The Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation concentrates on large institutional gifts that advance higher education, arts talent development, and Florida-focused environmental and civic initiatives. Although based in Chicago, much of its giving supports Miami-area causes (community foundation, Miami Dade College) alongside sizable grants to major universities and arts organizations. The foundation favors established institutions and program/general support that can leverage scale and visibility.
The Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation stands out for pairing large institutional support with a strong Miami and Florida orientation. In the recent grants list, some of its biggest awards went to the University of Southern California, Miami Foundation, and Miami Dade College Foundation Inc, showing a preference for organizations that can operate at scale. The foundation also backs arts, environmental advocacy, and civic institutions, with grants reaching groups such as YoungArts, the Everglades Foundation, and the Adrienne Arsht Center Trust Inc. That mix points to a funder that supports both cultural talent development and place-based initiatives tied to South Florida. Its giving is not limited to a single field, but the pattern is consistent: established nonprofits, universities, and public-serving institutions receive the largest awards, often for general or general support. Several recent grants also connect to documentary and media work, including support for production and communications-related programs. Across the record, the foundation appears to favor organizations with the capacity to deliver broad institutional impact rather than small project-only interventions.
Higher education is a major lane. The foundation gave $400,000 in 2023 and $200,000 in 2024 to the University of Southern California for general support, and $200,000 in 2025 to Miami Dade College Foundation Inc for general support. In Florida environmental advocacy, it awarded $100,000 in 2025 to the Everglades Foundation for general support and $115,000 in 2024 to The Cleo Institute Inc for general support. Arts talent development also appears repeatedly: Youngarts received $100,000 in 2024, while Armour Dance Theatre received $75,000 in both 2024 and 2025. Media and documentary work shows up as well, including a $30,000 grant in 2024 to De Lamarondiere Rock Productions for production of documentary.
Typical awards cluster around the middle of five figures: p25 is $31,250, median is $50,000, and p75 is $75,000. The recent record also includes larger institutional grants, including several six-figure awards. Recipients recur across years, which suggests an ongoing relationship model rather than one-off gifts; examples include Miami Foundation, University of Southern California, The Education Fund, Everglades Foundation, and Armour Dance Theatre. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Grant descriptions are usually general support or general, with some project-specific media funding.
$957K
$21.2M
$4.2M
$1.3M
Most grants fall between $31K and $75K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$31K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$75K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in FL.
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a small number of institutional recipients with some repeat funding; mix of regional (Miami/Florida) and national beneficiaries rather than many small, grassroots awards.
Notable grantees: University of Southern California, Miami Foundation, Miami Dade College Foundation, The CLEO Institute, Everglades Foundation
Giving is concentrated in Florida, especially Miami and nearby cities. Miami appears repeatedly, along with Miami Beach, Miami Lakes, Coral Gables, Palmetto Bay, Miami Dade County institutions, and Miami Foundation-linked work. Outside Florida, Los Angeles, New York, Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey, and Ojai appear in the recent grants list. All recorded grants in the dataset went to U.S. recipients, with no non-U.S. countries represented.
The recent grants list shows support for universities, arts organizations, environmental nonprofits, and Miami civic institutions. Examples include the University of Southern California, Youngarts, the Everglades Foundation, Miami Foundation, and Adrienne Arsht Center Trust Inc. Many awards are labeled general support or general, which suggests flexible institutional funding.
Typical awards are in the five-figure range: the 25th percentile is $31,250, the median is $50,000, and the 75th percentile is $75,000. The record also includes larger six-figure grants, including $400,000 and $235,000 awards.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including University of Southern California, Miami Foundation, The Education Fund, Everglades Foundation, Armour Dance Theatre, Adrienne Arsht Center Trust Inc, Miami Children's Museum, Playing for Change Foundation, and National Audubon Society Inc.
Florida receives the most grants, with Miami and surrounding South Florida locations appearing often, including Miami, Miami Beach, Miami Lakes, Coral Gables, and Palmetto Bay. The dataset also includes U.S. grants to Los Angeles, New York, Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey, and Ojai.
Yes. One recent grant went to De Lamarondiere Rock Productions for production of documentary. The broader record also includes support for a school of communication, indicating interest in media and communication-related work.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE CLEO INSTITUTE INC | Miami, FL | $185,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MIAMI DADE COLLEGE FOUNDATION INC | MIAMI, FL | $185,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR ADVANCEMENT IN THE ARTS INC | MIAMI, FL | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PLAYING FOR CHANGE FOUNDATION | SANTA MONICA, CA | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ARMOUR DANCE THEATRE | MIAMI, FL | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FRIENDS OF THE UNDERLINE INC | MIAMI, FL | $60,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JOURNALISM FUNDING PARTNERS INC | MANHATTAN BEACH, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE EDUCATION FUND | MIAMI LAKES, FL | $40,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BAKEHOUSE ART COMPLEX INC | Miami, FL | $40,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MIAMI CHILDREN'S MUSEUM INC | Miami, FL | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DADE HERITAGE TRUST INC | MIAMI, FL | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BISCAYNE BAY WATERKEEPER INC | MIAMI, FL | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GUITARS OVER GUNS ORGANIZATION INC | MIAMI, FL | $27,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MIAMI DADE COLLEGE FOUNDATION INC | MIAMI, FL | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UM SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION | CORAL GABLES, FL | $167,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EVERGLADES FOUNDATION | PALMETTO BAY, FL | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PLAYING FOR CHANGE FOUNDATION | SANTA MONICA, CA | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ARMOUR DANCE THEATRE | MIAMI, FL | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE EDUCATION FUND | MIAMI LAKES, FL | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY INC | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ADRIENNE ARSHT CENTER TRUST INC | Miami, FL | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MIAMI CHILDREN'S MUSEUM INC | Miami, FL | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YOUNG MUSICIANS UNITE INC | MIAMI, FL | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BAKEHOUSE ART COMPLEX INC | Miami, FL | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GUITARS OVER GUNS ORGANIZATION INC | MIAMI, FL | $28,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NU DECO ENSEMBLE INC | MIAMI, FL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WOLFSONIAN INC | MIAMI, FL | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | Los Angeles, CA | $200,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| THE CLEO INSTITUTE INC | Miami, FL | $115,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| YOUNGARTS | MIAMI, FL | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| ARMOUR DANCE THEATRE | MIAMI, FL | $75,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| THE EDUCATION FUND | MIAMI LAKES, FL | $63,275 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY INC | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| ADRIENNE ARSHT CENTER TRUST INC | Miami, FL | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| GUITARS OVER GUNS ORGANIZATION INC | MIAMI, FL | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| PLAYING FOR CHANGE FOUNDATION | Marina Del Rey, CA | $45,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| MIAMI CHILDREN'S MUSEUM | Miami, FL | $45,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| CONECTA MIAMI ARTS INC | Miami, FL | $40,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| DE LAMARONDIERE ROCK PRODUCTIONS | Ojai, CA | $30,000 | 2024 | PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTARY; |
| TROPICAL AUDUBON SOCIETY | MIAMI, FL | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| DADE HERITAGE TRUST INC | MIAMI, FL | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | Los Angeles, CA | $400,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| MIAMI FOUNDATION | Miami, FL | $235,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| OOLITE ARTS | MIAMI BEACH, FL | $70,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY INC | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| MIAMI CITY BALLET | MIAMI BEACH, FL | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| THE EDUCATION FUND | MIAMI LAKES, FL | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| EVERGLADES FOUNDATION | Miami, FL | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| MIAMI CHILDREN'S MUSEUM | Miami, FL | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| CHILDREN'S BURN FOUNDATION | Sherman Oaks, CA | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
THE CLEO INSTITUTE INC
$185,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MIAMI DADE COLLEGE FOUNDATION INC
$185,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ARMOUR DANCE THEATRE
$75,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GENERAL SUPPORT
JOURNALISM FUNDING PARTNERS INC
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GUITARS OVER GUNS ORGANIZATION INC
$27,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MIAMI DADE COLLEGE FOUNDATION INC
$200,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UM SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION
$167,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ARMOUR DANCE THEATRE
$75,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY INC
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WOLFSONIAN INC
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ARMOUR DANCE THEATRE
$75,000GENERAL
NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY INC
$50,000GENERAL
CONECTA MIAMI ARTS INC
$40,000GENERAL
DE LAMARONDIERE ROCK PRODUCTIONS
$30,000PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTARY;
TROPICAL AUDUBON SOCIETY
$25,000GENERAL
MIAMI FOUNDATION
$235,000GENERAL
OOLITE ARTS
$70,000GENERAL
NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY INC
$50,000GENERAL