The Li-Hegeman Family Foundation concentrates its giving on nonpartisan election reform and improving democratic processes, especially supporting organizations that promote alternative voting methods and representative governance. Most of its funding is directed to a small set of national civic-innovation groups, with occasional local philanthropic support for community needs (e.g., a food pantry in Kaua‘i).
Concentrated, high-dollar giving to a few national civic organizations with repeat grants (two grants to the same election-reform group), supplemented by occasional single, smaller community grants.
Li-hegeman Family Foundation’s largest recent grants have gone to organizations working on voting methods and nonpartisan election reform, including repeated $150,000 support for The Center for Election Science in Walnut, California. The foundation’s giving centers on efforts to strengthen representative democracy through alternative voting systems, ballot-structure reform, and civic-innovation work. That pattern is reinforced by a $100,000 grant to Unite America in Denver for nonpartisan election reform. The grant record also shows a narrower stream of community support outside democracy work. In 2025, the foundation gave $30,000 to Kaua'i North Shore Food Pantry in Kilauea, Hawaii, for healthy food, personal care items, pet supplies, and fresh local produce, and it made a $2,000 grant to Centennial Montessori Children's Fund in San Mateo, California. Together, these grants show a funder that is primarily policy-oriented, with occasional support for local basic needs and education. Its annual giving is concentrated rather than broad, with a small number of grants making up the year’s activity. The foundation’s recent pattern suggests a focus on a few recurring partners and a limited set of community grants alongside its democracy portfolio.
In election-reform work, the foundation has backed The Center for Election Science with $150,000 in 2024 and again in 2025 for voting methods that strengthen democracy. It also gave Unite America $100,000 in 2025 and $25,000 in 2024 for nonpartisan election reform. Those grants point to sustained support for organizations working on ballot structure, representation, and civic-system change. Beyond democracy, the foundation made a $30,000 grant to Kaua'i North Shore Food Pantry in Kilauea for healthy food, personal care items, pet supplies, and fresh, local produce. It also supported early childhood education with a $2,000 grant to Centennial Montessori Children's Fund in San Mateo. The mix places systems-change funding alongside limited direct-service and education grants.
Recent grant sizes cluster around a mid-six-figure scale, with the 25th percentile at $56,250, the median at $87,500, and the 75th percentile at $118,750. The foundation’s recent giving shows repeat support to the same organizations: The Center for Election Science appears in both 2024 and 2025, and Unite America also received grants in both years. This points to recurring relationships rather than one-time awards. The foundation is a family foundation, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments. No application process is stated in the provided data.
$457K
$31.9M
$22M
$312K
Most grants fall between $56K and $119K, with a median of $88K.
25th Percentile
$56K
Median
$88K
75th Percentile
$119K
About 50% of grants go to recipients in CA.
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Notable grantees: The Center for Election Science, Unite America, Kaua‘i North Shore Food Pantry
Giving is regional and entirely domestic in the recent sample. California is the top state by grant count, and 50% of grants went to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state. Named recipient locations include Walnut and San Mateo in California, Denver in Colorado, and Kilauea in Hawaii. The recipient-country distribution shows all grants went to U.S. organizations.
Its recent grants focus on nonpartisan election reform and voting-methods advocacy, especially support for organizations working on ranked-choice or other ballot-structure reforms and representative governance. The largest awards in the file went to The Center for Election Science and Unite America for that work.
Yes. The Center for Election Science received $150,000 in 2024 and $150,000 in 2025, and Unite America received $25,000 in 2024 and $100,000 in 2025. That pattern shows recurring support across years.
The grant-size distribution is centered in the mid-six-figure range for this sample: p25 is $56,250, median is $87,500, and p75 is $118,750. The recent list also includes a smaller $2,000 education grant and a $30,000 community grant.
The foundation has supported food security and early childhood education. Recent examples include a $30,000 grant to Kaua'i North Shore Food Pantry for healthy food, personal care items, pet supplies, and fresh local produce, and a $2,000 grant to Centennial Montessori Children's Fund for Montessori education.
The recent grants are all to U.S. recipients. California is the top state by grant count, and 50% of grants went to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state. Named recipient cities include Walnut, San Mateo, Denver, and Kilauea.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE CENTER FOR ELECTION SCIENCE | WALNUT, CA | $150,000 | 2025 | NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO EMPOWERING VOTERS WITH VOTING METHODS THAT STRENGTHEN DEMOCRACY. |
| UNITE AMERICA | DENVER, CO | $100,000 | 2025 | INVESTS IN NONPARTISAN ELECTION REFORM TO FOSTER A MORE REPRESENTATIVE AND FUNCTIONAL GOVERNMENT. |
| KAUA'I NORTH SHORE FOOD PANTRY | KILAUEA, HI | $30,000 | 2025 | NONPROFIT THAT PROVIDES HEALTHY FOOD, PERSONAL CARE ITEMS, AND PET SUPPLIES TO INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN NEED, WITH A FOCUS ON FRESH, LOCAL PRODUCE AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT. |
| CENTENNIAL MONTESSORI CHILDREN'S FUND | SAN MATEO, CA | $2,000 | 2025 | CENTENNIAL MONTESSORI SCHOOL PROVIDES MONTESSORI EDUCATION TO SUPPORT EACH CHILD'S DEVELOPMENT IN A NURTURING AND STRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT. |
| THE CENTER FOR ELECTION SCIENCE | WALNUT, CA | $150,000 | 2024 | NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO EMPOWERING VOTERS WITH VOTING METHODS THAT STRENGTHEN DEMOCRACY. |
| UNITE AMERICA | DENVER, CO | $25,000 | 2024 | INVESTS IN NONPARTISAN ELECTION REFORM TO FOSTER A MORE REPRESENTATIVE AND FUNCTIONAL GOVERNMENT. |
THE CENTER FOR ELECTION SCIENCE
$150,000NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO EMPOWERING VOTERS WITH VOTING METHODS THAT STRENGTHEN DEMOCRACY.
UNITE AMERICA
$100,000INVESTS IN NONPARTISAN ELECTION REFORM TO FOSTER A MORE REPRESENTATIVE AND FUNCTIONAL GOVERNMENT.
KAUA'I NORTH SHORE FOOD PANTRY
$30,000NONPROFIT THAT PROVIDES HEALTHY FOOD, PERSONAL CARE ITEMS, AND PET SUPPLIES TO INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN NEED, WITH A FOCUS ON FRESH, LOCAL PRODUCE AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT.
CENTENNIAL MONTESSORI CHILDREN'S FUND
$2,000CENTENNIAL MONTESSORI SCHOOL PROVIDES MONTESSORI EDUCATION TO SUPPORT EACH CHILD'S DEVELOPMENT IN A NURTURING AND STRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT.
THE CENTER FOR ELECTION SCIENCE
$150,000NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO EMPOWERING VOTERS WITH VOTING METHODS THAT STRENGTHEN DEMOCRACY.
UNITE AMERICA
INVESTS IN NONPARTISAN ELECTION REFORM TO FOSTER A MORE REPRESENTATIVE AND FUNCTIONAL GOVERNMENT.