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Lowell Milken Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$13.6M
Grant Range
$1K - $2.5M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $13.6M (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $1,250 - $2,500,000
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily California, some national grants
  • Total Assets: $215M

Contact Details

Email: Info@lowellmilken.org
Website: https://www.lowellmilken.org/
Address: Santa Monica, CA

Overview

The Lowell Milken Family Foundation was established in 1986 by Lowell Milken to create and support initiatives that cultivate human capital through education and lifelong learning. With assets of approximately $215 million and annual giving of $13.6 million (2023), the foundation operates on a distinctive model: it does not accept unsolicited grant applications, instead making contributions exclusively to preselected charitable organizations. The foundation pursues its mission through flagship programs including the Milken Educator Awards (recognizing over 2,800 educators with $25,000 prizes since 1987), the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET), and the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes. In 2023, the foundation made 57 grants ranging from $1,250 to $2.5 million, primarily supporting education institutions, early childhood programs, and cultural initiatives, with a strong emphasis on projects bearing the Milken name or aligned with Lowell Milken's strategic vision.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through multiple flagship initiatives rather than traditional open grant programs:

Milken Educator Awards: Individual $25,000 unrestricted prizes to exemplary K-12 educators, principals, and specialists. Over $70 million distributed since 1987 to more than 2,800 recipients.

TAP Founder's Award: $50,000 prize funded by the foundation for excellence in teaching, administered through NIET.

Major Institutional Grants: Multi-million dollar endowments to establish centers and programs, typically at universities and educational institutions ($1M - $6.75M range).

Organizational Support Grants: Ongoing support to affiliated organizations and initiatives developed by Lowell Milken ($100K - $2.5M range).

Smaller Programmatic Grants: Support for specific projects and initiatives ($1,250 - $100K).

Priority Areas

K-12 Education Excellence: Teacher recognition, professional development systems, and programs that elevate the teaching profession. Focus on attracting, developing, retaining, and motivating talented educators.

Higher Education: Law school centers focusing on business law, philanthropy and nonprofit law; music and cultural studies programs; endowed professorships.

Early Childhood Education: State-of-the-art early learning facilities and innovative programming, particularly with Jewish educational integration.

Jewish Culture and Heritage: Music archives, typography centers, and cultural preservation initiatives.

Community Leadership Development: Programs that discover and celebrate unsung heroes and inspire young people through historical research.

Medical Research: Selective support for medical institutions and research initiatives.

Recent major recipients include:

  • UCLA Foundation and UCLA School of Law: $4.975M and $2.44M for law centers
  • Milken Community School: $2.5M
  • Stephen Wise Temple: $2.25M for Aaron Milken Center for Early Childhood Education
  • National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (ongoing support)
  • Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

What They Don't Fund

  • Unsolicited proposals from organizations unknown to the foundation
  • Projects outside the foundation's core focus areas of education, Jewish culture, and human capital development
  • Organizations not aligned with Lowell Milken's strategic initiatives
  • Short-term projects without scalable, sustainable impact potential

Governance and Leadership

Founder and Chairman: Lowell Milken

Lowell Milken established the foundation in 1986 and maintains a proactive, hands-on approach to philanthropy. A UCLA Law School alumnus, Milken is also co-founder (with his brother Michael) of the Milken Family Foundation (a separate organization established in 1982). His recognitions include the James Bryant Conant Award for exceptional contributions to American Education (2017) and awards from the National Association of State Boards of Education, Jewish Theological Seminary, and UCLA School of Law Alumnus of the Year for Public Service.

The foundation's governance structure is not publicly disclosed in detail, though Lowell Milken serves as the primary decision-maker for all strategic initiatives.

Leadership Philosophy

Lowell Milken has articulated clear principles guiding the foundation's work:

On Human Capital: "Human capital is the beating heart of education" and "the only people who develop human potential and character as a calling are educators."

On Teacher Quality: "The quality of an educational system cannot exceed the quality of its educators" and "the difference between an effective and ineffective teacher can be a full grade level of student achievement in a single year."

On Recognition: "The power of recognition is one of the strongest forces for stimulating human and social action. By significantly and publicly acknowledging the work and talent of individual educators, the profession itself is raised up."

On Strategic Approach: Advocates for "being bold inventive thorough dogged optimistic confident humble flexible about funding open to others' ideas alert to multiplier opportunities and prepared to partner with individuals of talent."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Lowell Milken Family Foundation maintains a strict policy of making contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited funding requests.

Grants are awarded in three primary ways:

  1. Initiative-Driven: The foundation develops and funds its own signature programs (e.g., Milken Educator Awards, NIET, Lowell Milken Centers)

  2. Invitation-Only: The foundation identifies and invites specific organizations to receive funding, typically institutions with which Lowell Milken has established relationships

  3. Trustee Discretion: Lowell Milken personally selects organizations that align with his strategic vision for education reform and human capital development

The foundation's approach is characterized as "not an accessible or approachable foundation" by nonprofit researchers, with a significant portion of funding directed to projects bearing the Milken name.

Getting on Their Radar

Partnership with Existing Initiatives: The most viable pathway to potential funding is collaborating with one of Milken's signature programs, such as:

  • National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) - if working on teacher effectiveness and professional development
  • Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes - if focused on student-driven historical research and character education
  • Milken Educator Awards network - if engaged in teacher recognition and development

Institutional Relationships: The foundation strongly favors institutions where Lowell Milken has personal connections, particularly:

  • UCLA (his alma mater) - multiple centers and programs funded
  • Jewish educational institutions in Los Angeles (Stephen Wise Temple, Milken Community School)
  • ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena

Alignment with Strategic Vision: Organizations that demonstrate commitment to:

  • Scalable, sustainable, and impactful education reform
  • Elevating the teaching profession through recognition and development
  • Data-driven approaches with documented research outcomes
  • Long-term systemic change rather than short-term interventions

Note: There is no evidence of a pathway for cold outreach or unsolicited introductions. The foundation operates through Lowell Milken's personal network and strategic interests.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Grants appear to result from ongoing relationships and strategic planning rather than periodic review cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications from the general public.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept applications, success in securing funding depends entirely on alignment with Lowell Milken's strategic priorities and establishing institutional relationships. Organizations that have successfully received funding share these characteristics:

Evidence-Based Impact: NIET's success has been "validated by more than 100 research studies that have pointed to the success of NIET's approach, with proven outcomes of increased teacher effectiveness and student performance." Milken values documented, measurable outcomes.

Focus on Human Capital: As Milken states, "developing strong human capital is not only the goal of education, it is the means to achieving that goal." Successful initiatives prioritize educator quality and development as the pathway to student success.

Scalable and Sustainable Design: Milken's approach evolved from "recognizing excellence among the few" to creating "a system to generate excellence among the many." Programs must demonstrate potential for broad implementation and long-term sustainability.

Systemic Reform Orientation: "None of the hundreds of costly school-reform efforts over the past decades have had the scope, force and focus to attract high-caliber talent to the teaching profession, and then reward and motivate the talent to stay." Milken seeks comprehensive systemic solutions, not isolated interventions.

Recognition as a Strategy: The Milken Educator Awards exemplify Milken's belief that "the power of recognition is one of the strongest forces for stimulating human and social action." Programs that incorporate meaningful recognition of excellence align with his philosophy.

Recent Funding Examples (2023):

  • UCLA Foundation received nearly $5 million for law school centers focusing on business law and philanthropy/nonprofit law
  • Milken Community School received $2.5 million for ongoing operations
  • Stephen Wise Temple received $2.25 million for the Aaron Milken Center for Early Childhood Education
  • National Institute for Excellence in Teaching received ongoing support for the TAP System

Technology as Tool, Not Solution: Milken emphasizes "technology is a bridge, not a destination," indicating successful programs use technology strategically to support human connection and development.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This foundation exclusively funds preselected organizations. Do not submit unsolicited proposals - they will not be reviewed.

  • Strategic Focus on Education Reform: All major grants align with Lowell Milken's vision of elevating the teaching profession through recognition, professional development, and systemic reform. Projects outside this focus are unlikely to receive consideration.

  • Relationship-Driven Philanthropy: Nearly all grants go to institutions with established connections to Lowell Milken, particularly UCLA (his alma mater) and Los Angeles-area Jewish educational institutions.

  • Large-Scale, Long-Term Commitments: The foundation favors major institutional grants ($1M+) that create lasting infrastructure (centers, endowments, facilities) over short-term programmatic funding.

  • Partnership Potential Through Signature Programs: The only realistic pathway to funding is collaborating with existing Milken initiatives like NIET or the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, demonstrating how your work advances their mission.

  • Human Capital Philosophy: Success depends on demonstrating commitment to Milken's core belief: "Human capital dwarfs all other financial assets. People make the difference." Programs must prioritize developing human potential, particularly among educators.

  • Research-Validated Approaches: Milken values data-driven programs with documented outcomes and the potential for replication at scale. Be prepared to demonstrate evidence of effectiveness.

References

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