The Lash Foundation concentrates its giving in the San Diego region, making multi-thousand-dollar general support grants to local institutions. Its funding pattern emphasizes higher education, support for military and veteran families, Jewish communal life, and cross‑border US–Mexico civic collaboration. Grants are relatively few but sizable and often repeat to the same local organizations.
Concentrated, local-focused giving with a small number of mid-to-large general support grants; several repeat recipients rather than many one-off grants.
A $108,875 grant to Uc San Diego Foundation in 2025 stands out in the Lash Foundation’s recent record and points to a pattern of substantial general-purpose support for institutions rooted in San Diego. The foundation’s giving is centered on flexible funding rather than restricted project grants, with repeat awards appearing across higher education, Jewish communal life, military and veteran family services, arts institutions, and cross-border civic work. UC San Diego appears as a recurring beneficiary, alongside organizations serving congregational life and community programming in La Jolla and San Diego. The foundation’s grantmaking is not broad in count, but the amounts are often meaningful. Several recipients receive support in more than one year, which suggests an ongoing relationship rather than one-off philanthropy. General-purpose grants also extend to local cultural institutions and service organizations, showing that the foundation backs both educational infrastructure and community-facing programs. Its recent awards include six-figure and five-figure commitments, as well as smaller operating grants that still fit the same flexible-funding pattern.
Higher education is a clear anchor in the Lash Foundation’s giving. In 2025, it gave $108,875 to Uc San Diego Foundation for general purpose support, following a $50,646 award in 2024 and a $7,976 grant in 2023. That repeat pattern makes UC San Diego one of the most visible relationships in the portfolio. The foundation also supports Jewish communal life in San Diego and La Jolla. It gave $30,595 to Hillel of San Diego in 2024, then followed with grants of $18,445, $15,130, and $10,000 to Congregation Beth El across 2024 and 2025. Military and veteran-family services are another focus, shown by grants of $29,832 in 2023 and $18,214 in 2024 to San Diego Armed Services YMCA. Civic collaboration across the US–Mexico border appears in grants to US-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership in 2023 and 2024.
Typical grants cluster in the low-thousands to mid-teens, with a p25 of $2,800, a median of $6,900, and a p75 of $18,214. The recent record includes repeated awards to the same recipients across multiple years, indicating ongoing relationships rather than isolated gifts. The foundation appears to use general-purpose and unrestricted support heavily, including operating support for institutions and community organizations. Its grants are all to US recipients in the data provided, and the pattern shows a mix of larger anchor grants plus smaller follow-on awards to the same organizations.
$395K
$4.4M
$456K
$574K
Most grants fall between $3K and $18K, with a median of $7K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$7K
75th Percentile
$18K
About 71% of grants go to recipients in IL.
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 FreeRegístrate gratis para ver qué tan bien se adapta tu organización sin fines de lucro a este financiador, obtener un pitch generado por IA y descubrir fundaciones similares.
Notable grantees: UC San Diego Foundation, San Diego Armed Services YMCA, Hillel of San Diego, US–Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership, Congregation Beth El
Lash Foundation gives regionally, with 71% of grants going to recipients in California. San Diego and La Jolla account for much of the activity, including grants to recipients in both cities. Outside California, the recent list includes New York, Chicago, Darien, Philadelphia, Sacramento, Jacksonville, and one grant to a recipient in Pennsylvania. The top state by grant count is Illinois, even though the foundation’s headquarters are in San Diego.
Its recent grants concentrate on higher education, Jewish communal life, military and veteran-family services, arts institutions, and US–Mexico border civic collaboration. The largest awards in the list are general-purpose grants to institutions in San Diego and La Jolla.
Yes. UC San Diego Foundation appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Congregation Beth El appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; The Old Globe appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and the US-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership appears in 2023 and 2024.
The typical grant size is $2,800 at the 25th percentile, $6,900 at the median, and $18,214 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also includes larger awards such as $108,875 and $50,646.
Most grants go to California recipients, with 71% in the foundation’s headquarters state. The recent list is heavily weighted toward San Diego and La Jolla, though the foundation also funds recipients in New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Washington.
No. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments, according to the data provided.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC SAN DIEGO FOUNDATION | LA JOLLA, CA | $108,875 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CONGREGATION BETH EL | LA JOLLA, CA | $15,130 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| PADRES FOUNDATION | SAN DIEGO, CA | $13,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FOUNDATION FOR ANIMAL CARE AND EDUCATION | SAN DIEGO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| OSTEOPATHIC PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS OF CALIFORNIA | SACRAMENTO, CA | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE OLD GLOBE | SAN DIEGO, CA | $1,500 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CENTER FOR HEARING AND COMMUNICATION | NEW YORK, NY | $896 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| UC SAN DIEGO FOUNDATION | LA JOLLA, CA | $50,646 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| HILLEL OF SAN DIEGO | SAN DIEGO, CA | $30,595 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CONGREGATION BETH EL | LA JOLLA, CA | $18,445 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SAN DIEGO ARMED SERVICES YMCA | SAN DIEGO, CA | $18,214 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FOUNDATION FOR ANIMAL CARE AND EDUCATION | SAN DIEGO, CA | $11,050 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| US-MEXICO BORDER PHILANTHROPY PARTNERSHIP | SAN DIEGO, CA | $8,214 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE | LA JOLLA, CA | $6,900 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE OLD GLOBE | SAN DIEGO, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CENTER FOR HEARING AND COMMUNICATION | NEW YORK, NY | $2,800 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FRIENDS OF THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| AMERICAN OSTEOPATHIC FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $475 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SAN DIEGO ARMED SERVICES YMCA | SAN DIEGO, CA | $29,832 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| US-MEXICO BORDER PHILANTHROPY PARTNERSHIP | SAN DIEGO, CA | $25,675 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CONGREGATION BETH EL | LA JOLLA, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| UC SAN DIEGO FOUNDATION | LA JOLLA, CA | $7,976 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE OLD GLOBE | SAN DIEGO, CA | $5,800 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE | LA JOLLA, CA | $3,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ETZ CHAIM SYNAGOGUE | JACKSONVILLE, FL | $2,200 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| LUCKY DUCK FOUNDATION | SAN DIEGO, CA | $500 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| AMERICAN ACADEMY OF SLEEP MEDICINE | DARIEN, IL | $100 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
UC SAN DIEGO FOUNDATION
$108,875GENERAL PURPOSE
CONGREGATION BETH EL
$15,130GENERAL PURPOSE
PADRES FOUNDATION
$13,000GENERAL PURPOSE
FOUNDATION FOR ANIMAL CARE AND EDUCATION
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE
OSTEOPATHIC PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS OF CALIFORNIA
$2,500GENERAL PURPOSE
THE OLD GLOBE
$1,500GENERAL PURPOSE
CENTER FOR HEARING AND COMMUNICATION
$896GENERAL PURPOSE
UC SAN DIEGO FOUNDATION
$50,646GENERAL PURPOSE
HILLEL OF SAN DIEGO
$30,595GENERAL PURPOSE
CONGREGATION BETH EL
$18,445GENERAL PURPOSE
SAN DIEGO ARMED SERVICES YMCA
$18,214GENERAL PURPOSE
FOUNDATION FOR ANIMAL CARE AND EDUCATION
$11,050GENERAL PURPOSE
US-MEXICO BORDER PHILANTHROPY PARTNERSHIP
$8,214GENERAL PURPOSE
LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE
$6,900GENERAL PURPOSE
THE OLD GLOBE
$5,000GENERAL PURPOSE
CENTER FOR HEARING AND COMMUNICATION
$2,800GENERAL PURPOSE
FRIENDS OF THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES
$1,000GENERAL PURPOSE
AMERICAN OSTEOPATHIC FOUNDATION
$475GENERAL PURPOSE
SAN DIEGO ARMED SERVICES YMCA
$29,832GENERAL PURPOSE
US-MEXICO BORDER PHILANTHROPY PARTNERSHIP
$25,675GENERAL PURPOSE
CONGREGATION BETH EL
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE
UC SAN DIEGO FOUNDATION
$7,976GENERAL PURPOSE
THE OLD GLOBE
$5,800GENERAL PURPOSE
PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE
$5,000GENERAL PURPOSE
LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE
$3,000GENERAL PURPOSE
ETZ CHAIM SYNAGOGUE
$2,200GENERAL PURPOSE
LUCKY DUCK FOUNDATION
$500GENERAL PURPOSE
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF SLEEP MEDICINE
$100GENERAL PURPOSE