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.
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
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 |
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
2 open opportunities from The Heising-simons Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Amalgamated Charitable Foundation ($2,061,856), Arizona State University Foundation for a New American University ($1,313,000), Alliance for Early Success ($1,000,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 19TH NEWS AUSTIN, TX | FOR GENERAL SUPPORT | $100,000 |
| 9TO5 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WORKING WOMEN INC MILWAUKEE, WI | FOR LEADERSHIP REIMAGINED TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP SUPPORT FOR HSF HUMAN RIGHTS GRANTEES | $200,000 |
| A BETTER GLYNN INC BRUNSWICK, GA | FOR GENERAL SUPPORT | $50,000 |
| A NEW WAY OF LIFE REENTRY PROJECT LOS ANGELES, CA | FOR THE SISTERHOOD ALLIANCE FOR FREEDOM AND EQUALITY (SAFE) HOUSING NETWORK | $100,000 |
| A NEW WAY OF LIFE REENTRY PROJECT LOS ANGELES, CA | FOR GENERAL SUPPORT | $215,000 |
| ACT 4 SA- ACCOUNTABILITY COMPASSION & TRANSPARENCY FOR SAN ANTONIO SAN ANTONIO, TX | FOR GENERAL SUPPORT | $100,000 |
| ADVANCED ENERGY INSTITUTE WASHINGTON, DC | TO REFORM WHOLESALE POWER MARKETS, EXPAND TRANSMISSION, ENGAGE IN UTILITY PLANNING IN KEY STATES ($800,000), AND DEFEND CLEAN ENERGY TAX CREDITS ($100,000). | $900,000 |
| AFRICAN ADVOCACY NETWORK SAN FRANCISCO, CA | FOR GENERAL SUPPORT | $75,000 |
| AHIMSA COLLECTIVE OAKLAND, CA | FOR GENERAL SUPPORT | $150,000 |
| AIP FOUNDATION COLLEGE PARK, MD | FOR THE TEAM-UP PROJECT | $57,500 |
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 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?
The foundation maintains active grant programs with the following characteristics: **Grant Amounts**: Typical awards range from $1,000 to $4,000,000, with a median grant amount of $148,000. **Recent Grant Activity**: The foundation made 671 grants in its most recent filing period, with total giving of approximately $149.6 million. **Recent Grants** (2024): • Amalgamated Charitable Foundation: $2,061,856 (Democracy Frontlines Fund) • Global Impact: $2,000,000 (Emerging Bilingual Collaborative) •…
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
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.