Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation is a private foundation based in Austin, Texas. It supports education, health, and family economic stability through grants, mission investments, and scholarship and support programs, with Texas as its deepest U.S. investment focus.
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation at a glance
In short: Michael & Susan Dell Foundation gave $164.6M across 835 grants in 2024 (avg $197K), top state Colorado. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $164,605,599
- +41.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 835
- -4.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $197,132
- +48.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $19,324
- Total assets
- $7,770,844,151
- +43.5% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Colorado (32% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. The filing lists an online application and says to refer to the applicable websites for deadlines and to dell.org for award restrictions. Its website invites aligned organizations to submit a form after reviewing its priorities. The Dell Scholars, Dell Young Leaders, and Dell Aspire Scholars programs provide support to their own student participants; they are not grant programs for outside applicants.
- Contact
Application contact: Dellscholarsorg Dellyoungleadersorg
Mailing address: 4417 Westlake Drive, Austin, TX 78746
Phone: (512) 600-5500
Website: https://dell.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
8 open opportunities from Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
Charter School Growth Fund
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Dell Aspire Scholars
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Dell Scholars Program
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Michael & Susan Dell Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Charter School Growth Fund ($52.0M across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $88.3M.
Organizations only. It also paid 569 grants to individuals ($8,384,239), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
3,499 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 2,472 grants of 3,499 (71%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Texas is the foundation’s deepest U.S. investment area. Its 2024 grant dollars were reported as 32% to Colorado, 28% to Texas, 7% to an individual recipient, and 4% to California; a further 15% was assigned to an unidentified recipient-state category. The website also lists work in India, Israel, and Africa, and the Dell Young Leaders program serves South African students.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 835 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Michael & Susan Dell Foundation gives
- Giving grew 40% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 92% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $116.3M (2023) to $164.6M (2024). In 2024 it made 835 grants totaling $164.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Charter School Growth Fund Denver, CO | Launching the Dell Catalyst Fund to Drive Quality Charter School Growth | $50,000,000 |
| University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX | UT For Me Powered by Dell Scholars: 2024-2025 Academic Year | $8,492,618 |
| Mobile Loaves & Fishes Inc Austin, TX | Scaling Community First! Village to Combat Homelessness | $7,586,321 |
| United Jewish Appeal New York, NY | Launching a Hub to Transform the Lives of Jewish New Yorkers | $2,500,000 |
| University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX | Dell Scholars at UT Austin: 2023-2024 Cohort | $2,106,020 |
| University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX | Dell Scholars at UT Austin: 2022-2023 Cohort | $2,085,748 |
| Charter School Growth Fund Denver, CO | Accelerating Quality Schools Growth in Texas | $2,000,000 |
| Communities Foundation of Texas Dallas, TX | Scaling Education to College and Career Pathways in Texas | $1,774,968 |
| New Leaders Foundation | DDD 2023/24 Implementation | $1,551,429 |
| Region 4 Education Service Center Houston, TX | Accelerating Adoption of Texas Education Exchange | $1,521,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Michael & Susan Dell Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $7,770,844,151 | $4,273,133,138 | $390,239,234 | $164,605,599 | 835 | $247,517,242 | $2,815,323,173 | $269,260,732 |
| 2023 | $5,415,306,792 | $4,322,649,164 | $199,819,479 | $116,292,647 | 877 | $200,738,892 | $733,078,275 | $88,978,627 |
| 2022 | $1,641,983,369 | $192,273,976 | $184,031,275 | $134,130,302 | 870 | $220,175,590 | $137,250,935 | $98,316,695 |
| 2021 | $2,069,477,563 | $350,593,368 | $172,175,158 | $117,278,076 | 910 | $193,787,324 | $235,395,422 | $98,693,595 |
| 2020 | $1,943,229,672 | $224,656,241 | $178,316,676 | $120,778,730 | 7 | — | $196,921,615 | $84,402,323 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation reported a distributable amount of $269.3M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is “to build pathways that change lives.” Its priorities include quality education, university success, jobs and livelihoods, financial services, health innovation, and strong communities. Its filing also describes a commitment to expanding pathways to prosperity for families in an individual recipient and to investing in education, health care, housing, and family economic stability.
Its grants include support for a range of organizations and projects. For example, grantee Mobile Loaves & Fishes says its mission is to provide food and clothing and promote dignity for people experiencing homelessness. Springboard Collaborative describes its work as combining student instruction and parent training to close literacy gaps, while NPower says it prepares young adults and military-connected people for technology careers through training, mentoring, and job-placement support.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 835 grants totaling $164,605,599. Grant amounts ranged from $75 to $50 million, with a median grant of $19,324.
Among the largest grants were $50 million to Charter School Growth Fund to launch the Dell Catalyst Fund and drive quality charter-school growth; $8,492,618 to the University of Texas at Austin for the 2024–2025 UT for Me Powered by Dell Scholars academic year; and $7,586,321 to Mobile Loaves & Fishes to scale Community First! Village. Other notable grants included $2.5 million to United Jewish Appeal to launch a hub serving Jewish New Yorkers and $1,774,968 to Communities Foundation of Texas to scale education-to-college-and-career pathways in Texas.
The foundation says most partnerships develop through direct relationships, while also welcoming organizations it has not yet met whose work aligns with its focus areas and shows results. Its filing states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Michael S. Dell as President and Director; Susan L. Dell as First Vice President and Director; and Dr. Alexander Dell as Second Vice President and Director. It lists Marc Lisker as Treasurer and Assistant Secretary and Janet Mountain as Executive Director, Secretary, and Assistant Treasurer.
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation is led by Janet Mountain, Executive Director, Secretary & Assistant Treasurer since 2021 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 5 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Janet Mountain
Executive Director, Secretary & Assistant Treasurer
Executive Director, Secretary & Assistant Tr → Executive Director, Secretary & Assistant Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$484K (2020) → $569K (2024)
Michael S Dell
President & Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alexander Dell
2nd Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan L Dell
1st Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marc Lisker
Treasurer & Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $569K, to Janet Mountain (Exec Director/Sec/Assistant Treasurer).
Frequently asked questions about Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
How much does Michael & Susan Dell Foundation give each year?
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation gave $164.6M across 835 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $116.3M across 877 grants.
What is Michael & Susan Dell Foundation's typical grant size?
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $19,324, and its average grant was $197,132, across 835 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Michael & Susan Dell Foundation give grants?
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation's top state is Colorado, with 32% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Texas (28%) and New York (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Austin, TX (69 grants), New York, NY (20 grants), Washington, DC (10 grants) and Boston, MA (8 grants).
Does Michael & Susan Dell Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 835 grants with a stated purpose on Michael & Susan Dell Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Michael & Susan Dell Foundation's largest grantees?
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Charter School Growth Fund ($52,000,000 across 2 grants), University of Texas at Austin ($15,003,001 across 11 grants) and Mobile Loaves & Fishes Inc ($7,586,321), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 569 grants to individuals ($8,384,239), which are not listed by name. Together they received 45% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Michael & Susan Dell Foundation?
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation reported $7.8B in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $247.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $269.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Michael & Susan Dell Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is “to build pathways that change lives.” Its priorities include quality education, university success, jobs and livelihoods, financial services, health innovation, and strong communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Michael & Susan Dell Foundation?
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Michael & Susan Dell Foundation's EIN?
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4336415. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Michael & Susan Dell Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS December 16, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS December 16, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Michael & Susan Dell Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Michael & Susan Dell Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/michael-and-susan-dell-foundation-morg_7a08ad51db074af491b18c7fbcbca792
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_364336415_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Michael \& Susan Dell Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/michael-and-susan-dell-foundation-morg_7a08ad51db074af491b18c7fbcbca792},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Michael & Susan Dell Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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