What LOR Foundation does

LOR Foundation is a private, non-profit foundation incorporated in Delaware and headquartered in Lander, Wyoming, that partners with rural communities in the U.S. Mountain West to improve quality of life through place-based grant-making. Founded in 2008 and named for its values of Livability, Opportunity, and Responsibility, the foundation operates in eight rural towns across five states — Cortez and Monte Vista (Colorado), Buffalo and Lander (Wyoming), Libby (Montana), Questa and Taos (New Mexico), and Weiser (Idaho) — and reports cumulative community investment of nearly $80 million. The organization positions itself as the only private foundation funding exclusively in rural Mountain West places.

The foundation's core service is a Community Grants Program that funds resident-identified projects across eight issue areas: economy, education, engagement, environment, health, housing, transportation, and water. Distribution is executed through locally-hired Community Officers embedded in each town, a self-serve "Share an Idea" website portal, and a monthly curated funding-opportunities newsletter. Grant sizes are typically small (most under $30,000 per project, with a $7,800–$30,000 range visible in recent 2026 funding), and the foundation maintains a public solutions database of 1,489+ documented projects. The foundation does not develop technology products; the only adjacent capabilities are a Technology Director and Technology Manager supporting the website, CRM-like grantee tracking, and the solutions database, plus an annual Field Work research initiative and a research partnership with Gallup on rural local leadership.

As a private foundation, LOR generates no product or service revenue; its activities are funded by endowment returns and contributions, neither of which is disclosed. The go-to-market is community-led: residents, nonprofits, small businesses, schools, and local governments submit ideas, which are then supported with funding, convenings, and connections to peer communities and other funders. The foundation also positions externally through press releases, a research publication track, and 2026 TIME100 Philanthropy recognition, and is actively expanding its partner ecosystem via co-funded programs with Richard King Mellon Foundation and The VF Foundation.

Name

LOR Foundation

Legal name

LOR Foundation Inc.

Website

https://lorfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LOR Foundation is a private non-profit foundation that partners with rural Mountain West communities through place-based grant-making. It embeds local community officers in eight towns across five states to fund and document resident-led projects in areas including economy, education, environment, and health.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Community Foundation Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• Rural community grants
• Place-based philanthropy
• Community development funding
• Mountain West grantmaking
• Local community grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Lander

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grant Making: As a private foundation, LOR generates no revenue from products or services. The foundation provides grants and funding to community-driven projects in rural Mountain West communities. They have invested nearly $80 million in the region supporting community projects across eight focus areas.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LOR Foundation is a private non-profit foundation that funds community-driven projects in rural Mountain West towns across Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico, and Idaho. Grants are paired with a network of locally-based Community Officers who engage residents, identify local priorities, and connect people with funding and external resources. The foundation also publishes research (Field Work, LOR-Gallup local leadership studies) and a monthly curated list of funding opportunities to amplify impact across the region.

Product overview

LOR Foundation is a private grant-making foundation that operates a single unified service model centered on place-based community development. The core offering is the Community Grants Program, which funds resident-identified projects across eight rural communities. This is supported by a network of Local Community Officers who provide direct engagement, the Field Work Initiative for innovative solution research, and the LOR-Gallup research partnership. The organization does not offer software products, platforms, or technical services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LOR Foundation Community Grants Program A place-based grantmaking program that funds resident-identified projects across eight rural Mountain West communities in eight issue areas: economy, education, engagement, environment, health, housing, transportation, and water. Grants typically range from roughly $2,200 to $30,000 and are disbursed directly to local nonprofits, schools, municipalities, small businesses, healthcare providers, and individual resident champions.
• Local Community Officer Program A network of eight locally-based Community Officers embedded in Cortez and Monte Vista, CO; Buffalo and Lander, WY; Libby, MT; Questa and Taos, NM; and Weiser, ID. Officers are local residents with personal connections to their towns who engage residents, identify community priorities, and connect projects with funding and other resources.
• Field Work Research Initiative An annual research initiative that invests in and publishes innovative approaches to persistent rural community problems, with particular focus on rural mental health and water management in Mountain West communities.
• LOR-Gallup Local Leadership Research A partnership with Gallup to conduct first-of-its-kind survey research examining why rural Americans step forward to help their communities, what motivates them to take action, and what prevents broader engagement. The research quantifies the potential across rural America and is published on both the Gallup and LOR platforms.
• Monthly Resources and Funding Opportunities Newsletter A curated monthly email listing of funding opportunities, grants, and resources relevant for small rural Mountain West communities, distributed to residents and local organizations.
• Rural Outdoor Recreation and Health Catalyst Grant Program A catalyst grant program co-funded by LOR Foundation with Richard King Mellon Foundation and The VF Foundation to fund community-based outdoor health projects in rural America.
• LOR Solutions Database A public, searchable online database of more than 1,489 ways to improve rural hometowns, filterable by community (Cortez, Monte Vista, Lander, Libby, Questa, Taos, Weiser, Buffalo) and issue area (economy, education, engagement, environment, health, housing, transportation, water).

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly $80 million invested in the Mountain West region
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GallupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 November 2025Partnership to conduct first-of-its-kind research examining why rural Americans step forward to help their communities. The LOR-Gallup survey quantifies the potential across rural America and demonstrates that strong local connections can inspire people to lead efforts to help their communities.
• Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLOR Foundation is listed as a backer of the Rural Outdoor Recreation and Health Catalyst Grant Program announced at ORR's inaugural National Executive Forum on Health and Outdoor Recreation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lor-foundation-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LOR Foundation