The Lillian Lincoln Foundation makes a small number of very large, targeted gifts that focus on local institutional philanthropy and a distinct global health interest. Giving is split between higher education scholarship support (including a named scholarship at Menlo College) and health-related causes, from underwriting a local hospital to funding an international snakebite initiative. The foundation appears donor-directed and relationship-driven, preferring sizable, single-purpose grants over many small awards.
A $900,000 grant to Sequoia Hospital Foundation in 2025 is the clearest recent signal of how Lillian Lincoln Foundation C/o Lincoln Howell gives: large, targeted awards directed to specific institutions and programs rather than broad, open-ended support. The foundation also made a $675,000 scholarship gift to Menlo College in 2025, continuing a pattern of education funding that includes a named scholarship in Barbara Howell’s name. Health and education sit at the center of the recent record, but the foundation’s interests extend beyond those two areas. It has backed global snakebite work, hospital and child-health programs, disaster response, food assistance, wildlife and animal protection, and selected general operating support. The gift list shows a preference for sizable single-purpose grants, often repeated across years to the same recipient or cause. World Central Kitchen, Sequoia Hospital Foundation, St Jude Children's Hospital Foundation, and Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund appear among the more recent recipients. The foundation’s funding profile is national in scope while still showing a strong California presence in its recent giving.
Education support appears in several forms. In 2025, the foundation gave $675,000 to Menlo College for a scholarship in Barbara Howell’s name, and it also made $150,000 to Kalamazoo College for a hoop house project tied to education. Williams College and Wheaton College each received $100,000 in 2023 for education. Health-related grants are equally prominent. The foundation gave $100,000 in 2025 to St Jude Children's Hospital Foundation for healthcare, and $90,000 to Planned Parenthood Federation of America for healthcare. Child development and child healthcare also show up in the record: Calif Pacific Child Development Center received $100,000 in 2023 for child development and another $100,000 in 2025 for child healthcare. Humanitarian and food assistance are recurring themes as well, with gifts to World Central Kitchen, Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund, Feeding America, and Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine.
Typical grants cluster at a relatively high level: the 25th percentile is $6,250, the median is $25,000, and the 75th percentile is $50,000. The recent grant list shows a much more targeted upper tier, including multiple six-figure awards and one $900,000 grant. The pattern is relationship-driven and repeat-oriented. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Sequoia Hospital Foundation, World Central Kitchen, St Jude Children's Hospital Foundation, Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund, Calif Pacific Child Development Center, and Feeding America. The foundation is classified as a regular funder and funds individuals. It does not make program-related investments, and the available record does not show an application process or unsolicited grantmaking.
$8.6M
$82.4M
$3.4M
$5.5M
Most grants fall between $6K and $50K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$6K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$50K
About 50% of grants go to recipients in CA.
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Very concentrated giving: a handful of large, one-off or multi-year gifts (six-figure to nearly seven-figure) to a mix of local institutions and a selected global health initiative; few grantees overall and no evidence of broad small-grantmaking.
Notable grantees: Sequoia Hospital Foundation, Menlo College, Global Snakebite Initiative
Recent grants are concentrated in California, which accounts for 50% of grants to recipients and is also the top state by grant count. Named California recipients include Redwood City, Atherton, San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, Belmont, Palo Alto, and San Mateo. Outside California, the foundation gives nationally, with recent recipients in Washington, DC; Memphis, TN; New York, NY; Chicago, IL; and Maine. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based in the data, with 193 grants in the United States.
The record shows support for education and scholarships, healthcare, child development, humanitarian aid, food assistance, animal protection, wildlife, and global snakebite work. Recent examples include Menlo College for a scholarship, Sequoia Hospital Foundation for healthcare, and World Central Kitchen for humanitarian aid.
The typical grant-size distribution is $6,250 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $50,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list also includes several much larger awards, including a $900,000 grant in 2025.
Yes. The recent grant record includes repeat recipients across years, such as Sequoia Hospital Foundation, World Central Kitchen, St Jude Children's Hospital Foundation, Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund, Calif Pacific Child Development Center, and Feeding America.
California is the top state by grant count, and 50% of grants go to recipients in California. Recent California recipients include organizations in Redwood City, Atherton, San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, Belmont, Palo Alto, and San Mateo.
Yes. The foundation is marked as funding individuals, and the grant record also includes scholarship support, including a scholarship gift to Menlo College in Barbara Howell's name.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEQUOIA HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $900,000 | 2025 | HEALTHCARE |
| MENLO COLLEGE | ATHERTON, CA | $675,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP IN BARBARA HOWELL'S NAME |
| KALAMAZOO COLLEGE | KALAMAZOO, MI | $150,000 | 2025 | HOOP HOUSE - EDUCATION |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN | WASHINGTON, DC | $150,000 | 2025 | HUMANITARIAN AID |
| OAKLAND ZOO | OAKLAND, CA | $110,000 | 2025 | ANIMAL PROTECTION |
| CALIF PACIFIC CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | CHILD HEALTHCARE |
| GOOD SHEPHERD FOOD BANK OF MAINE | AUBURN, ME | $100,000 | 2025 | FOOD BANK |
| CHRONICLE SEASON OF SHARING FUND | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | FOOD BANK |
| ST JUDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | MEMPHIS, TN | $100,000 | 2025 | HEALTHCARE |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA | WASHINGTON, DC | $90,000 | 2025 | HEALTHCARE |
| CARIE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE LIBRARY COMPANY | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY SUPPORT FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2025 | GUN SAFETY |
| FEEDING AMERICA | WASHINGTON, DC | $65,000 | 2025 | FOOD BANK |
| CAPE REGIONAL FOUNDATION | CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, NJ | $60,000 | 2025 | HEALTHCARE |
| SELF-HELP FOR THE ELDERLY | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $60,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE ELDERLY |
| SAMARITAN HOUSE | SAN MATEO, CA | $60,000 | 2025 | FOOD ASSISTANCE |
| RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE | PALO ALTO, CA | $60,000 | 2025 | HEALTHCARE |
| BRIDGE MINISTRY CHURCH | CORTE MADERA, CA | $58,000 | 2025 | GRANT TO HELP WITH NEW YOUTH BUILDING |
| WORCESTER COUNTY FOOD BANK | SHREWSBURY, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | FOOD BANK |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | HUMANITARIAN CARE |
| MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION | OAKLAND, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT ILL CHILDREN |
| PENINSULA TEMPLE SHOLOM | BURLINGAME, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT RELIGION |
| SAN MATEO COUNTY PARKS FOUNDATION | SAN MATEO, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE | ALBERT LEA, MN | $50,000 | 2025 | HUMANITARIAN AID |
| MILLS PENINSULA HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | BURLINGAME, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | HEALTHCARE |
| LIFEMOVES | MENLO PARK, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | HUMANITARIAN AID |
| AMERICARES | STAMFORD, CT | $50,000 | 2025 | HUMANITARIAN AID |
| JEWISH FAMILY COMMUNITY SERVICES | BERKELEY, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | HUMANITARIAN AID |
| HOPE FOR FERTILITY FOUNDATION | PLEASANT GROVE, UT | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| GLOBAL SNAKEBITE INITIATIVE | BELMONT, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| PROPUBLICA | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| SAVE THE CHILDREN | FAIRFIELD, CT | $50,000 | 2025 | PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT |
| MAYO CLINIC | SCOTTSDALE, AZ | $50,000 | 2025 | HEALTHCARE |
| MARA ELEPHANT PROJECT | PUEBLO, CO | $50,000 | 2025 | ANIMAL PROTECTION |
| THE BEE FOUNDATION | WAYNE, PR | $50,000 | 2025 | ANEURYSM RESEARCH |
| EYE TO EYE | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| ST ANTHONY FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | HUMANITARIAN AID |
| WILLIAMS COLLEGE | WILLIAMSTOWN, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY | NEW YORK, NY | $45,000 | 2025 | ARTS AND EDUCATION |
| METTA HEART | OAKLAND, CA | $40,000 | 2025 | HUMANITARIAN AID |
| ISLAND ACADEMY INT'L SCHOOL | GREENWICH, CT | $40,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| CHINESE HOSPITAL | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CHARITY CULTURAL SERVICES CENTER | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| FAMILY BRIDGES | OAKLAND, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| UC BERKELEY FOUNDATION | BERKELEY, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| APA FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| WHYY | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $30,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC RADIO |
| PROJECT OPEN HAND | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | HUMANITARIAN AID |
| KQED | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC RADIO |
SEQUOIA HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
$900,000HEALTHCARE
MENLO COLLEGE
$675,000SCHOLARSHIP IN BARBARA HOWELL'S NAME
KALAMAZOO COLLEGE
$150,000HOOP HOUSE - EDUCATION
WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN
$150,000HUMANITARIAN AID
OAKLAND ZOO
$110,000ANIMAL PROTECTION
CALIF PACIFIC CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
$100,000CHILD HEALTHCARE
GOOD SHEPHERD FOOD BANK OF MAINE
$100,000FOOD BANK
CHRONICLE SEASON OF SHARING FUND
$100,000FOOD BANK
ST JUDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
$100,000HEALTHCARE
PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA
$90,000HEALTHCARE
CARIE
$75,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
THE LIBRARY COMPANY
$75,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY SUPPORT FUND
$75,000GUN SAFETY
FEEDING AMERICA
$65,000FOOD BANK
CAPE REGIONAL FOUNDATION
$60,000HEALTHCARE
SELF-HELP FOR THE ELDERLY
$60,000SUPPORT THE ELDERLY
SAMARITAN HOUSE
$60,000FOOD ASSISTANCE
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE
$60,000HEALTHCARE
BRIDGE MINISTRY CHURCH
$58,000GRANT TO HELP WITH NEW YOUTH BUILDING
WORCESTER COUNTY FOOD BANK
$50,000FOOD BANK
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
$50,000HUMANITARIAN CARE
MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION
$50,000SUPPORT ILL CHILDREN
PENINSULA TEMPLE SHOLOM
$50,000SUPPORT RELIGION
SAN MATEO COUNTY PARKS FOUNDATION
$50,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE
$50,000HUMANITARIAN AID
MILLS PENINSULA HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
$50,000HEALTHCARE
LIFEMOVES
$50,000HUMANITARIAN AID
AMERICARES
$50,000HUMANITARIAN AID
JEWISH FAMILY COMMUNITY SERVICES
$50,000HUMANITARIAN AID
HOPE FOR FERTILITY FOUNDATION
$50,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
GLOBAL SNAKEBITE INITIATIVE
$50,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
PROPUBLICA
$50,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
SAVE THE CHILDREN
$50,000PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT
MAYO CLINIC
$50,000HEALTHCARE
MARA ELEPHANT PROJECT
$50,000ANIMAL PROTECTION
THE BEE FOUNDATION
$50,000ANEURYSM RESEARCH
EYE TO EYE
$50,000EDUCATION
ST ANTHONY FOUNDATION
$50,000HUMANITARIAN AID
WILLIAMS COLLEGE
$50,000EDUCATION
ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY
$45,000ARTS AND EDUCATION
METTA HEART
$40,000HUMANITARIAN AID
ISLAND ACADEMY INT'L SCHOOL
$40,000EDUCATION
CHINESE HOSPITAL
$40,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
CHARITY CULTURAL SERVICES CENTER
$30,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
FAMILY BRIDGES
$30,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
UC BERKELEY FOUNDATION
$30,000EDUCATION
APA FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES
$30,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
WHYY
$30,000PUBLIC RADIO
PROJECT OPEN HAND
$30,000HUMANITARIAN AID
KQED
$30,000PUBLIC RADIO