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The Asia Foundation General Grantmaking

The Asia Foundation

Funding Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Grant Type

foundation

Can we apply?

Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.

Not eligible / not funded

  • Not eligible: Individuals
  • Not eligible: U.S-based organizations

Overview

The Asia Foundation General Grantmaking

Funder: The Asia Foundation (CA, US)

Geographic Scope: Asia and the Pacific region

Program Areas:

  • Governance

  • Economic Growth

  • Education and Leadership

  • Environmental Resilience and Climate

  • International Cooperation

  • Women's Empowerment
  • Countries Served: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, and Pacific Islands

    Key Information

    Approach: The Asia Foundation undertakes grantmaking as a collaborative process of problem identification and strategic planning within their areas of programming interest.

    Foundation Background: The organization brings 70 years of experience and deep local knowledge to their grantmaking.

    Geographic Restrictions:

  • Most grants are made to organizations in Asia and the Pacific

  • Does NOT make grants to individuals

  • Does NOT make grants to U.S-based organizations
  • Selection Criteria: The Foundation directs support to activities that are within its current interests and are likely to have a wide effect.

    Prospective Grantees: Should review the Foundation's program areas and recent country programs highlights and news items to determine if their project fits within scope.

    How to Apply

    Application Process

    The Asia Foundation follows a three-phase process for grant consideration:

    #### Phase 1: Review Program Areas
    1. Review The Asia Foundation's program areas
    2. Review country programs highlights and recent news items to determine project fit

    #### Phase 2: Submit Letter of Inquiry
    1. Submit a brief letter of inquiry to the appropriate regional office
    2. Purpose: Determine whether the Foundation's current interests and funds permit consideration of the request

    Letter of Inquiry Contents:

  • Very brief introduction about the grant-seeking organization

  • Brief project description

  • Budget estimate
  • #### Phase 3: Response and Proposal Submission
    1. Foundation staff will reply indicating whether or not the project fits within The Asia Foundation's interests
    2. If it fits, Foundation staff may:
    - Ask the grant seeker to submit a formal proposal, or
    - Raise questions for clarification of the proposed project

      Important Notes

    • There is no grant application form
    • The application process is individualized based on the nature of the inquiry
    • Foundation staff engagement is required before formal proposal submission

    What The Asia Foundation actually gave

    Source: IRS Form 990, 2020 — the most recent filing with itemized grants

    The Asia Foundation reported $17.53M in grants for 2025 as a total without an itemized list; the grant details below are from 2020, its most recent itemized filing.

    Grants in 2020
    5
    Total given
    $1.16M
    Median grant
    $37K
    Range
    $25K–$707K
    • By dollars: District of Columbia 92%, New York 5%, California 2%. Top recipient cities: Washington, DC; New York, NY; San Francisco, CA.
    • 0% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.

    Example grants

    • Carnegie Middle East Center · Washington, DC

      Governance and law

      $707K

    • The Henry L Stimson Center · Washington, DC

      International relations

      $362K

    • IDEAS42 · New York, NY

      Governance and law

      $37K

    • National Center for Civic Innovation Inc · New York, NY

      Governance and law

      $25K

    • Asian Art Museum Foundation of San Francisco · San Francisco, CA

      Governance and law

      $25K

    IRS Form 990, 2020. Amounts as reported by the funder. Full 990 history →

    Focus Areas & Funding Uses

    Fields of Work

    nonprofits

    Categories

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