Lowell Milken Family Foundation
ActivePhilanthropy & VoluntarismFunds Individuals
SANTA MONICA, CAWebsite
About Lowell Milken Family Foundation
The Lowell Milken Family Foundation concentrates very large, targeted gifts to higher education—especially UCLA and its School of Law—and to Jewish day schools and congregational education in the Los Angeles area. The foundation makes multi-million-dollar, repeat grants to a small set of institutions, blending support for elite university programs, K–12 Jewish education, and some community philanthropy/Israel-related causes. Its giving emphasizes institution-building rather than many small, dispersed awards.
Focus Areas
UCLA School of Law and broader UCLA institutional initiativesIndependent Jewish day schools and synagogue-based K–12 education in Los Angeles (e.g., Stephen Wise Temple, Milken Community School)Major gifts supporting higher-education research and program endowmentsPhilanthropic vehicles and community centers (large grants via donor-advised/trust intermediaries)Support for Israel-related higher-education or institutional partners (e.g., American Friends of Ariel)
Who They Fund
K–12 studentspreschool/early learners
About Lowell Milken Family Foundation
The Lowell Milken Family Foundation’s recent giving is defined by large, repeat support for UCLA and its School of Law, alongside major gifts to Jewish education institutions in Los Angeles. In 2024, the foundation gave $5,550,000 to The UCLA Foundation for educational programs and $4,975,000 to UCLA Foundation - School of Law for higher education and research programs. Those same institutions recur across the grant list, with another $2,987,500 to the UCLA School of Law in 2023 and $2,440,000 to University of California Los Angeles - School of Law in 2025. The pattern points to institution-building rather than broad, scattered grantmaking. Its work also reaches K–12 Jewish schooling and synagogue-based education, including Milken Community School and Stephen Wise Temple, both in Los Angeles. Beyond education, the foundation has made six- and seven-figure awards to community and Israel-related organizations, including American Friends of Ariel and the National Philanthropic Trust. The mix shows a funder that concentrates capital in a small set of organizations over multiple years, with higher education and Jewish education as the clearest anchors.
What Lowell Milken Family Foundation Funds
Higher education is a central theme. The foundation gave $860,000 to UCLA Foundation - School of Music in 2023, then $425,000 to the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music in 2025, showing continued support for UCLA-linked academic programs. In law, it funded UCLA Foundation - School of Law with $2,987,500 in 2023 and $4,975,000 in 2024, followed by $2,440,000 to University of California Los Angeles - School of Law in 2025. Jewish K–12 education is another major area: Milken Community School received $2,500,000 in 2025 and $800,000 in 2024, while Stephen Wise Temple received $2,252,804 in 2023 and $1,022,000 in 2024. Community and public-affairs groups also appear, including $500,000 to Jerusalem Center for Security & Foreign Affairs in 2025 and $500,000 to The Lawfare Project in 2025.
How Lowell Milken Family Foundation Gives
Typical grant size is $15,000 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $150,000 at the 75th percentile, but the recent record also includes repeated multi-million-dollar awards. Several recipients appear across multiple years, especially UCLA-linked entities, Stephen Wise Temple, Art Center College of Design, and Nami Westside Los Angeles, which suggests recurring institutional support rather than one-off giving. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it also funds individuals. Its recent awards show a pattern of concentrated, high-commitment grants to a limited set of organizations.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$10.9M
Total Assets
$143.8M
Total Revenue
$18.4M
Total Expenses
$12.3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $15K and $150K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$150K
Geographic Reach
National38 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where Lowell Milken Family Foundation Funds
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Lowell Milken Family Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 179 | $43.8M | 99.4% |
| 2 | Canada |
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