Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation

Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation

George Lucas and Mellody Hobson founded the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation in 2005 as a private grantmaking entity. Lucas built Lucasfilm before its sale to Disney; Hobson leads Ariel Investments. The foundation channels distributions into arts and culture, education, and human services. Grantmaking covers multiple asset classes including direct equity positions, real estate holdings, and art collections. Confirmed holdings include ForceMetrics, Angel Studios, and a minority stake in the Denver Broncos through the Walton-Penner group. Geographic reach centers on the United States with additional activity in Brazil via public equity positions and Italy through film preservation events. The foundation also maintains Project Black exposure via Ariel Alternatives. The foundation reports an estimated asset base that supports annual giving in the tens of millions. It operates from San Rafael, California with no disclosed additional offices. Adjacent vehicles include the George Lucas Educational Foundation, established in 1991. In January 2023 the foundation sponsored Il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna for film preservation work. The foundation maintains a distinct governance layer through separate legal entities for real assets such as Lanamla LLC and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. This architecture isolates philanthropic capital from the principals' operating businesses and personal holdings while allowing direct ownership of non-traditional assets including the Norman Rockwell collection and multiple California properties.