We combine an annual monetary grant for three years with participation in a cohort of non-profits seeking the same result, enabling the groups to share best practices and learn from each other.
The name Lemala comes from the Hebrew word “upward”, signifying the Fund’s goal of helping organizations grow and thrive.
Often, philanthropic funders explicitly exclude support for overhead such as improving development capacity. The Lemala Fund Founders feel there is a gap to be filled.
We are no longer making new grants.
Previously, potential grantees were nominated either by the Founders or by the partner foundations.
The Lemala Fund was founded by Donna Dubinsky and Len Shustek, entrepreneurs and philanthropists based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Lemala Fund's Executive Director is June Wang.
Promoting equal opportunities to learn and advance student success by reducing chronic absence
Solving California's higher education and workforce issues through research, advocacy, and collective action
Partners with developmentally disabled artists to celebrate and nurture the creative potential in all of us
Transforming lives through educating all ages and abilities in the music, spirit, and culture of jazz
An all-in-one, hands-on food education program for any learning environment
A hybrid urban arts space in downtown San Jose rooted in the Chicano/Latino experience
Working to create equitable, high-quality early learning experiences for children from ages 0 to 5
A recording studio and nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of women and gender-expansive people in music/audio production
Partnering with bay area schools to provide resources and professional, on-campus mental health services to students free of charge
Protecting the civil and political rights of Chinese Americans and working to advance multiracial democracy in the United States
Empowering undocumented young people to achieve educational and career goals through personal, institutional and policy transformation
Connecting, enlightening and strengthening the multi-faceted Jewish community of Northern California
Empowering communities of color to achieve their full potential by sharing the mindset, skills, and access they need to embrace tech and innovation
Grassroots Community Organizing in Oakland for Racial, Social and Economic Justice
Promoting and Supporting Diversity in the Legal Profession
National Network that Inspires and Celebrates Black Connections and Leadership in Nature
Supporting Local Teen Mothers and Their Children
Engaging Audiences Through Compelling Contemporary Opera Performances
Cultivating a Healthy and Just Food System From Seed to Table
Serving as a Voice to Empower Latinos and Other Under-Served Communities
Providing Housing, Food, and Critical Family Needs Assistance to Bay Area Residents for 34 Years