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Lisa & Douglas Goldman Fund

Annual Giving
$14.3M
Grant Range
$5K - $0.5M
Decision Time
4mo

Lisa & Douglas Goldman Fund

Quick Stats

  • Total Assets: $280 million
  • Annual Giving: $14.3 million (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Quarterly board review (approximately 3-4 months)
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $500,000
  • Average Grant: $25,000
  • Geographic Focus: San Francisco Bay Area priority; national/multi-state for specific programs

Contact Details

Address: 1 Montgomery Street, Suite 3440, San Francisco, CA 94104-4505
Phone: 415-771-1717
Website: https://ldgfund.org/
Application Portal: Available through website (rolling basis)

Overview

Established in 1992 by Lisa and Douglas Goldman, the Lisa & Douglas Goldman Fund is a San Francisco-based private foundation with approximately $280 million in assets. The foundation awarded $14.3 million to 209 nonprofit organizations in 2024, bringing its total philanthropic support since inception to over $185 million across 883 organizations. The fund strives to be "responsive and flexible" in its grantmaking, making "informed and responsible grants" within its program areas. President Douglas E. Goldman emphasizes the foundation's commitment to transparency and accessibility for prospective grantees. The foundation's strategic priorities reflect both local Bay Area interests and national policy concerns, including voter engagement, gun violence prevention, civic education, climate change mitigation, combatting antisemitism, defending civil liberties, and protecting reproductive health and rights.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Open Application Programs (Letter of Inquiry accepted):

  • Democracy & Civil Liberties: Multi-state/national projects only - voting rights expansion, campaign finance reform, gun violence prevention
  • Education & Literacy:
    • K-12 Public Education (San Francisco only) - alignment with SFUSD priorities
    • Civic Education (National/multi-state) - teacher professional development, state/national civic priorities
  • Environment:
    • Sustainable industry practices (national/multi-state)
    • Nature-based climate solutions (international/national/California)
    • Local emissions reduction and climate resilience (San Francisco Bay Area only)
  • Jewish Community (SF Bay Area and/or national): Combating antisemitism, engaging community on climate/voting/gun violence/reproductive rights, innovative Judaism programs
  • Reproductive Health & Rights (National, regional, California, multi-state): Medication abortion access, care navigation, provider training, Northern California clinic support

Invitation-Only Programs:

  • Health & Recreation
  • Bay Area Institutions & Projects
  • Special Initiatives

Priority Areas

Democracy & Civil Liberties: "Ensure informed, active, and equal citizen participation in the democratic process" through voting rights protection and expansion, reducing the influence of money in politics, and gun violence prevention policy and education

Education & Literacy: Support projects aligned with San Francisco Unified School District priorities, community-wide literacy initiatives, and civic education curriculum development

Environment: Protect ecosystems that sequester carbon with special interest in primary forests and engaging Indigenous communities; reduce local greenhouse gas emissions; prepare Bay Area for climate change impacts

Jewish Community: Create a more vibrant, inclusive, and safe Jewish community in the Bay Area and nationally through innovative programming and policy engagement

Reproductive Health & Rights: Expand access to medication abortion, support care navigation services, train providers, and sustain Northern California independent clinics

What They Don't Fund

Explicitly Excluded:

  • Deficit budgets
  • Grants to individuals
  • Academic research
  • Events, conferences, or symposia
  • Documentaries and films
  • General operating support (unsolicited)
  • Scholarships
  • Endowment campaigns
  • Arts and cultural organizations
  • Educational institutions (general support)
  • Organizations that advocate for, engage in, or endorse policies or actions that are antisemitic or question the legitimacy of Israel

Additional Limitations:

  • Rarely provides 100% of a project's budget
  • Single-city projects not eligible for Democracy & Civil Liberties
  • Single-state projects not eligible for Reproductive Health & Rights (except California)
  • Multiple simultaneous applications from same organization prohibited

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors (all Goldman family members):

  • Douglas E. Goldman, President
  • Lisa M. Goldman
  • Jennifer R. Goldman, Treasurer
  • Jason E. Goldman, Secretary
  • Matthew W. Goldman

Staff:

  • Nancy S. Kami, Executive Director
  • Debbie Findling, Ed.D., Strategic Philanthropy Advisor
  • Pamela Allen, Senior Program Officer
  • Heather Hart, Grants and Operations Administrator

Leadership Perspective: President Douglas E. Goldman states: "We invite you to peruse our site, learn about our foundation, and read about the inspiring work of our grantees" and expresses hope that the foundation's website "will provide the information and guidance that prospective grantees are seeking."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Two-Stage Process:

  1. Letter of Inquiry (required first step): Submit through online application portal at ldgfund.org after reviewing eligibility questionnaire and program priorities. Rolling basis with no deadlines. Each organization may submit only one request per year.

  2. Full Proposal (invitation only): Organizations whose Letters of Inquiry advance receive email invitations to submit detailed proposals with supporting materials.

Prerequisites:

  • 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status or fiscal sponsor with this status
  • Complete eligibility questionnaire
  • Review Interests & Priorities to ensure alignment
  • Cannot apply while holding an active grant from the fund

Capital Campaign Special Requirement: For capital projects, organizations must demonstrate 100% Board participation through personal financial contributions to the campaign.

Decision Timeline

  • Board Review: Grant requests considered quarterly (typically once per quarter)
  • Response Time: Fund strives to respond in a timely manner; contact for specific timing questions
  • Estimated Total Timeline: Approximately 3-4 months from Letter of Inquiry submission to decision

Success Rates

Success rates and application statistics are not publicly disclosed. The fund awarded 209 grants in 2024 from an undisclosed number of applications.

Reapplication Policy

  • After Grant Completion: Organizations may reapply for the same project after the current grant period ends (renewal requests welcomed)
  • After Denial: Organizations may reapply one year after a previously denied request was submitted
  • During Active Grant: Organizations cannot apply while holding an active grant from the fund
  • Submission Limit: One request per organization per year

Application Corrections: If errors are discovered after submission, contact the fund directly rather than resubmitting the entire application.

Application Success Factors

Critical Alignment Factors:

  1. Budget Realism: Grant amounts depend on project scope, organizational capacity, other funding sources, and (for capital requests) board financial commitment. The fund "rarely provides support for 100% of a project's budget," so demonstrate diversified funding strategy.

  2. Geographic Specificity: Carefully review geographic requirements for each program area. Democracy & Civil Liberties requires multi-state/national scope; some Environment grants are Bay Area-only; single-state projects (except California) are ineligible for Reproductive Health & Rights.

  3. Board Commitment for Capital: Capital campaign applicants must show 100% Board participation through personal financial contributions before applying.

  4. Program Alignment: Study the fund's specific goals within each program area. For example, Environment grants prioritize carbon sequestration ecosystems, Indigenous community engagement, and local emissions reduction—not general environmental work.

  5. One Clear Ask: The annual one-request-per-organization limit means applicants must choose their strongest project fit carefully. Multiple simultaneous applications are prohibited.

Recent Funding Examples Show Preference For:

  • iCivics (Cambridge, MA): $100,000 for civic education
  • Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence (Washington, DC): $50,000 for gun violence prevention
  • Center for Countering Digital Hate (Washington, DC): $100,000 for democracy protection
  • Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine (Brooklyn, NY): $100,000 for medication abortion access
  • 826 Valencia (San Francisco): $50,000 for writing support to 3rd-5th graders
  • A More Perfect Union: $125,000 for galvanizing Jewish community to strengthen democracy
  • Abortion Care Network: $75,000 for independent clinic sustainability

Funder Character: According to Inside Philanthropy analysis, this is "an accessible funder for Bay Area organizations" with grantees ranging "from well-established national organizations to small local upstarts," though the fund "tends to be more risk-averse."

Presentation Preferences: The fund values environmental sustainability and prefers submissions be "succinct, double-sided, and printed on recycled or tree-free paper."

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Choose your moment carefully: With only one application per organization per year and quarterly board reviews, timing and project selection are critical strategic decisions
  • Demonstrate funding diversity: The fund rarely covers 100% of project budgets, so show strong co-funding commitments from other sources
  • Match geographic requirements precisely: Each program area has specific geographic scopes (local, state, multi-state, national)—ensure your project fits before applying
  • Bay Area organizations have advantage: While national grants are made, San Francisco Bay Area projects receive priority consideration and have more program areas available
  • Capital campaigns need 100% Board giving: Before applying for capital support, ensure every board member has made a personal financial contribution
  • Family foundation values transparency: The fund provides extensive online resources, grants database, and detailed FAQs—use these to inform your approach
  • Risk-averse but accessible: Strong established track record helps, but small organizations with clear alignment to priorities can succeed

References

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