Funding search · EIN 136001282 · New York, NY

The Henry Luce Foundation

A private foundation (files IRS Form 990-PF). Most private foundations do not take unsolicited applications; the route in is usually a program officer.

1,762
grants reported
$141.5M
total given
2022–2024
filing years
$50,000
median grant

Based on grants this organization reported to the IRS for tax years 20222024. This is what they filed, not a complete record of their giving, and recent years may be incomplete because filings lag.

What they fund

lucestemresearchfoundationexhibitionamericanuniversityundergraduate

Funder website ↗Full IRS filings ↗How this is builtReport an error

Funding pattern

What this funder pays for, at what size, and how to position adjacent work. Read from their filings, with every number checked against the record.

Where the money goes

  • Clare Boothe Luce STEM awards for women at named colleges
  • Humanities fellowships and academic research on Asia
  • Museum exhibitions, collection preservation, gallery installations
  • Religion and public life: reporting, convenings, research
  • Indigenous and Native-led fellowships, archives, tribal museums
  • Local journalism and democracy-focused public education

Typical grant

Median grant is $50,000 and the middle half runs $3,000 to $120,000, so most of the file is small: individual awards, travel, small project support. The big checks cluster at recognizable sizes: $458,200 to institutions carrying the Clare Boothe Luce STEM program, $150,000 to $250,000 for museum exhibitions and gallery installations, and $300,000 to $1,250,000 for fellowship intermediaries like ACLS and First Nations Development Institute. Repeat giving is heavy: 1,762 grants went to 952 recipients over three years, and some grantees appear multiple times in a single year.

Their words

Phrases from their own grant descriptions, worth speaking back to them.

  • Support for academic research
  • Support for the Clare Boothe Luce STEM program
  • Support for collaboration among academic institutions and scholars
  • Support for an art exhibition
  • Support for gallery improvements and installation of artwork
  • Support for fellowships

Positioning adjacent work

  • Frame research as a network or convening with named partner institutions, not a single-PI project.
  • For STEM work with women scholars, tie explicitly to Clare Boothe Luce professorships, fellowships, or undergraduate research awards.
  • Ask $150,000 to $200,000 for a defined project; reserve larger asks for multi-institution fellowship pipelines.
  • Pair scholarship with a public output: exhibition, podcast, documentary, publication, or reporting series.

Worth knowing: Giving is concentrated in New York and Washington, DC, with California and Massachusetts next, and the Clare Boothe Luce roster is a fixed set of institutions that receive the same $458,200 year after year. Asia studies, religion in public life, Indigenous knowledge, and American art run as durable threads, and recent years show real money moving into local journalism and democracy infrastructure.

3 grants matching “catalog · $205,000

  • $100,000

    The Olana Partnership · Hudson, NY · 2024

    Support for a digital collection catalog

  • $55,000

    The Foundation for City College · New York, NY · 2024

    Support for a history exhibition and related catalog

  • $50,000

    Springfield Art Museum · Springfield, MO · 2024

    Support for the creation of a catalog of the permanent collection

Top recipients

Repeat recipients are the strongest signal of whether a funder has an open door or quietly re-funds the same organizations.

  • First Nations Development Institute13 grants · $4.8M
  • American Council of Learned Societies12 grants · $4.5M
  • Georgetown University5 grants · $1.6M
  • University of Wisconsin Foundation7 grants · $1.5M
  • University of Notre Dame5 grants · $1.5M
  • Seton Hall University4 grants · $1.4M
  • Fordham University7 grants · $1.3M
  • Trinity Washington University4 grants · $1.3M
  • Santa Clara University3 grants · $1.3M
  • St Johns University3 grants · $1.3M

Giving over time

$47.3M
2022
$45.7M
2023
$48.5M
2024

Grant history

The 100 largest of 1,762 grants.

  • $1.3M

    American Council of Learned Societies · New York, NY · 2024

    Support for academic fellowships

  • $750,000

    First Nations Development Institute · Longmont, CO · 2024

    Support for fellowships

  • $750,000

    American Council of Learned Societies · New York, NY · 2023

    Luce/ACLS Program in China Studies

  • $750,000

    American Council of Learned Societies · New York, NY · 2022

    Luce/ACLS Program in China Studies

  • $600,000

    Morgan State University · Baltimore, MD · 2022

    Lifeways of Hope

  • $600,000

    University of California Berkeley · Berkeley, CA · 2022

    Asian Pacific American Religions Research Initiative

  • $550,000

    First Nations Development Institute · Longmont, CO · 2024

    Support for fellowships

  • $500,000

    First Nations Development Institute · Longmont, CO · 2024

    Support for fellowships

  • $500,000

    First Nations Development Institute · Longmont, CO · 2023

    Cohort 5- Supporting Public/Community Intellectuals in Native American Communities

  • $500,000

    First Nations Development Institute · Longmont, CO · 2023

    Cohort 4-Supporting Public/Community Intellectuals in Native American Communities

  • $500,000

    First Nations Development Institute · Longmont, CO · 2022

    Cohort 4-Supporting Public/Community Intellectuals in Native American Communities

  • $500,000

    First Nations Development Institute · Longmont, CO · 2022

    Cohort 5- Supporting Public/Community Intellectuals in Native American Communities

  • $458,200

    Colby College · Waterville, ME · 2024

    Support for the Clare Boothe Luce STEM program

  • $458,200

    Creighton University · Omaha, NE · 2024

    Support for the Clare Boothe Luce STEM program

  • $458,200

    Fordham University · The Bronx, NY · 2024

    Support for the Clare Boothe Luce STEM program

  • $458,200

    Georgetown University · Washington, DC · 2024

    Support for the Clare Boothe Luce STEM program

  • $458,200

    Marymount University · Arlington, VA · 2024

    Support for the Clare Boothe Luce STEM program

  • $458,200

    Mount Holyoke College · South Hadley, MA · 2024

    Support for the Clare Boothe Luce STEM program

  • $458,200

    Santa Clara University · Santa Clara, CA · 2024

    Support for the Clare Boothe Luce STEM program

  • $458,200

    Seton Hall University · South Orange, NJ · 2024

    Support for the Clare Boothe Luce STEM program

  • $458,200

    St Johns University · Queens, NY · 2024

    Support for the Clare Boothe Luce STEM program

  • $458,200

    Trinity Washington University · Washington, DC · 2024

    Support for the Clare Boothe Luce STEM program

  • $458,200

    University of Notre Dame · Notre Dame, IN · 2024

    Support for the Clare Boothe Luce STEM program

  • $458,200

    Villanova Preparatory School · Ojai, CA · 2024

    Support for the Clare Boothe Luce STEM program

  • $450,000

    University of Wisconsin Foundation · Madison, WI · 2024

    Support for academic research

  • $450,000

    First Nations Development Institute · Longmont, CO · 2022

    Cohort 3-Supporting Public/Community Intellectuals in Native American Communities

  • $450,000

    Northeastern University · Boston, MA · 2022

    Sacred Writes: Public Scholarship on Race, Justice, and Religion

  • $440,000

    Boston University · Boston, MA · 2022

    Boston University CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2022

  • $440,000

    Colby College · Waterville, ME · 2022

    Colby College CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2022

  • $440,000

    Creighton University · Omaha, NE · 2022

    Creighton University CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2022

  • $440,000

    Fordham University · Bronx, NY · 2022

    Fordham University CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2022

  • $440,000

    Georgetown University · Washington, DC · 2022

    Georgetown University CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2022

  • $440,000

    Marymount University · Arlington, VA · 2022

    Marymount University CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2022

  • $440,000

    Mount Holyoke College · South Hadley, MA · 2022

    Mt Holyoke College CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2022

  • $440,000

    Santa Clara University · Santa Clara, CA · 2022

    Santa Clara University CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2022

  • $440,000

    Seton Hall University · South Orange, NJ · 2022

    Seton Hall University CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2022

  • $440,000

    St Johns University · Queens, NY · 2022

    St. John's University CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2022

  • $440,000

    Trinity Washington University · Washington, DC · 2022

    Trinity Washington University CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2022

  • $440,000

    University of Notre Dame · Notre Dame, IN · 2022

    University of Notre Dame CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2022

  • $440,000

    Villanova Preparatory School · Ojai, CA · 2022

    Villanova Preparatory School CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2022

  • $430,800

    Boston University · Boston, MA · 2023

    Boston University CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2023

  • $430,800

    Colby College · Waterville, ME · 2023

    Colby College CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2023

  • $430,800

    Creighton University · Omaha, NE · 2023

    Creighton University CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2023

  • $430,800

    Fordham University · Bronx, NY · 2023

    Fordham University CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2023

  • $430,800

    Georgetown University · Washington, DC · 2023

    Georgetown University CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2023

  • $430,800

    Marymount University · Arlington, VA · 2023

    Marymount University CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2023

  • $430,800

    Mount Holyoke College · South Hadley, MA · 2023

    Mt Holyoke College CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2023

  • $430,800

    Santa Clara University · Santa Clara, CA · 2023

    Santa Clara University CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2023

  • $430,800

    Seton Hall University · South Orange, NJ · 2023

    Seton Hall University CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2023

  • $430,800

    St Johns University · Queens, NY · 2023

    St. John's University CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2023

  • $430,800

    Trinity Washington University · Washington, DC · 2023

    Trinity Washington University CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2023

  • $430,800

    University of Notre Dame · Notre Dame, IN · 2023

    University of Notre Dame CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2023

  • $430,800

    Villanova Preparatory School · Ojai, CA · 2023

    Villanova Preparatory School CBL STEM Program Escrow Account - 2023

  • $406,668

    American Council of Learned Societies · New York, NY · 2024

    Support for PhD dissertation fellowships

  • $400,000

    Morgan State University · Baltimore, MD · 2024

    Support for research networks and public programs

  • $400,000

    National Museum of American History Smithsonian Institution · Washington, DC · 2024

    Support for convening and related publication

  • $400,000

    University of California Berkeley · Berkeley, CA · 2024

    Support for research network

  • $400,000

    American Council of Learned Societies · New York, NY · 2023

    Luce/ACLS Dissertation Fellowships in American Art

  • $400,000

    American Council of Learned Societies · New York, NY · 2022

    Luce/ACLS Dissertation Fellowships in American Art

  • $400,000

    Public Religion Research Institute (Prri) · Washington, DC · 2022

    Religion and Renewing Democracy

  • $380,000

    University of Wisconsin Foundation · Madison, WI · 2023

    Social Justice in Southeast Asia

  • $350,000

    The Stimson Center · Washington, DC · 2024

    Support for policy research and workshops

  • $350,000

    Baltimore Museum of Art · Baltimore, MD · 2022

    BMA Prints, Drawings, and Photography Center - Part 2

  • $346,000

    University of Washington · Seattle, WA · 2023

    Tracing Authoritarianism: Linking Southeast Asia with Southeast Asian America Through Archives, Language, and Pedagogy

  • $335,000

    Social Science Research Council · Brooklyn, NY · 2022

    A Digital Platform on Religion in International Affairs

  • $330,000

    Social Science Research Council · Brooklyn, NY · 2023

    A Digital Platform on Religion in International Affairs

  • $315,000

    East-West Center · Honolulu, HI · 2024

    Support for academic research

  • $315,000

    California Institute of Technology · Pasadena, CA · 2022

    California Institute of Technology - One CBL STEM Professorship

  • $300,000

    Aapi Civic Engagement Fund · Los Angeles, CA · 2024

    Support for civic engagement

  • $300,000

    First Nations Development Institute · Longmont, CO · 2024

    Fellowship support

  • $300,000

    National Museum of American History Smithsonian Institution · Washington, DC · 2024

    Support for convening and publication

  • $300,000

    Public Religion Research Institute (Prri) · Washington, DC · 2024

    Support for research fellows

  • $300,000

    Columbia University · New York, NY · 2023

    ?Digitizing Vietnam: The Virtual Future of Global Vietnam and Vietnamese Studies"

  • $300,000

    Public Religion Research Institute (Prri) · Washington, DC · 2023

    Religion and Renewing Democracy

  • $300,000

    The Aspen Institute · Washington, DC · 2023

    Racial Justice & Religion Initiative

  • $300,000

    Northeastern University · Boston, MA · 2022

    Northeastern University - Two CBL STEM Graduate Fellowships

  • $300,000

    United Lutheran Seminary · Gettysburg, PA · 2022

    Toward a Common Public Life

  • $300,000

    Washington University in St Louis · St Louis, MO · 2022

    Washington University in St. Louis - Two CBL STEM Graduate Fellowships

  • $290,000

    Institute for Diversity and Civic Life · Austin, TX · 2022

    Grounded Religion: Developing the Field of Community Engaged Public Humanities

  • $280,000

    University of Washington · Seattle, WA · 2022

    Tracing Authoritarianism: Linking Southeast Asia with Southeast Asian America Through Archives, Language, and Pedagogy

  • $276,128

    Worcester Polytechnic Institute · Worcester, MA · 2022

    Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Two CBL STEM Graduate Fellowships

  • $275,000

    The Research Foundation for the State University of New York (Suny) · Albany, NY · 2023

    Building the SUNY/CUNY Southeast Asia Consortium (SEAC)

  • $275,000

    UCLA Asian American Studies Center · Los Angeles, CA · 2023

    The AAPI Multimedia Education Initiative: A Pathway to Sustainability and Visibility

  • $275,000

    American Association for the Advancement of Science · Washington, DC · 2022

    Advancing SEA Change

  • $260,000

    University of Texas at El Paso · El Paso, TX · 2023

    University of Texas at El Paso - Two CBL STEM Professorships

  • $260,000

    Saint Mary'S College · Notre Dame, IN · 2022

    Saint Mary's College - One CBL STEM Professorship

  • $256,000

    University of California Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA · 2022

    SEACOAST: The Southeast Asian Coastal Studies Initiative

  • $255,000

    Ohio University Libraries · Athens, OH · 2022

    The Southeast Asia Digital Library: A new approach to building and curating a digital library

  • $250,000

    Amalgamated Foundation · Washington, DC · 2024

    Support for advocacy of higher education

  • $250,000

    Burke Museum · Seattle, WA · 2024

    Support for preservation of an art collection

  • $250,000

    Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art · New York, NY · 2024

    Support for an art exhibition

  • $250,000

    Native American Rights Fund · Boulder, CO · 2024

    Support for a museum

  • $250,000

    Portland Art Museum · Portland, OR · 2024

    Support for an art exhibition

  • $250,000

    Texas Tribune · Austin, TX · 2024

    Support for an educational series on Texas history

  • $250,000

    Environmental Law Institute · Washington, DC · 2023

    Advancing Tribal Sovereignty and Community Health in California

  • $250,000

    Interfaith America · Chicago, IL · 2023

    Black Interfaith

  • $250,000

    Northeastern University · Boston, MA · 2023

    Strengthening Democracy by Building Public Sector Capacity

  • $250,000

    American Council of Learned Societies · New York, NY · 2022

    COVID Emergency Grant: ACLS Public Humanities Project

  • $250,000

    Hammer Museum · Los Angeles, CA · 2022

    Luce Curatorial Fellowships

  • $250,000

    Interfaith America · Chicago, IL · 2022

    Black Interfaith

View all 1,762 grants →

Grants already paid are the record; PaperOrbit reads your paper and finds the funders whose record matches it — then explains why.

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Source: IRS Form 990-PF, Part XV, as filed by the foundation. These are grants already paid — a record of what this funder backs, not an open call.