The Lawrence Foundation

The Lawrence Foundation is a private family foundation based in Santa Monica, California. Established in 2000 by Jeff Lawrence and Diane Troth, the foundation was created from proceeds associated with Intel Corporation’s acquisition of Trillium Digital Systems, a communications-software company founded in 1988 by Jeff Lawrence and Larisa Chistyakov. Jeff and Diane served as the foundation’s founding trustees. Diane Troth died in 2016, and the foundation is now governed by Jeff Lawrence and his two children. The foundation’s purpose is to distribute charitable grants rather than sell commercial products or services. Its grantmaking interests include environmental protection, education, human services, and other charitable causes. It supports both program grants, which fund specific activities, and operating grants, which can help eligible organizations maintain their general operations. The foundation states that it has no geographical restrictions, allowing qualified applicants beyond a defined local service area. Eligible applicants generally include nonprofit organizations that qualify for public-charity status under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code, as well as comparable organizations. Since its establishment, The Lawrence Foundation has received more than 30,000 grant applications and awarded more than US$6 million in grants, according to the foundation’s published information. It ended 2025 with more than US$4 million in assets. These figures describe the foundation’s grantmaking and financial position rather than commercial sales. Applicants must use the Common Grant Application, an online grant-application and management system; the foundation does not accept paper letters of inquiry or paper grant applications. In addition to ordinary grantmaking, the foundation has supported initiatives intended to strengthen the infrastructure behind environmental policy and advocacy. In March 2005, it worked with the Natural Resources Defense Council and Tufts University to organize and host a workshop for environmental economists. The workshop sought to build a network capable of developing and communicating credible economic arguments for environmental protection, stewardship, and investment. Participants subsequently established the Center for the Applied Study of Economics and Environment in 2006. That initiative began with an online directory of economists willing to work with environmental organizations, summer internships, and dissertation support for economics graduate students. It later evolved into Economics for Equity and the Environment Network, commonly known as E3, reflecting a broader focus. The Lawrence Foundation is distinct from other United States organizations that use the name Lawrence Foundation. Its identity is tied to the family foundation established by Jeff Lawrence and Diane Troth, its Santa Monica base, and its broad, non-geographically restricted charitable grantmaking.

The Lawrence Foundation was established in 2000 by married couple Jeff Lawrence and Diane Troth. Its founding capital came from proceeds connected with Intel Corporation’s acquisition of Trillium Digital Systems, a communications-software company founded in 1988 by Jeff Lawrence and Larisa Chistyakov. Jeff and Diane became the foundation’s founding trustees. The foundation was formed as a private family foundation focused on charitable grantmaking. Its stated areas of interest include environmental causes, education, human services, and other charitable purposes. Rather than limiting awards to a particular state or region, it reports having no geographical restrictions. Its funding model includes both program grants for specific projects and operating grants that support eligible organizations’ broader work. Applicants are generally required to be organizations eligible for public-charity treatment under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code or comparable organizations. A notable early direct-funding initiative took place in March 2005, when The Lawrence Foundation partnered with the Natural Resources Defense Council and Tufts University to convene environmental economists. The workshop aimed to identify and connect economists and other specialists who shared a commitment to developing, communicating, and advocating credible economic approaches to environmental protection, stewardship, and investment. The meeting led to a continuing initiative: in 2006, participating economists established the Center for the Applied Study of Economics and Environment. Its early programs included an online directory of economists open to collaboration with environmental groups, summer internships with environmental organizations, and dissertation support for economics graduate students. The organization later adopted the name Economics for Equity and the Environment Network, or E3, to better reflect its expanded focus. Diane Troth died in 2016. The foundation’s current trustees are Jeff Lawrence and his two children, although the available reference material does not identify the children by name. The organization continues to operate as a family foundation from Santa Monica, California. The foundation’s published grantmaking information states that it has received more than 30,000 applications and distributed more than US$6 million in grants since 2000. It reported assets of more than US$4 million at the end of 2025. Its application process is administered through the Common Grant Application, an online platform; paper letters of inquiry and paper grant applications are not accepted. The Lawrence Foundation should be distinguished from other United States foundations with similar names and different grantmaking priorities.

• 2025

  Foundation reports current grantmaking and asset figures

  [3]Foundation reports current grantmaking and asset figuresthelawrencefoundation.org

  The foundation reported more than 30,000 applications received, more than US$6 million in grants awarded since 2000, and more than US$4 million in assets at the end of 2025.

• 2016

  Diane Troth dies

  [1]The Lawrence Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  Diane Troth, co-founder and founding trustee, died. Governance subsequently continued with Jeff Lawrence and their two children.

• 2006

  CASE&E is launched

  [1]The Lawrence Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  Participants in the prior year’s workshop established the Center for the Applied Study of Economics and Environment, later known as Economics for Equity and the Environment Network.

• 2005

  Environmental economists workshop is held

  [1]The Lawrence Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  The foundation, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Tufts University organized a workshop to build cooperation around environmental economics.

• 2000

  The Lawrence Foundation is established

  [1]The Lawrence Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  Jeff Lawrence and Diane Troth established the private family foundation and became its founding trustees.

• 1988

  Trillium Digital Systems is founded

  [1]The Lawrence Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  Jeff Lawrence and Larisa Chistyakov founded Trillium Digital Systems, the communications-software company whose later acquisition helped provide the proceeds used to establish The Lawrence Foundation.

A private family foundation positioned as a broad-purpose charitable funder supporting qualified nonprofit organizations through program and operating grants, with particular interest in environmental, education, and human-services causes.

Product categories. Program grants for defined charitable projects · Operating grants for eligible nonprofit organizations · Environmental and environmental-economics support · Education and human-services grants

• 2005Environmental Economics Workshop

  United States

  The Lawrence Foundation partnered with the Natural Resources Defense Council and Tufts University to convene environmental economists and encourage the development of credible economic arguments for environmental protection and stewardship.

  Outcome. The workshop led to the creation in 2006 of the Center for the Applied Study of Economics and Environment, later renamed Economics for Equity and the Environment Network.

  Source

• 2020

  Move grant applications to an online systemStrategy

  Background

  The foundation’s application process is administered through the Common Grant Application platform.

  Action taken

  Applicants must submit through the online Common Grant Application system; paper letters of inquiry and paper applications are not accepted.

  Aftermath

  The online process remains the foundation’s stated route for nonprofit applications. The exact year of implementation is not specified in the available sources.

  Source

• 2005

  Invest in environmental-economics infrastructureStrategy

  Background

  Environmental organizations and researchers needed stronger economic analysis and a broader network of economists able to contribute to environmental policy and advocacy.

  Action taken

  The foundation joined the Natural Resources Defense Council and Tufts University in organizing an environmental-economics workshop and supporting subsequent network-building activities.

  Aftermath

  The participating economists created CASE&E in 2006, an initiative that later became Economics for Equity and the Environment Network.

  Source

• 2000

  Adopt a broad, non-geographically restricted grantmaking strategyStrategy

  Background

  The foundation was created as a private family foundation intended to support multiple charitable fields rather than a single narrowly defined cause or locality.

  Action taken

  It established grantmaking across environmental, education, human-services, and other charitable areas, with both program and operating grants available to eligible organizations.

  Aftermath

  The foundation continues to accept applications from qualified organizations without stated geographical restrictions.

  Source

1. 1The Lawrence Foundationen.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Lawrence Foundation official websitethelawrencefoundation.org
3. 3Foundation reports current grantmaking and asset figuresthelawrencefoundation.org