The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is an American philanthropic nonprofit organization established in 1934 by Alfred P. Sloan Jr., president and chief executive officer of General Motors. Based in New York City, the Foundation is an independent entity with no formal relationship to General Motors. It operates as a grantmaking institution supporting original research and education across multiple disciplines.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.2B
+2.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$89.0M
-0.8% YoY
Grant Count
522
-0.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$171K
-0.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Alfred P Sloan Foundation reported a distributable amount of $105.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation's mission is to improve the welfare of all through the advancement of scientific knowledge. The Foundation makes grants primarily to support original research and education related to science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and economics.
The Foundation believes that these fields—and the scholars and practitioners who work in them—are chief drivers of the nation's health and prosperity. It operates from the conviction that a reasoned, systematic understanding of the forces of nature and society, when applied inventively and wisely, can lead to a better world for all.
The Foundation acknowledges the complex history of the wealth it stewards and believes this history imposes a responsibility to use its grantmaking diligently in the service of the public good.
Grantmaking
The Foundation makes grants to support original projects with high expected return to society that are led by outstanding individuals or teams and for which funding from the private sector, government, or other foundations is not yet widely available.
Grant Range
$98,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on California, New York, and Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $2.17 billion
- Total Revenue: $189 million
- Total Expenses: $110 million
- Total Liabilities: $105 million
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $2.12 billion
- Total Revenue: $118.4 million
- Total Expenses: $119.2 million
The Foundation has maintained tax-exempt status since February 1934 (EIN: 13-1623877).
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,173,558,178 | $2,116,962,267 | $2,056,912,312 |
| Revenue | $189,111,556 | $118,438,028 | $118,541,925 |
| Expenses | $109,585,787 | $119,175,597 | $110,822,424 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $104,675,446 | $103,083,683 | $104,108,839 |
| Net Investment Income | $124,089,849 | $68,124,700 | $73,451,677 |
| Distributable Amount | $105,092,422 | $102,059,746 | $104,476,627 |
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
13 open opportunities from Alfred P Sloan Foundation
Alfred P. Sloan Economics Grant Program
ALFRED P SLOAN FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Research Fellowship Grant
ALFRED P SLOAN FOUNDATION
Amount
US $75,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation: Exploratory Grantmaking in Technology Grant
ALFRED P SLOAN FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Aspiration ($605,000), American Association for the Advancement of Science ($531,030), American University ($501,463).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AALBORG UNIVERSITY | TO PARTIALLY SUPPORT A MEETING ON HUMAN-CENTERED SOFTWARE ENGINEERING AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | $45,118 |
| ACADEMY FOUNDATION BEVERLY HILLS, CA | TO SUPPORT FILM SCREENINGS, FILMMAKER DISCUSSIONS, AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON SCIENCE AND THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF MOTION PICTURES | $151,400 |
| AFTERIMAGE PUBLIC MEDIA SAN FRANCISCO, CA | TO SUPPORT THE POST-PRODUCTION OF AN ALL-ARCHIVAL, FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS SHIFT FROM SCIENTIFIC PHENOMENON TO POLITICAL BATTLEGROUND | $250,000 |
| AI FOR GOOD FOUNDATION EL CERRITO, CA | TO DEVELOP NEW MEASURES OF COUNTRY-LEVEL CORRUPTION BASED ON OBJECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL DATA | $112,700 |
| ALEC NEVALA-LEE OAK PARK, IL | TO SUPPORT THE RESEARCH AND WRITING OF THE MAN WHO SOLVED PROBLEMS: THE LIFE AND GENIUS OF LUIS W. ALVAREZ TO BE PUBLISHED BY W.W. NORTON | $20,000 |
| AMALGAMATED FOUNDATION WASHINGTON, DC | TO CONVENE FIELD LEADERS ON HOW TO ELEVATE HIGHER EDUCATION TEACHING EXCELLENCE AT SCALE, WITH A FOCUS ON INSTITUTIONAL, SYSTEMS, AND FIELD-LEVEL CHANGE | $50,000 |
| AMALGAMATED FOUNDATION WASHINGTON, DC | TO SUPPORT PROJECTS SUBMITTED TO HIGHER EDUCATION FORWARD, IN RESPONSE TO AN RFP ON EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION RELATED TO EQUITY, ACADEMIC FREEDOM, AND DEMOCRATIC VALUES IN HIGHER EDUCATION, TO BE MANAGED BY AMALGAMATED FOUNDATION AND PROCESSED BY JUSTFUND. | $250,000 |
| AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES CAMBRIDGE, MA | TO CONVENE LEADERS AND EXPERTS TO DISCUSS THE PRESSING ISSUES FACING POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION AND SHARE ACTIONABLE SOLUTIONS TO HELP ADDRESS THESE ISSUES | $200,000 |
| AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE WASHINGTON, DC | TO FACILITATE A MULTI-FACETED COMMUNITY OF LEARNING AND PRACTICE FOR SLOANS CREATING EQUITABLE PATHWAYS TO STEM GRADUATE EDUCATION GRANTEES | $531,030 |
| AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE WASHINGTON, DC | TO CREATE AND WIDELY DISSEMINATE ONLINE LEARNING MODULES BASED ON UPDATED DIVERSITY AND THE LAW PROJECT RESOURCES | $50,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Key Personnel:
- Adam Falk – Trustee/President
- Frederick Henderson – Trustee/Chairman
- Ruth Brenner – Treasurer/Secretary/Senior Vice President Finance & Operations
Board of Trustees:
- Cynthia Barnhart
- Bonnie L Bassler
- Francine Berman
- Judith Chevalier
- Thad Hill
- Paul Jacobson
- Ray Jayawardhana
- Jeff Knight
- Michael Purugganan
- Valerie Smith
- Susan Tierney
The Foundation employs approximately 37–38 staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADAM FALK | TRUSTEE/PRESIDENT | 40 | $1,210,275 |
| RUTH BRENNER | TREASURER/SECRETARY/SR VP FINANCE & OP | 40 | $552,275 |
| CYNTHIA BARNHART | TRUSTEE | 2 | $25,000 |
| BONNIE L BASSLER | TRUSTEE | 2 | $25,000 |
| FRANCINE BERMAN | TRUSTEE | 2 | $25,000 |
| JUDITH CHEVALIER | TRUSTEE | 2 | $31,500 |
| FREDERICK HENDERSON | TRUSTEE/CHAIRMAN | 4 | $37,500 |
| THAD HILL | TRUSTEE (AS OF JULY 2024) | 2 | $10,000 |
| PAUL JACOBSON | TRUSTEE | 2 | $32,000 |
| RAY JAYAWARDHANA | TRUSTEE | 2 | $25,000 |
| JEFF KNIGHT | TRUSTEE | 2 | $34,500 |
| MICHAEL PURUGGANAN | TRUSTEE | 2 | $25,000 |
| VALERIE SMITH | TRUSTEE | 2 | $25,000 |
| SUSAN TIERNEY | TRUSTEE | 2 | $29,000 |
| DIANA WAGNER | TRUSTEE | 2 | $29,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Foundation has announced recent grantees and initiatives including:
2025 grantees from the Energy System Interactions RFP
Announcing the 2025 Grantees from the Energy System Interactions ...Investment in early-career scholarship on AI and scientific research
Grants supporting the Sloan Digital Sky Survey V (SDSS-V) for astrophysical research
2026 Sloan Research FellowsSupport for residential energy research expansion and diversification
Collaboration with the Sundance Institute on Science in Film initiatives
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Sundance Institute Name Winners of ...Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Alfred P Sloan Foundation fund?
The Foundation's mission is to improve the welfare of all through the advancement of scientific knowledge. The Foundation makes grants primarily to support original research and education related to science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and economics. The Foundation believes that these fields—and the scholars and practitioners who work in them—are chief drivers of the nation's health and prosperity. It operates from the conviction that a reasoned, systematic understanding of the forces…
How do I apply for a grant from Alfred P Sloan Foundation?
The Foundation makes grants to support original projects with high expected return to society that are led by outstanding individuals or teams and for which funding from the private sector, government, or other foundations is not yet widely available. **Grant Characteristics:** • Median grant size: $98,000 • Grant range: $10,000 to $1.5 million • 522 grants awarded (as of 2024 tax year) **Active Grant Programs Include:** • Sloan Research Fellowships: Two-year fellowships awarded yearly to early…
Where does Alfred P Sloan Foundation make grants?
The Foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on California, New York, and Massachusetts.
What size grants does Alfred P Sloan Foundation award?
In 2024, Alfred P Sloan Foundation awarded 522 grants totaling $89.0M — an average of about $171K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Alfred P Sloan Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Alfred P Sloan Foundation reported a distributable amount of $105.1M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Alfred P Sloan Foundation's EIN?
Alfred P Sloan Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-1623877. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Alfred P Sloan Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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