Based in the major tech hub of Palo Alto, California, the LS Foundation maintains a low profile. This is a funder that prioritizes the Bay Area and has a few different local interests that it focuses on. Here’s some information about the LS Foundation and its Bay Area giving.
The tech veteran behind the foundation
The man behind the LS Foundation is Laurence L. Spitters. Spitters began his career as an investment banker and worked on Wall Street. In 1961, he founded Memorex Corporation, which manufactured chromium dioxide cassettes and supplied computer system products. Spitters, who earned a master’s degree from Harvard University and a law degree from the University of Michigan, became involved in computer leasing and manufacturing equipment until he retired in 1974.
Today, Laurence L. Spitters serves as the president and sole officer of the foundation, and there are no paid employees or other officers.
Interest areas
Spitters backs several different causes through his foundation’s grantmaking. For example, he’s known for being a significant financial contributor to the American Conservatory Theater. Other arts and culture grantees include TheaterWorks, the San Francisco Symphony and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Education is also a top issue for the LS Foundation, with grants recently going to Santa Clara University, the University of California, Berkeley and California State University, Sacramento. Health is an interest as well, and the LS Foundation has supported the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and the Palo Alto Medical Foundation recently.
Typical foundation grants
LS Foundation grants go toward education projects, medical research efforts, arts programs and scholarships. Grants range all the way from $250 on the low end to $50,000 on the high end. Donations exceeding $100,000 are rare and usually only fund scholarships. In recent years, the foundation has awarded around $500,000 per year in total grants. Almost all grants stay within Northern California.
Getting in touch
Although the LS Foundation does not have a website, this is still quite an accessible Bay Area funder. According to the most recent tax records available, the foundation accepts unsolicited grant requests with no restrictions or limitations. There are no specific application forms that nonprofits must use to apply for a grant, and there are also no submission deadlines. Simply submit application materials to the foundation by mail and to the attention of foundation president Laurence L. Spitters.
Read more about this funder in IP’s full profile of the LS Foundation, which is part of our Bay Area and Northern California funding guide.