The Intuitive Foundation is a 501(c)(3) corporate foundation established in 2018 and headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. The organization is dedicated to reducing the global burden of disease and suffering through philanthropy, research, and education aimed at better outcomes for patients everywhere.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$122.7M
+38.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$12.6M
+37.8% YoY
Grant Count
104
+48.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$121K
-7.2% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Intuitive Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.2M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation was created to promote health and advance education by making grants to section 501(c)(3) organizations and foreign charities in the following areas:
- Medical and technology research
- Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) educational programs
- Training and fellowships
- Healthcare training programs and facilities
- Direct disaster relief
- Clinical robotics education and training
The Foundation's initial focus areas include technology research, clinical research, and clinical robotics education and training, with plans to expand into additional STEM educational programs and medical research initiatives.
Grantmaking
Clinical research grants require submission of a Letter of Intent (LOI) followed by a full proposal. Decision time varies by program (quarterly to rolling basis).
Grant Types
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Global, with emphasis on low- and middle-income countries. Primary funding regions include California, New York, and Massachusetts, though the Foundation supports nonprofit institutions worldwide.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2024):
- Total Assets: $122,699,636
- Total Revenues: $49,261,626
- Total Expenses: $16,454,344
Assets & Revenue (2023):
- Total Assets: $88.3 million
- Total Revenue: $42.7 million
- Total Expenses: $15.4 million
- Total Liabilities: $11.8 million
Cumulative Giving:
- Total committed since 2018: Over $65 million
- Intuitive Surgical has contributed more than $170 million to the Foundation since its founding
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $122,699,636 | $88,307,916 | $56,658,694 |
| Revenue | $49,261,626 | $42,652,947 | $915,325 |
| Expenses | $16,454,344 | $15,409,594 | $11,830,434 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $15,157,801 | $11,065,545 | $10,333,351 |
| Net Investment Income | $4,261,626 | $2,637,947 | $900,325 |
| Distributable Amount | $4,236,527 | $2,725,783 | $2,972,350 |
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
4 open opportunities from Intuitive Foundation
Bronchoscopy Research Grant
INTUITIVE FOUNDATION
Amount
Up to US $75,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Intuitive Foundation: Robotic Surgery Grant Program - Fellowship Programs & Directors
INTUITIVE FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Intuitive Foundation: The da Vinci Research Kit (dVRK) Program Grant
INTUITIVE FOUNDATION
Amount
Unspecified amount in in-kind support
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include American Online Giving Foundation ($2,823,734), European Society Coloproctology ($1,857,795), European Society of Thoracic Surgeons ($365,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AFFILIATED HOSPITAL OF QINGDAO UNIVERSITY | GENERAL SUPPORT | $60,000 |
| AFRICA FOUNDATION FOR GLOBAL HEALTH | PAEDIATRIC MALE CIRCUMCISION SKILLS MODULE | $37,500 |
| AMERICAN ONLINE GIVING FOUNDATION NEWARK, DE | GENERAL SUPPORT FOR VARIOUS DESIGNATED CHARITIES | $2,823,734 |
| AMSTERDAM UMC UNIVERSITY OF AMSTERDAM | SOCIETY TRAINING GRANT: A EUROPEAN TRAINING PROGRAM FOR ROBOTIC LIVER SURGERY (LIVEROBOT) PI RUTGER-JAN SWIJNENBURG | $106,179 |
| AMSTERDAM UMC UNIVERSITY OF AMSTERDAM | A EUROPEAN TRAINING PROGRAM FOR ROBOTIC LIVER SURGERY (LIVEROBOT) | $37,500 |
| AMSTERDAM UMC UNIVERSITY OF AMSTERDAM | ROBOTIC VERSUS OPEN PANCREATODUODENECTOMY IN PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY RESECTABLE PANCREATIC HEAD CANCER (DIPLOMA-2X2): A ROLL-OVER INTERNATIONAL MULTICENTER PATIENT- AND ASSESSORBLINDED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL | $37,500 |
| ASIA FOUNDATION SAN FRANCISCO, CA | THE ASIA FOUNDATION UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR TALENTED YOUNG WOMEN IN STEM | $12,500 |
| ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN SURGEONS (AWS) LEXINGTON, KY | AWS 2023 GRANT | $91,299 |
| ATRIUM HEALTH CHARLOTTE, NC | ROBOTIC FELLOWSHIP GRANT PI DR. MARTINI GENERAL SURGERY | $110,129 |
| BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JR UNIVERSITY REDWOOD CITY, CA | OPTICAL IMAGING IN LUNG CANCER USING SYSTEMIC PANITUMUMAB-IRDYE800 | $30,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Catherine Mohr: President
- V Sherice Nivens: Foundation Program Director
- Kelly Mccrystal: Board Member
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR CATHERINE MOHR | PRESIDENT | 36 | — |
| VICTOR CHOW | TREASURER | 4 | — |
| STEPHANIE GILLIARD | SECRETARY | 6 | — |
| LONNIE M SMITH | BOARD CHAIR | 0.7 | — |
| DR MYRIAM J CURET | DIRECTOR | 0.7 | — |
| ROMAIN DENIS | DIRECTOR | 0.7 | — |
| KELLY MCCRYSTAL | DIRECTOR | 0.7 | — |
| MARK RUBASH | BOARD CHAIR (THRU 2/24) | 0.7 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In January 2025, Intuitive Surgical announced a $45 million donation to the Intuitive Foundation to support its health and education work. This contribution represents a significant expansion of the Foundation's resources and capacity to advance its mission of promoting health and advancing education globally.
User | times-online.com - Intuitive Announces $45 Million Donation to theSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Intuitive Foundation fund?
The Foundation was created to promote health and advance education by making grants to section 501(c)(3) organizations and foreign charities in the following areas: • Medical and technology research • Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) educational programs • Training and fellowships • Healthcare training programs and facilities • Direct disaster relief • Clinical robotics education and training The Foundation's initial focus areas include technology research, clinical research, a…
How do I apply for a grant from Intuitive Foundation?
**Grant Types & Programs:** • Clinical Research Grants (up to $75,000) for research in robotic-assisted surgery focused on surgical care and outcomes at nonprofit institutions worldwide • Robotic Surgical Fellowships • Bronchoscopy Research Grants • Robotic Bronchoscopy Fellowship Grants • The da Vinci Research Kit (dVRK) Program • Surgical Education Learners Forum (SELF) support **Grant Activity:** • 2023: 69 awards totaling $9.1 million in annual giving • 2024: Provided research grants and su…
Where does Intuitive Foundation make grants?
Global, with emphasis on low- and middle-income countries. Primary funding regions include California, New York, and Massachusetts, though the Foundation supports nonprofit institutions worldwide.
What size grants does Intuitive Foundation award?
In 2024, Intuitive Foundation awarded 104 grants totaling $12.6M — an average of about $121K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Intuitive Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Intuitive Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.2M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Intuitive Foundation's EIN?
Intuitive Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-2210302. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Intuitive 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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