Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation

Overview

Mission

Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation strives to combine compassion and philanthropy with strategic grant making to advance and promote quality health and education for all. Race-based inequities result in disproportionately negative outcomes across multiple measures of well-being. BIPOC communities tend to have less access to quality health care and higher rates of disease and illness compared to their white counterparts. In the educational system, students of color are disciplined more, graded lower, and have fewer role models in the classroom than their white peers; support for English Language Learners is inadequate. Systemic inequities also mean more families of color live in poverty than white families. Race-based inequities are created by past and present racism. It is imperative that we recognize, acknowledge, and address racism in order to make progress.

What it reported doing in 2024

Other grantmaking activity: sheng-yen lu foundation sponsored community events held by 40 partner organizations in 2024. One set of special projects is our disaster relief efforts. 100% of funds raised for disaster relief efforts go toward rebuilding the lives of those affected by disasters. In 2024, one organization received funds to help victims of the earthquake in taiwan, and another organization received funding for emergency response services in gaza. Sheng-yen lu foundation also made 13 rapid response grants in 2024. These grants are made to grantee partners who are facing an unanticipated need for funds to address an emergency situation. Sheng-yen lu foundation also made 10 community-led grants in 2024 to nonprofits that were nominated by our existing grantees. The goal of this funding stream is to broaden the scope of our philanthropic efforts and support newer and/or smaller organizations in their development. Finally, one additional special projects grant was made in 2024 to support a sabbatical fund for bipoc nonprofit leaders in Washington state, and an additional special projects grant was made as a capital campaign gift to a healthcare organization.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 69% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 93% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
263276872
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Redmond, WA, United States
Phone
(+1) 425.883.3500 (+1) 425.883.3511
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Buddhism
Affiliation
Buddhism

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,796,335
Expenses
$2,601,527
Assets
$10,879,677
Liabilities
$6,000

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 95
  • Transparency & Controls: 78
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 42
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 93.4%; rating input score 93
  • Fundraising efficiency: $55.23 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Pass
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Pass
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 98.4%; rating input score 98; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -44.8%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.18; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.8%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 19.6% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.5% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 10.4% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 5 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 93.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 2 of 2 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $2.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $99K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 30 of 31 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and grants
  • Filing history: 15 annual filings from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 68 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 67 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 5 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 3/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • RACHEL ALLEN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $99,366 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024.