Founded in 2000, the Lumina Foundation is an independent, private foundation located in Indianapolis, Indiana, that focuses on higher [Page 1733]education access, cost, and completion rates. A foundation is a nongovernmental entity that is established as a nonprofit corporation or charitable trust whose primary purpose is to make grants to unrelated organizations, institutions, or individuals for specific purposes. The Lumina Foundation subscribes to what it calls the leadership model of philanthropy, which suggests that the goal of philanthropy is a permanent change in conditions so that assistance is no longer necessary. To achieve its goals, the Lumina Foundation works with governmental, nonprofit, and private sector organizations; awards grants to support effective and promising practices; and evaluates progress.

Initially, the Lumina Foundation focused their efforts on three ...