Luis Von Ahn Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $5,338,891 (2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available (invitation-only model)
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: $25,000 - $200,000+ (estimated based on median of $55,000)
• Geographic Focus: Guatemala exclusively

Contact Details

Website: https://www.luisvonahnfoundation.org/

Address: 150 W Lyndhurst Dr, Pittsburgh, PA 15206

Email Format: first@luisvonahnfoundation.org

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant proposals, requests, or letters of inquiry.

Overview

Established in 2021 by Luis von Ahn, co-founder and CEO of Duolingo, the Luis Von Ahn Foundation is a Pittsburgh-based private foundation committed to a future where all Guatemalans are equally valued, can thrive, and are able to fully exercise their human rights. With total assets of $8.2 million (2024) and annual charitable disbursements of $5.3 million, the foundation focuses exclusively on supporting local community leaders and nonprofit organizations working to improve lives in Guatemala, especially for women and girls. The foundation employs a trust-based philanthropy model that prioritizes deep partnerships over transactional grantmaking, providing multi-year, unrestricted funding equivalent to 10-20% of partner organizations' annual budgets. Von Ahn, a Guatemalan immigrant and MacArthur Fellow, was motivated by his personal experience with educational inequality in Guatemala, stating: "People talk about education as an equalizer, but I've seen how it can be a divider."

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

• Core Grants (90% of budget): Multi-year unrestricted funding, $55,000 median, invitation only
• Learning Grants (10% of budget): Exploratory grants for potential future partners, invitation only

Priority Areas

• Women's and Girls' Equality (largest investment area)
• Conservation of Nature
• Democracy and Youth Participation
• Cross-cutting priority: Education for women, girls, and Indigenous communities

What They Don't Fund

• Organizations outside Guatemala
• Unsolicited applications
• Early-stage organizations
• Organizations without specialized, full-time staff
• Organizations where leadership is not predominantly women

Governance and Leadership

Luis von Ahn - Founder and President: Guatemalan-American entrepreneur, co-founder and CEO of Duolingo, MacArthur Fellow (2006). Von Ahn stated: "Early on, what motivated me was surprising, non-obvious, clever ideas. These days, I'm a lot more motivated by large-scale impact."

Current program leadership includes directors for Conservation of Nature, Democracy and Citizen Participation, and Grants Management, with a focus on women's leadership throughout the organization.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Luis Von Ahn Foundation operates on an invitation-only basis and does not accept unsolicited grant proposals, requests, or letters of inquiry. The foundation invites organizations when they believe there is strong alignment with their mission and values.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available. The foundation prioritizes relationship-building before formal proposals.

Success Rates

Not publicly available due to invitation-only model. In 2023, the foundation made 31 grants.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable due to invitation-only model and multi-year grant structure.

Application Success Factors

The foundation seeks mid-sized organizations in Guatemala that:

• Have women comprising the majority of staff and leadership
• Are in scaling or maturity phase with specialized, legally employed staff
• Demonstrate close connections between leadership and fieldwork
• Align with priority areas (women's equality, conservation, democracy)
• Can operate with trust-based flexibility and autonomy

The foundation emphasizes "partnership over paperwork," preferring to see impact firsthand rather than through extensive reporting. As Program Manager Evelyn Roquel noted about grantee selection: organizations must "guarantee access to quality education for youth while prioritizing Indigenous girls and women."

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Invitation-only structure - organizations cannot directly apply
• Women's leadership is essential - majority women staff and leadership strongly preferred
• Guatemala exclusivity - only organizations working in Guatemala eligible
• Trust-based model - multi-year, unrestricted funding of 10-20% of organizational budgets
• Focus on scaling organizations - mid-sized with established operations, not early-stage
• Relationship-first approach - extensive relationship building before formal proposals
• Strategic alignment - clear impact in education, women's rights, conservation, or democracy with focus on women, girls, and Indigenous communities

References

• Luis Von Ahn Foundation official website: https://www.luisvonahnfoundation.org/ (Accessed February 2026)
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Luis Von Ahn Foundation: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/870993008 (Accessed February 2026)
• Instrumentl 990 Report: https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/luis-von-ahn-foundation (Accessed February 2026)
• Limitless Horizons Ixil - Partnership with Luis von Ahn Foundation: https://limitlesshorizonsixil.org/notes-from-the-horizon/luis-von-ahn-foundation/ (Accessed February 2026)
• Americas Quarterly - Interview with Luis von Ahn: https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/duolingos-luis-von-ahn-i-just-want-to-have-an-impact/ (Accessed February 2026)