
Lumina Foundation for Education Inc. is operating primarily as a grantmaker that routes philanthropic dollars through an intermediary (Blackbaud Giving Fund) to support its 2023–2024 gift programs. All recorded giving in this period was concentrated into that intermediary vehicle rather than directly to operating nonprofits, suggesting the foundation is using donor‑advised or pass‑through mechanisms to deploy its education-related philanthropy.
Lumina Foundation for Education Inc. routes much of its giving through Blackbaud Giving Fund, and the largest recent award in the record is a $2,508,511 grant in 2025 to support Lumina's 2023–2024 gift programs through that conduit. That pattern fits a foundation using intermediary vehicles alongside direct program grants to move education philanthropy. Beyond the pass-through gifts, the foundation backs postsecondary attainment work across research, policy, redesign, and student supports. Recent awards include $900,000 to Georgetown University for research and technical assistance on the alignment of postsecondary education and workforce, and $750,000 to the Trustees of the California State University to automate admissions through California's college and career readiness platform. Other grants point to a strong interest in adult learners, equity in higher education, and credential pathways that connect college and work. The foundation also supports initiatives tied to community colleges, state systems, journalism about higher education, and civic sponsorships. Jamie Merisotis serves as President/CEO, and the organization is structured as a regular funder with program-related investments and direct support for individuals. The record shows a national grantmaking scope, with a heavy share of awards landing in Indiana.
Adult learner access is one of the clearest threads in Lumina Foundation for Education Inc.'s grantmaking. In 2023, it gave $1,000,000 to State Center Community College District to support marketing and brand-building at Madera Community College, with the goal of increasing adult learner enrollment. It also awarded $750,000 to Northern Arizona University Foundation to expand a universal admissions program to nine Arizona community college districts. Equity-focused higher education work appears in a $575,000 grant to University of Hawaii Foundation to help increase Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and Filipino attainment through the Talent, Innovation, and Equity initiative. Another $745,200 went to Illinois Community College Board to expand skills gap training for students of color in at-risk communities through support services, credential completion, and workforce training. These awards show attention to enrollment, access, and completion across student groups and systems.
$30.2M
$1.5B
$85.4M
$72.6M
Most grants fall between $8K and $100K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$100K
Jamie Merisotis
President/CEO
Top 4 recipient countries by grant volume for Lumina Foundation for Education.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 1,044 | $131.3M | 99.2% |
| 2 | France |
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Highly concentrated: two large grants (the entire reported giving) directed to a single intermediary; appears to use a giving-fund model rather than making numerous direct grants.
Notable grantees: Blackbaud Giving Fund
Typical grant size sits at $7,500 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $100,000 at the 75th percentile, which indicates a mix of modest awards and larger strategic grants. The record also shows very large pass-through gifts to Blackbaud Giving Fund, suggesting Lumina uses intermediary channels alongside direct operating support. Repeated support appears across years for some themes, including journalism about higher education and state-system initiatives, but the specific grantees vary by year. The foundation is a regular funder, makes program-related investments, and funds individuals. Unsolicited requests are accepted for civic sponsorships through an online form, while the main grant programs listed do not accept unsolicited applications.
Grantmaking is national, but the distribution is weighted toward Indiana, which accounts for 35% of grants. Recent awards also land in Washington, DC; Springfield, IL; Long Beach, CA; and Charleston, SC. Outside the United States, the recipient-country data shows very limited activity: 2 grants in France and 1 in the United Kingdom. The grant record points to a broad U.S. footprint with concentration in a few policy and higher-education hubs rather than one local metro area.
The distribution centers at $7,500 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $100,000 at the 75th percentile. That suggests many awards are relatively small, with a meaningful share reaching six figures.
Yes, but only for civic sponsorships submitted through an online form. The main grant programs listed, including general grantmaking and state policy partnerships, do not accept unsolicited applications.
The record shows a strong emphasis on postsecondary attainment, adult learner access, community college reform, equity in higher education, workforce-aligned credentials, and policy or research work tied to those goals.
Blackbaud Giving Fund appears in both 2023 and 2025 in the top recent grants list, and Washington Monthly appears in both years as well. The record also shows recurring support for policy and journalism-oriented work across multiple years.
Almost all grants go to U.S. recipients, but the recipient-country distribution includes 2 grants to France and 1 grant to the United Kingdom.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
| 4 |
| $485K |
0.4% |
| 3 | United Kingdom | 2 | $1.1M | 0.2% |
| 4 | Guam | 2 | $165K | 0.2% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackbaud Giving Fund | Charleston, SC | $2,508,511 | 2025 | To support Lumina's 2023-2024 Gift Programs through the Blackbaud Giving Fund. |
| Georgetown University | Washington, DC | $900,000 | 2025 | To strengthen the alignment of postsecondary education and workforce via research and technical assistance. |
| Northern Arizona University Foundation | Flagstaff, AZ | $750,000 | 2025 | To expand Northern Arizona University's universal admissions program to nine Arizona community college districts |
| Illinois Board of Higher Education | Springfield, IL | $750,000 | 2025 | To implement direct admissions statewide in Illinois for community college transfer students and high school seniors, using the Common App |
| Trustees of the California State University | Long Beach, CA | $750,000 | 2025 | To automate admissions to the CSU system through California's official K-12 college & career readiness platform |
| The Third Way Foundation Inc | Washington, DC | $745,000 | 2025 | To assess the true costs of developing and offering short-term workforce development programs at community colleges and evaluate the implications of these costs for school administrators. |
| Complete College America | Indianapolis, IN | $740,000 | 2025 | to support the continued implementation of the Historically Black Community College Network |
| Competency-Based Education Network | Franklin, TN | $700,000 | 2025 | To pilot competency-based math course redesign models to foster more equitable pathways to success at community colleges |
| John N Gardner Institute | Brevard, NC | $670,000 | 2025 | To work with Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education institutions to create and implement five-year plans that transform the foundational postsecondary experience. |
| Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association Inc | Arlington, VA | $650,000 | 2025 | To support public television news broadcast segments related to the nation's need for increased educational attainment after high school. |
| Washington Monthly Institute Inc | Washington, DC | $650,000 | 2025 | To support independent, policy-oriented journalism about issues vital to creating a better-educated country. |
| Research for Action | Philadelphia, PA | $550,000 | 2025 | To conduct research and evaluation on Lumina's Great Admissions Redesign Challenge grantees. |
| Association of Community College Trustees | Washington, DC | $450,000 | 2025 | To support the Kids on Campus framework for co-locating Head Start programs on community college campuses |
| SUNY Impact Foundation Inc | New York, NY | $425,000 | 2025 | To support the SUNY system in implementing the ASAP | ACE model with 10 institutions. |
| Public Radio Exchange | Minneapolis, MN | $400,000 | 2025 | To support coverage of immigrants seeking education and training after high school. |
| Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System | Madison, WI | $350,000 | 2025 | To study the impact of integrating proactive financial aid notifications with direct admissions programs in at least two states, in partnership with Scholarship America |
| Rutgers The State University of New Jersey | New Brunswick, NJ | $350,000 | 2025 | To support sustainability efforts of the Non-degree Credentials Research Network (NCRN) |
| VIP Consortium Inc | Atlanta, GA | $330,000 | 2025 | To further the efforts of the Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Consortium of postsecondary institutions seeking to enhance student employability. |
| Louisiana Board of Regents | Baton Rouge, LA | $330,000 | 2025 | To support a faculty professional development program to equip faculty with equity-driven pedagogical tools to improve student learning and close equity gaps. |
| Regents of the University of California - Merced | Merced, CA | $300,000 | 2025 | To conduct an analysis of student family wealth and existing Pell awards towards the development of the framework of a supplemental, wealth-based Pell Grant |
| UnidosUS | Washington, DC | $300,000 | 2025 | To support research, policy analysis, and non-partisan advocacy in support of efforts to increase postsecondary attainment and quality for Latino students in postsecondary education. |
| Community Services Society of New York | New York, NY | $300,000 | 2025 | To provide capacity building support to the Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program. |
| Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University | Carbondale, IL | $300,000 | 2025 | To support the SIU system to implement evidence-based interventions to improve academic progress, decrease DFW rates, and increase students' sense of belonging. |
| Louisiana Board of Regents | Baton Rouge, LA | $300,000 | 2025 | To plan for automated admissions for Louisiana's universal transfer pathway students and high school seniors |
| Miami University | Oxford, OH | $300,000 | 2025 | To implement a faculty professional development intervention to promote innovation and equity in redesigning programs, courses, and learning environments. |
| Open Campus Media Inc | Washington DC, IN | $275,000 | 2025 | To support in-depth coverage of race and equity in higher education, and higher education coverage in Indiana. |
| Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development | PARIS | $265,000 | 2025 | To identify international best practices in how collaboration between higher ed institutions, cities, and regions can support sustainable development goals. |
| Schott Foundation for Public Education The | Cambridge, MA | $250,000 | 2025 | To provide operating support for the next iteration of the Executives' Alliance for Boys and Men of Color. |
| Washington Student Achievement Council | Olympia, WA | $250,000 | 2025 | To conduct research around the narrative surrounding higher education and its benefits and deliver new messaging to target audiences |
| American Academy of Arts and Sciences | Cambridge, MA | $250,000 | 2025 | To support the Aspen Higher Education Forum with journalists' participation. |
| State Higher Education Executive Officers | Boulder, CO | $250,000 | 2025 | To build capacity among SHEEOs to advance equitable policy agendas. |
| Education Strategy Group | Chevy Chase, MD | $250,000 | 2025 | To provide technical assistance to SHEEOs involved in cross-agency workforce collaboratives, and facilitate the launch for an 8 state collaborative on electric vehicles. |
| Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Inc | Washington, DC | $250,000 | 2025 | To support the Higher Ed Forward joint funder effort designed to advance student success, academic freedom, and democratic principles through designated pooled funding. |
| Texas Higher Education Foundation | Austin, TX | $250,000 | 2025 | To develop direct admissions pathways for Texas students using the state's official college & career readiness platform |
| Leadership Conference Education Fund The | Washington, DC | $250,000 | 2025 | To convene a coalition of national civil rights partners around advancing racial equity and economic mobility in federal higher education policy |
| Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law | Washington, DC | $230,000 | 2025 | To address challenges arising from US Supreme Court rulings prohibiting colleges and universities from considering race as one factor among many in college admissions |
| Memorial Community Development Corporation | Evansville, IN | $210,000 | 2025 | To provide general operating support for Our Times, a Black community newspaper in Evansville, Indiana. |
| Student Borrower Protection Center | Washington, DC | $200,000 | 2025 | To conduct an analysis of companies that facilitate low-quality, high-cost education and training and a study exploring the implication of student loan debt on perceptions of the value of higher education. |
| National Student Legal Defense Network | Washington, DC | $200,000 | 2025 | To support policy analysis and advocacy addressing reverse redlining and basic needs insecurity in higher education. |
| Georgia State University Foundation | Atlanta, GA | $200,000 | 2025 | To support The National Institute for Student Success to deliver its Diagnostic Playbook services to 3 SUNY institutions. |
| Civic News Company | New York, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | To support higher education coverage in Colorado. |
| Foundation for California Community Colleges | Sacramento, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | To support implementation of California's Master Plan for Career Education. |
| Foundation for California Community Colleges | Sacramento, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | To support the California Education Learning Lab to develop a novel statewide, intersegmental professional learning cooperative serving California's public higher education institutions. |
| Research Foundation of CUNY | New York, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | To support professional development of CUNY four-year and two-year college faculty on the ethical use of AI and the development of open educational resources for using AI in the classroom. |
| Excelencia in Education Inc | Washington, DC | $200,000 | 2025 | To inform institutional, state, and national policy with practices and strategies to address affordability and more intentionally serve Latino students |
| Project on Predatory Student Lending Inc | Jamaica Plain, MA | $200,000 | 2025 | To support the Project on Predatory Student Lending in building infrastructure to harness student borrower clients' voices. |
| Linked Learning Alliance | San Francisco, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | To evaluate the implementation and progress of the Golden State Pathways Program in California. |
| Free Press Indiana Inc | Indianapolis, IN | $200,000 | 2025 | To support advertising and marketing efforts to build audience and brand recognition for a local newsroom. |
| Data Quality Campaign Inc | Washington, DC | $180,000 | 2025 | To elevate the use of state longitudinal data systems in automating admissions processes and to provide TA to Great Admissions Redesign grantees |
| American Association of Colleges and Universities | Washington, DC | $180,000 | 2025 | To support the rollout of Democracy Re/Designed and support IDHE's transition to AAC&U |
Blackbaud Giving Fund
$2,508,511To support Lumina's 2023-2024 Gift Programs through the Blackbaud Giving Fund.
Georgetown University
$900,000To strengthen the alignment of postsecondary education and workforce via research and technical assistance.
Northern Arizona University Foundation
$750,000To expand Northern Arizona University's universal admissions program to nine Arizona community college districts
Illinois Board of Higher Education
$750,000To implement direct admissions statewide in Illinois for community college transfer students and high school seniors, using the Common App
Trustees of the California State University
$750,000To automate admissions to the CSU system through California's official K-12 college & career readiness platform
The Third Way Foundation Inc
To assess the true costs of developing and offering short-term workforce development programs at community colleges and evaluate the implications of these costs for school administrators.
Complete College America
$740,000to support the continued implementation of the Historically Black Community College Network
Competency-Based Education Network
$700,000To pilot competency-based math course redesign models to foster more equitable pathways to success at community colleges
John N Gardner Institute
$670,000To work with Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education institutions to create and implement five-year plans that transform the foundational postsecondary experience.
Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association Inc
$650,000To support public television news broadcast segments related to the nation's need for increased educational attainment after high school.
Washington Monthly Institute Inc
$650,000To support independent, policy-oriented journalism about issues vital to creating a better-educated country.
Research for Action
$550,000To conduct research and evaluation on Lumina's Great Admissions Redesign Challenge grantees.
Association of Community College Trustees
$450,000To support the Kids on Campus framework for co-locating Head Start programs on community college campuses
SUNY Impact Foundation Inc
$425,000To support the SUNY system in implementing the ASAP | ACE model with 10 institutions.
Public Radio Exchange
$400,000To support coverage of immigrants seeking education and training after high school.
Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
$350,000To study the impact of integrating proactive financial aid notifications with direct admissions programs in at least two states, in partnership with Scholarship America
Rutgers The State University of New Jersey
$350,000To support sustainability efforts of the Non-degree Credentials Research Network (NCRN)
VIP Consortium Inc
$330,000To further the efforts of the Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Consortium of postsecondary institutions seeking to enhance student employability.
Louisiana Board of Regents
$330,000To support a faculty professional development program to equip faculty with equity-driven pedagogical tools to improve student learning and close equity gaps.
Regents of the University of California - Merced
$300,000To conduct an analysis of student family wealth and existing Pell awards towards the development of the framework of a supplemental, wealth-based Pell Grant
UnidosUS
$300,000To support research, policy analysis, and non-partisan advocacy in support of efforts to increase postsecondary attainment and quality for Latino students in postsecondary education.
Community Services Society of New York
$300,000To provide capacity building support to the Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program.
Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University
$300,000To support the SIU system to implement evidence-based interventions to improve academic progress, decrease DFW rates, and increase students' sense of belonging.
Louisiana Board of Regents
$300,000To plan for automated admissions for Louisiana's universal transfer pathway students and high school seniors
Miami University
$300,000To implement a faculty professional development intervention to promote innovation and equity in redesigning programs, courses, and learning environments.
Open Campus Media Inc
$275,000To support in-depth coverage of race and equity in higher education, and higher education coverage in Indiana.
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
$265,000To identify international best practices in how collaboration between higher ed institutions, cities, and regions can support sustainable development goals.
Schott Foundation for Public Education The
$250,000To provide operating support for the next iteration of the Executives' Alliance for Boys and Men of Color.
Washington Student Achievement Council
$250,000To conduct research around the narrative surrounding higher education and its benefits and deliver new messaging to target audiences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
$250,000To support the Aspen Higher Education Forum with journalists' participation.
State Higher Education Executive Officers
$250,000To build capacity among SHEEOs to advance equitable policy agendas.
Education Strategy Group
$250,000To provide technical assistance to SHEEOs involved in cross-agency workforce collaboratives, and facilitate the launch for an 8 state collaborative on electric vehicles.
Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Inc
$250,000To support the Higher Ed Forward joint funder effort designed to advance student success, academic freedom, and democratic principles through designated pooled funding.
Texas Higher Education Foundation
$250,000To develop direct admissions pathways for Texas students using the state's official college & career readiness platform
Leadership Conference Education Fund The
$250,000To convene a coalition of national civil rights partners around advancing racial equity and economic mobility in federal higher education policy
Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
$230,000To address challenges arising from US Supreme Court rulings prohibiting colleges and universities from considering race as one factor among many in college admissions
Memorial Community Development Corporation
$210,000To provide general operating support for Our Times, a Black community newspaper in Evansville, Indiana.
Student Borrower Protection Center
$200,000To conduct an analysis of companies that facilitate low-quality, high-cost education and training and a study exploring the implication of student loan debt on perceptions of the value of higher education.
National Student Legal Defense Network
$200,000To support policy analysis and advocacy addressing reverse redlining and basic needs insecurity in higher education.
Georgia State University Foundation
$200,000To support The National Institute for Student Success to deliver its Diagnostic Playbook services to 3 SUNY institutions.
Civic News Company
$200,000To support higher education coverage in Colorado.
Foundation for California Community Colleges
$200,000To support implementation of California's Master Plan for Career Education.
Foundation for California Community Colleges
$200,000To support the California Education Learning Lab to develop a novel statewide, intersegmental professional learning cooperative serving California's public higher education institutions.
Research Foundation of CUNY
$200,000To support professional development of CUNY four-year and two-year college faculty on the ethical use of AI and the development of open educational resources for using AI in the classroom.
Excelencia in Education Inc
$200,000To inform institutional, state, and national policy with practices and strategies to address affordability and more intentionally serve Latino students
Project on Predatory Student Lending Inc
$200,000To support the Project on Predatory Student Lending in building infrastructure to harness student borrower clients' voices.
Linked Learning Alliance
$200,000To evaluate the implementation and progress of the Golden State Pathways Program in California.
Free Press Indiana Inc
$200,000To support advertising and marketing efforts to build audience and brand recognition for a local newsroom.
Data Quality Campaign Inc
$180,000To elevate the use of state longitudinal data systems in automating admissions processes and to provide TA to Great Admissions Redesign grantees
American Association of Colleges and Universities
$180,000To support the rollout of Democracy Re/Designed and support IDHE's transition to AAC&U