The Akamai Foundation is a private foundation based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, established in 2000 as the philanthropic vehicle of Akamai Technologies, Inc. The foundation is dedicated to encouraging the next generation of technology innovators by supporting STEM education with a particular emphasis on mathematics in grades K-12. The foundation also provides disaster resilience, relief, and humanitarian aid globally, and enables employee volunteerism through community engagement programs.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$62.6M
-2.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.7M
-6.2% YoY
Grant Count
118
+10.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$23K
-15.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Akamai Foundation's mission centers on promoting mathematics education and excellence among the next generation of technology innovators. The foundation believes that mathematics can be "magical and fun" and aims to inspire young people to embrace math in preparation for success in college and professional careers.
Primary funding focus areas include:
- STEM Education: K-12 mathematics and science education with emphasis on excellence and innovation
- Digital Inclusion & Equal Access: Programs designed to provide quality STEM education to underserved students
- Diversity in Technology: Grants supporting programs that attract more diversity to the technology industry, with particular focus on women and girls
- Higher Education: Support for college, technology career pathways, and entrepreneurship programs
- Disaster Relief & Humanitarian Aid: Global disaster resilience and relief efforts
- Employee Volunteerism: Community engagement through the Danny Lewin Community Care Days program, which honors the foundation's co-founder
Grantmaking
The Akamai Foundation operates two distinct grant programs:
Grant Range
$500 to $250,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation prioritizes funding in specific geographic areas:
Domestic:
- Massachusetts (particularly Boston area)
- Virginia
- District of Columbia
International:
- Poland
- Costa Rica
- India
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $62,635,128
- Total Giving: $2,696,840
- Total Revenues: $2,173,703
- Total Expenses: $3,600,312
Historical Context: In 2018, Akamai Technologies established a $50 million endowment to support the foundation and expand its work.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $62,635,128 | $64,061,737 | $68,183,870 |
| Revenue | $2,173,703 | $-293,182 | $-375,681 |
| Expenses | $3,600,312 | $3,828,951 | $3,669,060 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,434,713 | $3,668,332 | $3,387,611 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,030,404 | $1,321,878 | $1,033,664 |
| Distributable Amount | $3,542,082 | $3,249,293 | $3,360,346 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Akamai Foundation Inc
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board & Staff:
- Khalil Smith - President
- Kara DiGiacomo - Executive Director and Assistant Secretary (40 hours/week, $260,000 annual compensation)
- David Neshat - Treasurer
- Saskia Schwartz - Secretary
- Board Members: Natalie Billingham, George Conrades, James Kretchmar, F Thomson Leighton, Prasad Mandava, Kim Salem-Jackson, Lauren Van Wazer, Anthony Williams
Kara DiGiacomo brings more than 18 years of experience in citizenship strategy design, foundation and community grant-making, employee engagement, cross-sector partnerships, and STEM education programming development at global, national, and local levels.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natalie Billingham | Dir | 1 | — |
| George Conrades | Dir | 1 | — |
| Kara DiGiacomo | Assistant Sec, Exec dir | 40 | $260,391 |
| James Kretchmar | Dir | 1 | — |
| F Thomson Leighton | Dir | 1 | — |
| Prasad Mandava | Dir | 1 | — |
| David Neshat | Treas | 1 | — |
| Kim Salem-Jackson | Dir | 1 | — |
| Saskia Schwartz | Sec | 1 | — |
| Khalil Smith | Pres | 1 | — |
| Lauren Van Wazer | Dir | 1 | — |
| Anthony Williams | Dir | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Akamai Foundation announced 2023 grant recipients in December 2023, distributing STEM education grants across its early learner (K-12) and Empower grant programs. In 2023, the foundation continued to partner with organizations that build inclusive workplace environments and support historically underrepresented communities.
Akamai Foundation Announces 2023 Grant RecipientsRecent notable grants include support for:
Givinga Foundation's Employee Matching Gifts Program ($225,000)
FFWD's Fast Forward Alumni Tech Nonprofits vertical ($125,000)
Fab Foundation's Fab in A Box Program ($100,000)
Danny's Mobile Lab in Costa Rica
The foundation maintains active engagement through the Danny Lewin Community Care Days program, where Akamai employees volunteer together to honor the co-founder's legacy and give back to local communities worldwide.
Akamai Foundation Announces 2023 Grant RecipientsSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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