The nonprofit Livermore Lab Foundation (LLF) is a key partner to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), a U.S. Department of Energy national security laboratory. LLF uses public and private investments, grants, and philanthropic gifts to support research; student fellows; outreach in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education; and community initiatives. The foundation works to advance science, innovation, and knowledge at the laboratory and to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Contrary to popular belief, LLF is not funded by the laboratory or a part of it; instead it is an independent, nonprofit partner that relies on funding from other foundations, academic partners such as the University of California, and individual donors. In essence, LLF has a three-pronged focus: supporting STEM students; spotting opportunities to leverage the lab’s technologies and expertise by funding projects that help solve important problems beyond LLNL's core national security mission; and building public understanding about the lab's science and technology in areas like carbon management, healthcare, energy resilience, and more.

Since its founding, the foundation has invested more than $1 million in fellowships and research stipends to support undergraduate and graduate STEM students, officials say. The program can be a lifeline for students with financial needs as well as first-generation college students. The foundation places LLF Fellows with lab mentors engaged in the key research areas LLF funds, including Earth and Atmospheric Science, Bioscience and Bioengineering, high-performance computing and data science, and more.

Since 2019, the foundation has funded nearly $2 million in early stage projects to accelerate collective efforts to diagnose, understand, and treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Alzheimer's, Multiple Sclerosis, and Parkinson's. In partnership with the ALS CURE Project, LLF has funded the use of LLNL’s unique supercomputing, bioengineering, and biosciences core competencies “to accelerate collective efforts to diagnose, understand, and treat neurodegenerative disease,” according to officials. These early-stage projects have focused on biomarker identification, multimodal data analytics, disease, and therapeutic interventions that are “yielding important insights into the myriad neurological diseases affecting a growing portion of our aging population.”

Additionally, LLF works with the lab to support research into meeting California's energy resilience goals as well as breakthrough fusion technologies. To help it continue meeting these important goals, LLF officials have launched a $1-million fundraising campaign called Science Today, Science Tomorrow in honor of its 10th anniversary. The foundation’s goal during 2026 is to raise enough financial backing to continue funding critical research and student development. As officials note, these resources “will fuel the discoveries of the next decade and beyond.” LLF also partners with corporate charities and company foundations seeking to increase the impact of their donations within the Tri-Valley region and beyond. From 2020 to 2025, for example, LLF’s Climate in the Classroom program provided interactive lessons to more than 5,000 high school science students in Kern, Tulare, San Joaquin, and Alameda Counties. That is one way that LLF is providing a direct line into the STEM workforce pipeline, according to Allen.

In addition to donating to the Science Today, Science Tomorrow campaign, supporters can volunteer and buy tickets to the Decade of Impact Celebration, which will be held on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 from 5 to 8 pm at Garré Vineyard in Livermore. The event features a student research showcase, wine reception, and plated dinner. Ticket sales close on July 24. “We are really proud to be the lab’s key philanthropic partner,” says Allen. “Being able to support the lab’s amazing science, dedicated workforce, and promising young STEM students is a privilege that I do not take for granted. We look forward to growing the foundation's impact for many decades to come.”

For more information about the Livermore Lab Foundation, please visit www.livermorelabfoundation.org.

To donate to the Science Today, Science Tomorrow campaign or to buy tickets to the Decade of Impact Celebration, please visit www.livermorelabfoundation.org/llfs-10th-anniversary.

Companies or other organizations that want to explore a partnership with the Livermore Lab Foundation should email Executive Director Sally Allen at sally@livermorelabfoundation.org.