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Ernst & Young Foundation

Annual Giving
$21.1M
Grant Range
$40K - $10.4M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $21.1 million (FY 2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: Varies by program ($40,000 for faculty fellowships to multi-million for institutional partnerships)
  • Geographic Focus: United States

Contact Details

Overview

Founded in 1937 through the merger of the Arthur Young Foundation and Ernst & Whinney Foundation, the Ernst & Young Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity with over $43 million in assets that distributes approximately $21 million annually in grants. The foundation focuses primarily on excellence in higher education and preparation for professional service careers in business, particularly accounting and tax. Over the past decade, the foundation has awarded more than $145 million in grants through various programs including matching gifts, student scholarships, faculty development, and social justice initiatives. The foundation holds a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, demonstrating strong financial health and accountability.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

  • Matching Gifts for Higher Education: $10.4 million annually (matches EY employee/partner contributions to accredited nonprofit U.S. colleges and universities)
  • EY Social Justice Fund: $1.4 million in FY24 to eight organizations (addressing inequity, discrimination, and racism)
  • College MAP Scholarships: Multi-year mentoring and scholarship program for underserved high school students
  • EY Career Path Accelerator Financial Aid: $300,000 in FY24 for EY interns pursuing business education
  • Tax Research Grants and Faculty Fellowships: Approximately $40,000 annually for outstanding faculty
  • EY Disaster Relief Fund: $2.6 million in FY24 for employee and community disaster relief

Priority Areas

  • Higher education excellence and innovation
  • Professional service career preparation (accounting, tax, business)
  • Diversity and inclusion in education
  • Social justice and racial equity
  • Economic empowerment for under-resourced communities
  • Faculty development and academic research
  • Student financial aid for underserved populations

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations outside the education sector (except through Social Justice Fund)
  • International organizations (primary U.S. focus)
  • Individual applicants (except through specific scholarship programs)
  • K-12 education initiatives (except College MAP mentoring program)

Governance and Leadership

The foundation is led by Executive Director Ellen J. Glazerman, with Ginnie Carlier serving as President and Sandra Oliver as Treasurer. Marc Sobel serves as Associate Director and Controller, while Joni Fisher leads the EY Academic Resource Center as Associate Director.

Ellen Glazerman emphasizes the foundation's focus on future workforce preparation: "Building a better working world starts with preparing students to work in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment... The first is developing an analytics mindset because there are huge amounts of data and we need to figure out how to deal with it. The better the question, the better the answer, and the better the world works."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. Grants are awarded through:

  • Employee/partner-driven matching gift programs
  • Pre-established institutional partnerships
  • Trustee selection for Social Justice Fund recipients
  • Internal EY programs for students connected to the firm
  • Faculty relationships through the EY Academic Resource Center

Getting on Their Radar

  • For Universities: Develop campus recruiting relationships with EY; contact Ellen Glazerman about establishing matching gift funds; partner on accounting and business programs
  • For Faculty: Join the EY Academic Resource Center by emailing eyarc@ey.com with credentials and faculty profile URL to access resources and potentially become eligible for faculty awards
  • For Social Justice Organizations: While the Social Justice Fund awarded $1.4 million to eight organizations in FY24, recipients appear to be selected by trustees without a public application process
  • Leverage Employee Connections: Encourage EY employees or partners at your institution to make gifts that will trigger matching funds

Decision Timeline

No public information available on decision timelines

Success Rates

No public information available on application volumes or success rates

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable due to lack of public application process

Application Success Factors

Since the Ernst & Young Foundation operates without a public application process, traditional application advice does not apply. Success factors include:

  • Existing relationships with EY: Universities with strong campus recruiting partnerships or accounting programs connected to EY are more likely to receive support
  • Employee/partner advocacy: Having EY employees or partners champion your institution through matching gifts or internal advocacy
  • Alignment with EY's talent pipeline: Programs that prepare students for careers at EY or in professional services are prioritized
  • Demonstrated excellence in accounting/business education: The foundation specifically supports "high quality educational institutions" with strong programs in these areas
  • Faculty engagement: Professors who join EYARC and contribute to the community may become eligible for faculty fellowships and research grants
  • Social justice focus: Organizations addressing racial equity and economic empowerment may be considered for the Social Justice Fund, though selection criteria are not public

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This is a corporate foundation without a public grant application process - cold proposals will not be considered
  • Primary funding flows through employee matching gifts ($10.4 million annually) and pre-established institutional partnerships
  • Universities should focus on building relationships through campus recruiting and accounting program partnerships
  • Faculty can gain access to resources and potential funding by joining the EY Academic Resource Center
  • Social Justice Fund recipients are selected by trustees - organizations cannot apply directly
  • The foundation has distributed over $145 million in the past decade, demonstrating substantial capacity for the right partners
  • Success requires either existing EY connections or being identified by foundation leadership for support

References

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