The Heising-Simons Foundation
The Heising-Simons Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Los Altos, California. Established in 2007, it operates as a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to advancing sustainable solutions and supporting research, education, and human rights initiatives through strategic philanthropic partnerships.
Key facts about The Heising-Simons Foundation
- EIN
- 26-0799587
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $149,587,063
- Grants made (2024)
- 671
- Average grant
- $222,932
- Median grant
- $148,432
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (60 of 414, 2024)
- Total assets
- $810,497,642
- Primary geography
- California (42% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- Interested grantseekers are directed to visit the foundation's website for more information on how to apply. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Heising-Simons Foundation funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Heising-Simons Foundation's 671 itemized 2024 grants were California (42%), District of Columbia (17%) and New York (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (83 grants), San Francisco, CA (65 grants), New York, NY (50 grants) and Oakland, CA (41 grants). 26% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "For the 51 Pegasi B Fellowship" (9 grants), "For 2024 Membership Dues" (7 grants) and "For the Development of Skipper Technology" (4 grants).
Is The Heising-Simons Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 60 of 414 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $139K; repeat grants $398K. How we count
Medians: $100K first-time, $200K repeat.
- 74% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+10%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 370% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with The Heising-Simons Foundation
- How to evaluate The Heising-Simons Foundation as a funder
Our grant prospecting guide: read the 990-PF, check fit, and decide whether to apply.
- Draft an LOI to The Heising-Simons Foundation with AI
AI grant writing that drafts from your organization’s own materials, in your voice.
- Track this opportunity in a free grant tracker
A free Google Sheets or Excel template for deadlines, award terms, and reports due.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$810.5M
-7.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$149.6M
-1.7% YoY
Grant Count
671
-5.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$223K
+4.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Heising-Simons Foundation reported a distributable amount of $46.5M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission centers on four primary areas:
- Climate and Clean Energy: Advancing sustainable solutions in climate and clean energy
- Science: Enabling groundbreaking research in science, with particular emphasis on physics and astronomy
- Early Childhood Education: Enhancing the education of young learners
- Human Rights: Supporting human rights for all people
The foundation envisions a world where people are free to live whole, safe, and dignified lives; all children have access to opportunities that support them to thrive in school, at home, and in the community; scientists encounter and benefit from a more inclusive, robust, and innovative physics and astronomy community in the U.S.; and energy is clean, affordable, safe, and reliable for all.
Grantmaking
The foundation maintains active grant programs with the following characteristics:
How to Apply
**: Interested grantseekers are directed to visit the foundation's website for more information on how to apply.
Ready to take the next step with The Heising-Simons Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on California, the District of Columbia, and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 671 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $810,497,642
- Total Revenues: $60,044,121
- Total Expenses: $193,060,215
- Total Giving: $149,587,063
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $872,096,521
- Total Revenues: $152,079,826
- Total Expenses: $189,529,079
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $810,497,642 | $872,096,521 | $847,180,696 |
| Revenue | $60,044,121 | $152,079,826 | $430,056,379 |
| Expenses | $193,060,215 | $189,529,079 | $177,047,808 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $171,753,489 | $173,552,327 | $164,080,370 |
| Net Investment Income | $47,711,292 | $25,268,631 | $384,927,860 |
| Distributable Amount | $46,467,314 | $44,835,337 | $30,342,749 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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
3,281 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Heising-Simons Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Environmental Defense Fund Inc ($5,040,000 across 4 grants), Natural Resources Defense Council ($3,700,000 across 2 grants), Regents of the University of California at Berkeley ($3,008,832 across 10 grants).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND INC San Francisco, CA | TO ADVANCE CLIMATE AND CLEAN ENERGY POLICIES | $3,600,000 |
| NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL San Francisco, CA | TO ADVANCE CLIMATE AND CLEAN ENERGY POLICIES | $3,300,000 |
| AMALGAMATED CHARITABLE FOUNDATION Washington, DC | FOR THE DEMOCRACY FRONTLINES FUND | $2,061,856 |
| GLOBAL IMPACT Alexandria, VA | FOR THE EMERGING BILINGUAL COLLABORATIVE | $2,000,000 |
| NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR FAMILY SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Alexandria, VA | FOR THE CENTER FOR FAMILY MATH | $1,900,000 |
| CALIFORNIA EDUCATION PARTNERS San Francisco, CA | FOR THE PRESCHOOL TO THIRD GRADE COHERENCE COLLABORATION (P3CC) | $1,500,000 |
| NEW VENTURE FUND Washington, DC | FOR THE EMERGING BILINGUAL COLLABORATIVE | $1,500,000 |
| ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION FOR A NEW AMERICAN UNIVERSITY Tempe, AZ | FOR THE CHILDREN'S EQUITY PROJECT | $1,313,000 |
| CLIMATE AND CLEAN ENERGY EQUITY FUND Washington, DC | FOR GENERAL SUPPORT | $1,200,000 |
| REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY Berkeley, CA | FOR THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF CHILD CARE EMPLOYMENT | $1,155,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board Leadership:
- Elizabeth D. Simons, Chair of the Board
- Caitlin Heising, Vice Chair of the Board
- Mark W. Heising, Vice Chair of the Board
Executive Leadership:
- Jennifer Shipp, Interim CEO & President (as of July 2024)
- Kevin Luu, Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer
- Chelsey Scaffidi, Secretary
Program Leadership:
- Barbara Chow, Program Director
- Jochen Marshchall, Program Director
The foundation employs 54 staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sushma Raman | President & CEO (Thru 7/24/24) | 36.42 | $495,351 |
| Jennifer Shipp | Sec (Thru 7/8/24), Interim CEO & Pres | 36.3 | $502,909 |
| Kevin Luu | Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer | 37.5 | $392,499 |
| Elizabeth D Simons | Chair of the Board | 20 | — |
| Caitlin Heising | Vice Chair of the Board | 5 | — |
| Mark W Heising | Vice Chair of the Board | 5 | — |
| Chelsey Scaffidi | Secretary | 36.36 | $234,623 |
| Judy Blumenstein | Treasurer (Thru 1/7/24), Finance Dir | 36.33 | $268,339 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has announced several recent grant initiatives:
For Interested Grantseekers - Heising-Simons Foundation**American Mosaic Journalism Prize (2025)**: Two freelance journalists, Latria Graham and Zaydee Sanchez, were awarded the 2025 American Mosaic Journalism Prize for elevating stories of underrepresented communities in the U.S., with awards of $100,000 each.
Announcement: Two Freelance Journalists Awarded $100,000 Each for Elevating**51 Pegasi b Fellowship**: Eight post-doctoral scientists were awarded the 51 Pegasi b Fellowship, supporting early-career researchers in physics and astronomy.
Eight Post-Doctoral Scientists Awarded 51 Pegasi b Fellowship - Heising-Simons**Research Grants**: The foundation has awarded grants to college researchers to boost innovative research initiatives.
Three College researchers receive grants to boost innovative researchContact Information
General Inquiries: [email protected]
Media Contact: [email protected]
Phone: (650) 887-0277
Website: hsfoundation.org
Social Media: The foundation maintains a presence on LinkedIn and operates a YouTube channel.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Heising-Simons Foundation fund?
The foundation's mission centers on four primary areas: • **Climate and Clean Energy**: Advancing sustainable solutions in climate and clean energy • **Science**: Enabling groundbreaking research in science, with particular emphasis on physics and astronomy • **Early Childhood Education**: Enhancing the education of young learners • **Human Rights**: Supporting human rights for all people The foundation envisions a world where people are free to live whole, safe, and dignified lives; all childr…
How do I apply for a grant from The Heising-Simons Foundation?
Interested grantseekers are directed to visit the foundation's website for more information on how to apply. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does The Heising-Simons Foundation make grants?
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on California, the District of Columbia, and New York.
What size grants does The Heising-Simons Foundation award?
In 2024, The Heising-Simons Foundation awarded 671 grants totaling $149.6M — an average of about $223K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Heising-Simons Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Heising-Simons Foundation reported a distributable amount of $46.5M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Heising-Simons Foundation's EIN?
The Heising-Simons Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-0799587. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Heising-Simons Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Mountain View, CA
Assets
$12.3B
Grants
3,576
Total Given
$3.2B
Tides Foundation
San Francisco, CA
Assets
$534.5M
Grants
2,110
Total Given
$382.1M
The Ford Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$17.5B
Grants
4,007
Total Given
$844.7M
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$891.5M
Grants
1,153
Total Given
$275.0M
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Los Altos, CA
Assets
$8.5B
Grants
1,029
Total Given
$350.0M
The California Endowment
Los Angeles, CA
Assets
$4.5B
Grants
1,125
Total Given
$215.9M
California Community Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
Assets
$2.3B
Grants
2,174
Total Given
$326.6M
The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation
Menlo Park, CA
Assets
$14.2B
Grants
2,001
Total Given
$625.0M
Marin Community Foundation
Novato, CA
Assets
$1.3B
Grants
1,573
Total Given
$186.1M
Sempra Foundation
San Diego, CA
Assets
$11.5M
Grants
1,501
Total Given
$1.8M
Conrad N Hilton Foundation
Westlake Village, CA
Assets
$7.4B
Grants
1,339
Total Given
$287.7M
Chamberlin Education Foundation
Richmond, CA
Assets
$80.6M
Grants
1,302
Total Given
$3.0M
More Funders in California
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.