Lumina Foundation believes that education provides the basis for individual opportunity, economic vitality and social stability. With its partners, Lumina strives to meet workforce demands and close gaps in attainment for groups not historically well-served by higher education. Lumina’s overarching goal is to increase the higher education attainment rate of the United States to 60 percent by 2025.This will represent an increase of 23 million graduates above current levels of production. While our mission focuses on both student access and success in higher education, our emphasis is on attainment, defined as completing post-secondary certificates, associate and baccalaureate degrees and credentials.
Lumina’s outcomes-based approach focuses on helping to design and build an accessible, responsive and accountable higher education system while fostering a national sense of urgency for action to achieve Goal 2025.
Lumina Foundation welcomes LOIs year-round from eligible organizations seeking funds for work that fits within Lumina’s mission and guidelines. Generally we review unsolicited inquiries through the end of September. Inquiries submitted after September may be held for consideration until the following year.
Organizations may submit more than one inquiry at any one time.
Lumina Foundation makes grants within the United States and its territories, occasionally initiating a grant to an entity outside the United States in order to inform its work to expand access and success in postsecondary education in the United States.
The Foundation only funds organizations that are classified as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and as public charities under section 509(a)(1), (2) or (3) of the Code or to public organizations that are designated under section 170(c) of the Code, not individuals. Lumina Foundation does not make grants to (a.) supporting organizations controlled by disqualified persons to Lumina or (b.) Type III supporting organizations that are not functionally integrated Type III supporting organizations (as such terms are defined in the Internal Revenue Code).
