Lillian Lincoln Foundation

The Lillian Lincoln Foundation is a deeply personal, family-governed private foundation that operates entirely on an invitation-and-relationship basis. Founded in 1985 by Lillian Lincoln — the first woman to own a broadcast television station in San Francisco (KTSF-TV, Channel 26) — the foundation carries her founding ethos: 'serve the underserved.' Today it is steered by her son Lincoln Howell (President) and his wife Alisha Howell (Vice President), alongside Barbara Bissell (Secretary) and Eugene Bissell (Treasurer). All four officers serve without compensation, and the foundation employs zero paid staff. This is a lean, values-driven family operation.

The foundation's official policy is clear: unsolicited proposals are not accepted. The only authorized path to consideration is through the contact form at lillianlincolnfoundation.org. This means that for any grant seeker, the strategic question is not 'how do I submit a strong application' but rather 'how do I get into a conversation with the Howell or Bissell families.'

The foundation's giving profile reveals a remarkably broad portfolio: healthcare, education, humanitarian aid, food security, housing/homelessness, wildlife conservation, religious organizations, and specialized global health causes like snakebite envenoming. This breadth signals that fit is less about a narrow programmatic niche and more about the personal resonance a cause has for the family. Organizations with a documentary, storytelling, or media advocacy dimension have a structural advantage — the foundation's core program expense ($308,101 annually) is literally 'production and marketing of educational films.'

First-time applicants should study the repeat grantee list carefully. World Central Kitchen, Samaritan House, Sequoia Hospital Foundation, Feeding America, International Rescue Committee, and many others have received 4 or more grants — the foundation builds long-term partnerships. A prospective grantee's best posture is to position itself as a future long-term partner, not a one-time recipient. Attend Bay Area philanthropic convenings where the Howells may be present, and identify board members or executive directors with existing connections to the family.

The Lillian Lincoln Foundation has undergone a dramatic financial transformation. From 2013-2016, total assets hovered near $2.5-2.8M with annual giving of roughly $177,000-$201,000. A $26.9M contribution in 2017 and $7.8M in 2018 catapulted assets to over $56M, and they have continued growing — reaching $82.4M as of FY2024. Annual giving tracked this expansion: $3.1M (2019), $4.1M (2020), $4.4M (2021), $4.4M (2022), $3.3M (2023), and approximately $5.0M (2024).

Across 400 recorded grants totaling $13.35M in the database, the average grant is $33,374 — though this figure is skewed downward by many small gifts. Larger strategic grants define the foundation's top-tier relationships: Global Snakebite Initiative ($1,044,160 across 2 grants), Kalamazoo College ($500,000 across 5 grants), World Central Kitchen ($425,000 across 4 grants), Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund ($400,000 across 4 grants), and Samaritan House ($375,000 across 4 grants). Single-year grants appear to range from $100 to $900,000 based on recent 990 data.

Geographic distribution strongly favors California (204 of 400 grants, 51%), followed by DC (46 grants, 11.5%), New York (25 grants, 6.25%), Pennsylvania (21 grants, 5.25%), and Massachusetts (18 grants, 4.5%). Within California, San Mateo County organizations (Sequoia Hospital, Samaritan House, Mills Peninsula Hospital, San Mateo County Health Foundation) feature prominently, reflecting the family's Hillsborough roots.

By category, the top grantee totals break down roughly as: food security and hunger relief (~$1.7M across top grantees), healthcare and hospitals (~$1.5M), humanitarian aid (~$1.3M), education including higher education (~$1.4M), snakebite and global health (~$1.2M), children's services (~$670K), wildlife and environment (~$537K), and homelessness/housing (~$500K). Religious organizations also appear ($391K across three grantees), suggesting the family's personal faith connections influence some awards.

The Lillian Lincoln Foundation occupies a distinct niche: a mid-sized Bay Area family private foundation with no staff, invitation-only grantmaking, and an unusually broad thematic portfolio anchored by a documentary filmmaking legacy. Comparable foundations in the San Francisco Bay Area region differ meaningfully in scale, focus, and accessibility.

The Lillian Lincoln Foundation's $82.4M asset base and ~$4-5M annual giving place it squarely in the mid-tier of Bay Area private foundations — substantially smaller than major players like Haas or Koret, but meaningfully larger than the many family foundations under $20M. What distinguishes it most is the combination of invitation-only access, zero professional staff, family-governed decision-making, and a thematic portfolio that spans from WHO-level global health advocacy to local food banks — an unusually wide aperture that reflects personal passions rather than institutional programmatic strategy. Organizations that have secured grants here would not necessarily be competitive at Koret or Haas, whose grantmaking is more thematically constrained.

The most significant recent development is the foundation's continued asset and giving growth. Total assets reached $82.4M in FY2024 — up from $78.97M in FY2023 and $52.9M in FY2022 — driven by investment returns (dividends and capital gains). Annual giving in FY2024 reached approximately $5,010,500 across 99 awards, a notable increase from FY2023's $3.31M disbursement.

In March 2024, Barbara Bissell stepped down from the Secretary position, representing the first documented governance change in the board's composition. The foundation's core leadership — Lincoln Howell as President and Alisha Howell as Vice President — remains unchanged and continues to direct all grantmaking decisions.

On the programmatic side, the foundation's most globally notable initiative remains its multi-year investment in snakebite envenoming advocacy. Through production of the documentary 'Minutes to Die' and direct grants to the Global Snakebite Initiative totaling $1,044,160, the foundation played a documented role in influencing the World Health Organization to classify snakebite envenoming as a highest-priority neglected tropical disease. No new documentary projects are publicly announced as of early 2026.

The foundation maintains active social media accounts on Facebook (Lillian Lincoln Foundation) and Twitter/X (@FoundationLLF), though recent posting frequency is moderate. No public announcements of new program areas or major strategic pivots have been identified in 2025-2026 filings or press coverage.

Do not send an unsolicited proposal. The foundation's website explicitly states it does not accept them — submitting one uninvited will not be reviewed and may close the door on future relationship-building. The only sanctioned first step is a brief message through the contact form at lillianlincolnfoundation.org.

Lead with mission alignment, not funding need. The Howells and Bissells are motivated by causes that resonate personally. Your initial contact should be a concise (150-200 word) introduction explaining what your organization does, whom it serves, and why it aligns with the foundation's documented priorities. Reference specific areas they've funded: food security, healthcare access, education, global health, homelessness, or documentary/advocacy work.

Leverage Bay Area geography. With 51% of documented grants going to California organizations and the family based in Hillsborough (San Mateo County), Bay Area organizations — especially those serving San Mateo County — have a structural advantage. Name your geographic service area clearly and early.

Emphasize longevity and impact narrative. The foundation's top grantees have all received 4-6 grants over multiple years. Position your organization as a long-term partner candidate, not a one-time ask. Include a brief impact narrative with specific numbers (people served, outcomes achieved).

Connect documentary/storytelling to your work. The foundation's core program expense is film production. If your organization produces educational content, uses media for advocacy, or has a compelling human story at its center, emphasize this. It directly echoes the foundation's founding purpose.

Timing: With no published grant cycle or open application deadline, there is no seasonal 'window.' Relationship cultivation should happen year-round. However, given FY2024's increased disbursement ($5M vs. $3.3M in FY2023), the foundation appears to be in an expansive phase — now is a favorable moment to initiate contact.

Avoid: Generic grant language, boilerplate impact metrics without specificity, asking for amounts wildly out of proportion with their documented range ($25,000-$150,000 is the likely sweet spot for a first grant, given the $33,374 average across all awards).