Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund

What Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund does

The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund is a private philanthropic foundation led by president Laurie M. Tisch, who also co-owns the New York Giants and Gotham FC and holds board positions at Lincoln Center, the Whitney Museum, and the Aspen Institute. The foundation deploys capital through two major grant-making initiatives: the Arts in Health program, which was expanded from $10 million to $25 million to support arts-based programming in healthcare settings, and the $10 million multi-year Play to Thrive initiative launched in 2025 to expand youth sports access — particularly for girls and underserved communities.

The foundation's primary beneficiaries are immigrant and underserved communities in New York City who access healthcare and arts programming through partnerships with NYC Health + Hospitals, Gotham Health, and the NYC Care program (which has grown to approximately 140,000 active members and over 1 million primary care appointments since 2019). Secondary beneficiaries include youth in underserved communities served through sports-based development programs and patients in healthcare facilities receiving arts-based interventions. The foundation operates without disclosed revenue, as its model is grant-making funded by the Tisch family's philanthropy rather than commercial activity.

The foundation has no technology product, no API, no app, and no proprietary platform — its core delivery mechanism is direct grant-making and institutional partnerships. Distribution is concentrated regionally in New York City, relying on partnerships with major civic institutions to reach end beneficiaries. Recent recognitions include the 2026 ESPN Sports Philanthropist of the Year award for the Play to Thrive initiative.

Name

Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund

Legal name

Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund

Website

https://lmtilluminationfund.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund is a private philanthropic foundation led by Laurie M. Tisch that deploys $35 million in grants across arts-in-healthcare and youth sports initiatives, serving immigrant, underserved, and youth communities in New York City through partnerships with major civic and cultural institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Philanthropic foundation
• Arts in health
• Youth sports development
• Community grantmaking
• Healthcare access programs

Headquarters

HQ city

West New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund is a private philanthropic foundation that funds multi-year initiatives in arts, education, health, and community wellbeing. Its portfolio centers on two major programs: the $25 million Arts in Health Initiative, which supports arts-based programs in healthcare settings, and the $10 million Play to Thrive Initiative, which uses sports to expand youth development access for girls and underserved communities. The fund distributes grants and programmatic support to partner organizations such as NYC Health + Hospitals, Lincoln Center, and the Women's Sports Foundation.

Product overview

The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund is a philanthropic organization rather than a traditional product company. Its portfolio consists of grant-making initiatives including the Play to Thrive Initiative (a $10 million sports and youth development program) and the Arts in Health Initiative (a $25 million arts-based health program). These initiatives operate as charitable programs rather than commercial products or services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Play to Thrive Initiative
• Arts in Health Initiative

Quantifiable outcome

• 140,000 active members enrolled in NYC Care program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• NYC Health + HospitalscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2025Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund supports NYC Health + Hospitals' Arts in Medicine department, including the 'We Belong Here' exhibition celebrating immigrant experiences and promoting healthcare access through NYC Care program.
• Gotham HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGotham Health facility at Broadway in Bushwick, Brooklyn hosted the 'We Belong Here' art exhibition organized in partnership with the foundation's support.
• NYC CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation supports the NYC Care program which has grown to approximately 140,000 active members providing healthcare access to immigrants and underserved communities.
• Lincoln CenterflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaurie Tisch serves on the board of Lincoln Center, one of the world's leading performing arts centers, supporting arts programming and cultural initiatives.
• Whitney Museum of American ArtflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaurie Tisch serves on the board of the Whitney Museum, supporting American art programming and cultural initiatives.
• Aspen InstituteflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaurie Tisch serves on the board of the Aspen Institute, supporting policy research and leadership programs.
• Children's Museum of ManhattanflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaurie Tisch is a founding board member of the Children's Museum of Manhattan, which is building a new home that will be the first new museum on Central Park in 25 years.
• Women's Sports FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaurie Tisch serves on the board of the Women's Sports Foundation, supporting women's participation in athletics and sports opportunities for girls.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Aspen Institute: Policy and leadership nonprofit where Laurie Tisch holds a board seat; comparable as a values-aligned ecosystem partner rather than a direct grantmaking competitor.

Direct peers

• The New York Community Trust: NYC's largest community foundation, making multi-year grants across arts, health, education, and community wellbeing — directly comparable program mix and geographic focus to the Illumination Fund.
• Robin Hood Foundation: New York-focused poverty-relief foundation that partners directly with NYC government agencies and large public institutions to deliver measurable outcomes for underserved communities, paralleling the LMTIF/ NYC Care partnership model.
• Doris Duke Charitable Foundation: Major New York-based private foundation funding arts, health, and environmental initiatives with multi-year, place-based strategies that closely mirror the Illumination Fund's arts-in-health approach.

Broad incumbents

• Bloomberg Philanthropies: Very large, multi-issue private foundation with significant arts, public health, and NYC-focused grantmaking; operates at a much bigger scale but shares the arts/health/education portfolio and NYC anchor.
• The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust: Family foundation with substantial healthcare access and health-program funding, providing a comparable peer for the Illumination Fund's health-oriented grantmaking.
• Andrew W. Mellon Foundation: Largest US foundation focused on the arts, humanities, and higher education; a natural benchmark for the Illumination Fund's arts and culture grantmaking, though operating nationally and at far greater scale.
• Ford Foundation: Large global foundation with longstanding programs in arts, education, and social justice — comparable portfolio breadth to the Illumination Fund's arts/education/health/community mix.

Emerging players

• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: US health-focused foundation that increasingly funds upstream, social-determinants and community-wellbeing work; relevant overlap with the Illumination Fund's health and youth-development agenda.
• Women's Sports Foundation: Foundation dedicated to advancing girls and women in sport; Laurie Tisch sits on its board and Play to Thrive aligns with its mission, making it both a partner and a thematic peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/laurie-m-tisch-illumination-fund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund