Funding Philosophy

Our approach at The Lillis Foundation is based on an engaged funding philosophy. We don’t simply supply funding; we invest in leadership. That means that your passion becomes our passion.

We are a small foundation with limited resources, thus we seek to fund where we can have a significant impact. We often begin relationships with smaller, highly focused grants that enable us to observe the functioning of the organization. As the relationship develops and we become more familiar with the issues and challenges faced by our grantees, we hope to become partners in exploring creative solutions. We believe it may be necessary to take some risks to effectively address a grantee’s needs, and we are open to discussing unique ideas and projects that support our mission. We are also interested in collaborating with other funders on projects which may be beyond our reach financially.

We believe effective nonprofit organizations are characterized by visionary executive leadership, an active board of directors, clearly articulated mission statements – against which success can be measured – and passion at all levels of the organization. We encourage our board members to become involved with our grantees to further enhance our understanding and support.

At this time we do not accept unsolicited proposals. We identify opportunities for funding through internal research, and in collaboration with other grantmakers and colleagues. If you feel your mission fits well with our funding areas, please submit a letter of inquiry.