Mawr, Claremont, Decatur, Gardiner, Gloversville, Highland, Mahwah, Mountain View, New Hyde Park, New Paltz, New York City, Ossining, and Washington, DC.

What They Don't Fund

As the foundation only makes contributions to preselected organizations, they do not fund:

Unsolicited grant applications
Organizations outside their predetermined focus areas
Individual requests

Governance and Leadership

The Lytton-Kambara Foundation is governed by a three-member board of directors, all of whom serve without compensation:

Laurence Lytton: Director, President, Secretary, and Treasurer
Janice Kambara: Director
Katherine Lytton: Director

The foundation operates with a lean administrative structure, with Laurence Lytton reported as working approximately 8 hours per week on foundation business. The family-based governance structure suggests grants are made based on the personal philanthropic interests and connections of the founding families.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

The foundation has explicitly indicated that it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. All grantmaking decisions are made at the discretion of the board of directors, who identify and select organizations aligned with their philanthropic priorities.

Organizations cannot apply directly to this foundation. Grants are awarded based on:

Pre-existing relationships with the foundation's directors
Proactive identification by trustees of organizations fitting their mission
Strategic alignment with the foundation's focus areas

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed, as grants are made through trustee discretion rather than formal application cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications or reapplications.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation operates on an invitation-only basis with trustee discretion, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, organizations that have received funding typically demonstrate:

Strong alignment with priority areas: Education, health care, and philanthropic infrastructure
Geographic focus: Operations in or serving New York, California, Virginia, and other states where the foundation has demonstrated interest
Established track records: As evidenced by known grantee Open Space Institute Inc., the foundation supports well-established organizations
Mission alignment: Organizations whose work resonates with the philanthropic values of the founding families

Organizations in the foundation's priority areas might increase their visibility in the sector through:

Excellence in program delivery in education and health care sectors
Building strong reputations in the New York, California, or Virginia nonprofit communities
Demonstrating measurable impact in areas aligned with the foundation's interests

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No public application process: This foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications and operates entirely on trustee discretion
Preselected organizations only: All grants go to organizations chosen by the foundation's board of directors
Family foundation structure: Governance by the Lytton and Kambara families means grants reflect personal philanthropic interests
Substantial grantmaking capacity: With $71.5 million in assets and $1.5 million in annual giving, the foundation has significant resources
Focus on three sectors: Education, health care, and philanthropy/voluntarism are the primary funding areas
Multi-state geographic reach: While centered on New York, California, and Virginia, the foundation supports organizations across multiple states
Wide grant range: Awards from $100 to $1,000,000 suggest flexibility in supporting both small and large initiatives

References

Information compiled December 22, 2025