Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and
Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and is a private foundation based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in July 1999, it supports project-based science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) opportunities for K–12 students through collaboration with Greater Bay Area education stakeholders and community partners.
Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and at a glance
In short: Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and gave $513K across 37 grants in 2024 (avg $14K), mostly in California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $512,872
- -14.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 37
- +2.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $13,861
- -16.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $789,913
- +33.6% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- California (100% 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 Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The filing says the foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. The website describes an application process for the STEM Opportunity Fund, with applicants asked to explain how their event provides hands-on STEM opportunities; partial funding may be offered.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists September 27, 2026, as the end of the STEM Opportunity Fund application period. This date has passed.
- Deadline
- The website lists September 27, 2026, as the end of the STEM Opportunity Fund application period.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 1341, Los Gatos, CA 95031
Phone: (408) 839-1437
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Scvsefa ($140K). Together the top 10 received $381K.
Grant Size Distribution
115 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 104 grants of 115 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2024 went to recipients in California. The foundation’s website describes its work as focused on the Greater Bay Area.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 37 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $146K (2022) to $597K (2023). In 2024 it made 37 grants totaling $513K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Scvsefa Los Altos, CA | Synopsys Championship | $140,000 |
| Raft San Jose, CA | MakerMobile Visits | $75,000 |
| Santa Cruz County Office of Edu Santa Cruz, CA | STEM Opportunity Fund - Fair Sponsorship | $43,000 |
| The Tech Interactive San Jose, CA | Spring into STEM | $25,000 |
| CuriOdyssey San Mateo, CA | Spring into STEM - Materials & Programs | $25,000 |
| Renaissance Academy at Ficscher San Jose, CA | STEM Opportunity Fund - Fair Sponsorship & Field Trips | $21,000 |
| San Joaquin COE Educational Foundat Stockton, CA | STEM Opportunity Fund - Fair Sponsorship | $18,000 |
| The Envisioneers Redwood City, CA | STEM Opportunity Fund - Materials & Programs | $14,200 |
| Sonoma County Office Of Education Santa Rosa, CA | STEM Opportunity Fund - Fair Sponsorship | $10,000 |
| Project Invent San Francisco, CA | STEM Opportunity Fund - Fair Sponsorship | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $789,913 | $1,454,851 | $1,408,127 | $512,872 | 37 | $1,373,986 |
| 2023 | $591,364 | $1,233,985 | $1,245,470 | $596,529 | 36 | $1,244,891 |
| 2022 | $1,230,492 | $1,487,856 | $670,529 | $145,900 | 21 | $667,696 |
| 2021 | $394,670 | $915,652 | $1,007,194 | $200,690 | 9 | $995,463 |
| 2020 | $508,825 | $1,158,447 | $1,298,944 | $497,951 | 12 | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to collaborate with Greater Bay Area stakeholders and community partners to provide equitable and inclusive opportunities in project-based STEM. Its website describes support for hands-on STEM experiences, including events, field trips, and programs or projects. The STEM Opportunity Fund lists maximum awards of $25,000 for STEM events, $5,000 for field trips, and $10,000 for programs and projects. The website also describes classroom supplies and teacher trainings through its Building STEM Classrooms initiative.
Grantees’ own descriptions show support for a range of education and STEM organizations. For example, CuriOdyssey describes itself as a science playground and zoo that inspires children’s curiosity; The Tech Interactive says it develops problem-solvers through immersive STEAM education resources; and Project Invent says it empowers students through invention for social good. Other 2024 recipients include organizations whose stated missions address equitable education, STEM skills for girls and women, and inclusive learning environments.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 37 grants totaling $512,872. Grants ranged from $450 to $140,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest awards included $140,000 to SCVSEFA for the Synopsys Championship and $75,000 to RAFT for MakerMobile Visits. Other notable grants included $43,000 to Santa Cruz County Office of Education for the STEM Opportunity Fund – Fair Sponsorship; $25,000 each to The Tech Interactive for Spring into STEM and CuriOdyssey for Spring into STEM materials and programs; and $21,000 to Renaissance Academy at Ficscher for fair sponsorship and field trips.
The website describes STEM Opportunity Fund grants for organizations, schools, and districts serving Greater Bay Area K–12 education. Its listed application window of August 10–September 27, 2026, has passed. The 2024 filing states that the foundation contributes only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Erin Guzman as chairman, Erika Varga McEnroe as secretary, and Lauren Foote as CEO/president. It also lists Dana Ditmore, Vern Caruz, Roy Okuda, Virginia Lehmkuhl Dakhwe, Larke Reeber, and Lynn Shannon as directors, and Jen Kirkendall as OM.
Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and is led by Lauren Foote, CEO & President on every filing since 2023; 2 of 19 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Lauren Foote
CEO & President
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$150K (2023) → $192K (2024)
Erin Guzman
Chairman
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amelia Shen
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brandon Thompson
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dana Ditmore
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Larke Reeber
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lynn Shannon
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Narayanan Raju
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Roy Okuda
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Caitlin Perez
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Melinda Marks
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Kaufman
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Simone Souza
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Vern Caruz
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Virginia Lehmkuhl Dakhwe
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jen Kirkendall
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$51K (2023) → $105K (2024)
David Moyce
Assistant Sect'y
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Erika Varga McEnroe
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Morrison
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (9)
- Former: Katherine Houston (2021–2022) — President
- Former: Michael Keating (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Thomas Ferry (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Coral Clark (2020) — Director
- Former: Erin Brennock (2020) — Chairman
- Former: Gary Robinson (2020) — President
- Former: Katherine R Naszradi (2020) — President
- Former: Murlin Marks (2020) — Director
- Former: Venkata Ravella (2020) — Director
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 $192K, to Lauren Foote (CEO/Pres.). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and
How much does Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and give each year?
Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and gave $513K across 37 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $597K across 36 grants.
What is Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and's typical grant size?
Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $13,861, across 37 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and give grants?
Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Jose, CA (10 grants), Santa Rosa, CA (4 grants), Redwood City, CA (3 grants) and San Francisco, CA (3 grants).
Does Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 37 grants with a stated purpose on Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "STEM Opportunity Fund - Field Trips" (12 grants), "STEM Opportunity Fund - Fair Sponsorship" (10 grants) and "STEM Opportunity Fund - Materials & Programs" (10 grants).
Who are Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and's largest grantees?
Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and's largest 2024 grantees include Scvsefa ($140,000), Raft ($75,000) and Santa Cruz County Office of Edu ($43,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and?
Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and reported $790K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $1.5M.
What does Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and fund?
The foundation’s mission is to collaborate with Greater Bay Area stakeholders and community partners to provide equitable and inclusive opportunities in project-based STEM. Its website describes support for hands-on STEM experiences, including events, field trips, and programs or projects. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and?
The filing says the foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and's EIN?
Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 77-0520414. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and accept unsolicited proposals?
No, 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/synopsys-silicon-valley-science-and-morg_c8c0c04481474e0cb2c0c66ab715eee7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_770520414_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/synopsys-silicon-valley-science-and-morg_c8c0c04481474e0cb2c0c66ab715eee7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and'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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