Lowell Milken Family Foundation

The Lowell Milken Family Foundation (LMFF) is a relationship-driven, invitation-only private foundation headquartered at 1250 4th Street, Santa Monica, CA. Founded in 1986 by Lowell Milken — independently of the better-known Milken Family Foundation co-founded with his brother Michael — LMFF operates as a distinct entity anchored in Lowell's personal philanthropic vision. Foundation databases designate it as preselected-only, confirming that unsolicited applications are not reviewed through any formal portal or open cycle.

Access to LMFF funding follows a relationship-progression model rather than a competitive grant process. Organizations typically enter the foundation's orbit through one of its signature initiatives — the Milken Educator Awards, ARTEFFECT visual arts program, Milken Scholars, or the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes — and then develop deeper institutional ties over time. The foundation's largest grantee, the UCLA Foundation (including its School of Law, School of Music, Herb Alpert School of Music, and general research fund), has accumulated more than $19 million across more than a dozen grants, exemplifying how a major academic institution can build a multi-decade philanthropic partnership through shared priorities in education, law, and the arts.

Family governance is central to understanding this funder. Lowell Milken serves as President and Director; his son Ryan Milken is Executive Vice President; David Milken and Jeremy Milken serve as Vice Presidents; and Jeff Green, Lanetta Wahlgren, and Stan Maron round out the board as Directors. The sole compensated staff member is Sarah Haufrect, VP Programs & Communications (annual compensation: $56,250), indicating the Milken family exercises direct, personal control over all funding decisions. Relationships with family members — cultivated through board service, event participation, or program partnership — carry far more weight than written grant inquiries.

First-time applicants should internalize three realities. First, cold outreach almost never succeeds; introductions through existing grantees (Stephen Wise Temple, Art Center College of Design, NAMI Westside, ZOA) are the most reliable path. Second, proposals must connect explicitly to Lowell Milken's documented personal interests: K-12 teacher excellence, Jewish community institutions, pro-Israel advocacy, medical research (especially Parkinson's disease and prostate cancer), and arts education. Third, the foundation's mission — "unleashing human potential" across Education, Innovation, Arts & Culture, and Social Capital — is a genuine organizing philosophy, not marketing language; every successful grantee articulates a compelling human-capital development thesis. Contact: Info@lowellmilken.org or (310) 570-4800.

Annual giving at LMFF has grown nearly threefold over the past decade: from $5.6 million in 2012 to $14.8 million in 2022-2023, with grants paid tracking closely ($6.5M in 2018, $7.3M in 2019, $9.8M in 2020, $10.4M in 2021, $13.6M in 2022). Total assets have expanded from $57 million (2012) to approximately $143 million today, supported by strong investment income — $12.2 million in net investment income on a $140 million portfolio in fiscal year 2023. The foundation's effective payout rate of approximately 10.3% of assets significantly exceeds the IRS-mandated 5% minimum, reflecting active and growing philanthropic commitment.

Grant sizing is highly variable. The foundation's 990 data reflects a median grant of $50,000, an average of $228,082, and a range from $1,000 to $2.5 million. The $2.5 million single gift to the UCLA Foundation Herb Alpert School of Music represents the largest documented transaction. Across 199 recorded grants totaling $51.5 million, the top 10 grantees alone account for the majority of cumulative giving.

By program area, education dominates at approximately 60-65% of total giving: K-12 programming (Stephen Wise Temple: $6.56M across 4 grants; Milken Community Schools: $1.53M across 4 grants), higher education (UCLA Foundation: $5.85M; Art Center College of Design: $2.65M; American Friends of Ariel University: $3.05M), and arts education (UCLA Herb Alpert: $2.5M; UCLA Music: $2.15M). Jewish community and Israel-related organizations represent approximately 15-20% of giving: ZOA ($1.55M), National Philanthropic Trust ($1.85M), American Friends of Aish Hatorah ($650K), Jewish Federation ($400K), Israel Global Initiative Fund ($400K), Jewish News Syndicate ($450K), and Lawfare Project ($350K). Medical research accounts for 8-10%: Michael J. Fox Foundation ($500K), Parkinson's Foundation ($500K), American Parkinson Disease Association ($300K), and Prostate Cancer Foundation ($403K). Human services (NAMI Westside: $1.89M; Venice Family Clinic: $255K) and arts/culture (McCallum Theatre: $125K; Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation: $64K) complete the portfolio.

Geographically, 59% of grants (117 of 199) go to California-based organizations; New York is second with 27 grants; Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Florida each receive 7-8 grants. Multi-year relationships dominate: the top 50 grantees average 3-4 discrete grants each, confirming that the foundation strongly prefers sustained partnerships over one-time contributions.

The table below compares LMFF with four peer foundations matched by asset size (~$143M) in the Philanthropy & Grantmaking category:

Note: Annual giving estimates for peer foundations use the standard 5-8% private foundation payout range applied to reported assets; LMFF's $14.8M figure is from verified 990 filings.

Among peer foundations of comparable asset scale, LMFF distinguishes itself on three dimensions. First, its effective payout rate of approximately 10.3% of assets substantially exceeds both the legal minimum and peer estimates, reflecting exceptional philanthropic ambition. Second, its programmatic sophistication — operating 10+ named national initiatives including the 38-year-old Milken Educator Awards — rivals foundations with far larger endowments. Third, its multi-generation family governance (four Milken family members in executive roles) and deliberately lean staffing (one paid program officer) create a uniquely personal, relationship-intensive grantmaking environment that sophisticated grant seekers can navigate if they invest in relationship-building rather than transactional proposal submission.

In November 2025, LMFF announced the 2025-2026 ARTEFFECT Ambassadors Cohort — 28 visual arts teachers from 17 states — representing a significant national expansion of the program. The cohort's yearlong fellowship addresses character education, Holocaust education, and STEAM integration, with the student competition accepting submissions through April 21, 2026.

In October 2025, the foundation launched the 2025-2026 Milken Educator Awards cycle, continuing its 38-year tradition of awarding $25,000 unrestricted prizes to exemplary K-12 teachers. In February 2026, California teacher Ellen Dooley of Milken Community School in Los Angeles received one of two California awards for the current cycle — a school that has itself received $1.53M across 4 foundation grants, illustrating the deep overlap between LMFF's institutional grantees and its educator recognition programs.

In September 2025, four Los Angeles educators received $18,000 Jewish Educator Awards, a distinct recognition program targeting Jewish day school and supplementary educators. During summer 2025, the foundation distributed $10,000 Milken Scholars Awards to students in three cities: 11 LA County students (July), 5 NYC students (June 25), and 4 Washington D.C. students (June 10). In June 2025, young artists in ARTEFFECT earned over $35,000 in competition prizes.

Earlier in 2025, a Washington D.C. educator received a $25,000 Milken Educator Award in March, and a California teacher in Alta Loma received one in February. No leadership changes have been publicly announced; however, Jeremy Milken's elevation to Vice President-Director alongside David Milken reflects deliberate next-generation succession planning, with four Milken family members now holding formal governance roles.

Because LMFF does not accept unsolicited proposals, approaching this foundation requires a fundamentally different strategy than submitting to an open-RFP grantmaker. The following tips are drawn from analysis of the foundation's grantee history, program structure, and public communications.

Enter through signature programs, not grant requests. The Milken Educator Awards is the most reliable entry point: nominations are open each cycle through milkeneducatorawards.org. When a nomination succeeds, the nominating institution builds a documented relationship with foundation staff. Art and visual arts teachers are eligible to participate in ARTEFFECT, and promising high school students can be referred to the Milken Scholars program. Each of these touchpoints creates a legitimate relationship foundation before any grant conversation begins.

Lead with human-capital impact, not organizational need. LMFF grantees consistently frame their work around developing exceptional people — teachers, scholars, leaders, researchers. Avoid proposals that center on organizational financial sustainability or operational needs. Instead, emphasize the measurable human-capital outcomes of your programming: how many teachers have been trained, how many students have achieved measurable learning gains, how your work scales excellence across a field.

Jewish community organizations should leverage existing grantee networks. Stephen Wise Temple ($7.8M across 8 grants), ZOA ($1.55M), Congregation Har Shalom ($78K), and the Jewish Federation ($400K) have built multi-grant relationships. New Jewish community organizations should seek introductions through these established grantees or through the Jewish Federation, which itself receives LMFF support and can facilitate introductions.

Academic institutions should anchor proposals to named legacies. The UCLA relationship — Law School ($10.95M), Music School ($2.15M+), Herb Alpert School ($2.5M), general research ($5.85M) — grew through named academic chairs, endowed programs, and faculty awards. Proposals that create a permanent named legacy tied to Lowell Milken's interests are far more consistent with the foundation's grantmaking philosophy than time-limited program grants.

Medical research organizations should focus proposals on Parkinson's disease, prostate cancer, geriatric medicine, or autism-spectrum conditions — all documented funding priorities. Emphasize translational research and patient-impact metrics within a 3-5 year horizon.

Timing: LMFF does not publish application deadlines. Milken Educator Award nominations open in spring with awards announced in October; Scholars programs run spring through early summer; ARTEFFECT submissions run October through April. Begin relationship cultivation at least 12 months before any hoped-for grant cycle. Contact: Info@lowellmilken.org | (310) 570-4800 | 1250 4th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401.