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WILLIAM AND FLORA HEWLETT FOUNDATION

William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

Contact information:
2121 Sand Hill Road
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Phone: (650) 234-4500
Fax: (650) 234-4501
Website: www.hewlett.org

Type of foundation: Independent

Types of grants: General operating, project.

Description: The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is one of the nation’s largest foundations. It makes grants in the areas of:

  • Education: The Foundation invests in projects in the area of “deeper learning.” This focuses on preparing students for a changing world by building their skills in the areas of core academics, critical thinking, communication, collaboration and self-directed learning. The Foundation also supports Open Educational Resources, including production of high-quality educational resources for K-12 and higher education. In 2010, the Foundation created the California Education Policy Fund to support organizations working on education policy in California. The Foundation will invest $3.5 million annually in this Fund, which is administered by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. The Fund will support projects in areas including standards and accountability, effective teaching, college readiness and early learning. The goal is to enhance the effectiveness of existing groups that work on different areas of reform and develop a network – or “ecosystem” – of organizations that can engage a broad array of stakeholders. The Fund made its first round of grants in July 2011, including a grant to New America Media. Grants are in the range of $300,000 – 750,000 over three years and are given as general operating support.
  • Environment: The Foundation is interested in conservation in the Western United States, energy efficiency, climate change and environmental issues affecting disadvantaged people in the San Francisco Bay Area.
  • Global Development and Population: These were previously separate program areas, but have merged. The focus of the new program is to promote the well-being of the world's poorest people and ensure that the voices and interests of women, including their reproductive health and rights, are represented in the development process.
  • Performing Arts: This program focuses on the San Francisco Bay Area. It supports exceptional works of art and supports increased participation in the arts.
  • Philanthropy: This program seeks to advance the field of philanthropy by expanding information available to donors about nonprofits and by developing information about strategic philanthropy.
  • Special Projects: This program supports projects that are not part of the other program areas, but may become one of the Foundation’s primary strategies. It also is the area through which the Foundation has generally funded national public media organizations including National Public Radio and the Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association for support of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.
  • The Bay Area: The Foundation supports organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Valley that offer services to disadvantaged populations.

The Foundation is a long-time supporter of public media, both in California and nationally. For several years, the Foundation made grants to public media to inform Americans about global issues (through the Global Development giving area). More recently, the Foundation has become concerned about the demise of newspapers and journalism. The Foundation’s response has been to invest in “civic journalism.” While several of the Foundation’s large grants to public media have been made through the Special Projects area, some media grants have been made through other program areas.

Sample grants:

  • $2,000,000 to Independent Television Service for International Media Development Fund (2009).
  • $1,000,000 to Educause for the launch of Next Generation Learning Challenges, a collaborative, multi-year initiative focused on identifying and scaling technology-enabled approaches to dramatically improve college readiness and completion, especially for low-income young adults (2010).
  • $1,000,000 to Link Media for general operating support (2009).
  • $600,000 to National Public Radio for general operating support (2010).
  • $600,000 to Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association for general support of the PBS NewsHour (2011).
  • $500,000 to Resource Media for general operating support (2011).
  • $350,000 to Editorial Projects in Education to disseminate information about the impact of the federal stimulus package on education (2009).
  • $300,000 to Editorial Projects in Education for deeper-learning coverage in text, webinars and social media (2010).
  • $225,000 to Pacific News Service/New America Media for general support (2010).
  • $150,000 to KALW for an arts editor position (2009).
  • $27,000 to the Center for Investigative Reporting for financial planning (2010).

Fit for Public Broadcasting: The Foundation has a history of support for media projects that intersect with its program priorities. Most media funding in recent years appears to be for projects focused on education or environment. There may be opportunities for public media through the California Education Policy Fund. (The first round of grants included funding for New America Media.) The Fund is interested in supporting organizations that are working in the areas of college readiness and early learning, both of which are areas of interest to public media. Public broadcasting is clearly able to “engage a broad array of stakeholders” and may be able to make a successful case that it can effectively reach, engage and inform these stakeholders around the issue of education policy. The Foundation may also be interested in projects associated with the Women and Girls Lead Initiative, given their long-standing interest in women and reproductive rights.

Eligibility: The Foundation will not make grants for:

  • Scholarships.
  • Endowments.
  • Capital campaigns.
  • Building construction.
  • For-profit organizations.
  • Unincorporated associations or groups.

Deadline: None for most grant opportunities. The California Education Policy Fund has an annual deadline in the spring.

How to apply: Most grants are made to organizations identified by the Foundation. The Foundation will accept letters of inquiry in some program areas. Program areas accepting letters of inquiry have their own online letter of inquiry forms, accessible through this page. Applicants interested in applying to the California Policy Education Fund should submit a letter of inquiry in Spring 2012. The deadline will be announced by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

Giving range: The median grant award in 2009 was $150,000.

Assets: $7.4 billion (as of 12/31/10)

Total giving: $359,407,416 (as of 12/31/10)

View 2009 Annual Report.