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Deloitte Foundation

Annual Giving
$25.8M
Grant Range
$5K - $2.1M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $25,833,027 (2023)
  • Number of Awards: 352 grants (2023)
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $2,100,000
  • Geographic Focus: National (approximately 30 select US locations for local impact grants)
  • Application Method: Primarily invitation-only; some programmes have open applications

Contact Details

Website: https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/about/deloitte-foundation.html

Email: usdeloittefoundation@deloitte.com

Executive Director:

Address: Stamford, CT

Overview

Founded in 1928, the Deloitte Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that supports education in the United States through initiatives designed to develop future talent and promote excellence in teaching, research, and curriculum innovation. The Foundation distributes approximately $25.8 million annually in grants and awards (2023), with 352 awards made to educational institutions and programmes. The Foundation's strategic focus centres on preparing students—from middle school through doctoral programmes—for careers in business, accounting, technology, engineering, and STEM fields, with particular emphasis on supporting racially and ethnically diverse students and young women. The Foundation is chaired by Lara Abrash, Chair of Deloitte US, and operates primarily through invitation-only strategic grantmaking, though several signature programmes accept direct applications.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

Local Impact Grants (Invitation Only)

  • More than 65 grants annually to programmes in approximately 30 select US locations
  • Support for educational nonprofits and universities serving students through age 24
  • Focus on curriculum development, supplemental learning experiences, scholarships, mentorship, and college/workforce readiness
  • Recent examples: $300,000 to YMCA of Greater New York (3-year grant, 2024)
  • Note: The Deloitte Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for this programme

Large Strategic Grants (Invitation Only)

  • Major institutional grants by trustee discretion
  • Recent example: $2,100,000 to Cristo Rey Network for college scholarships (2025)
  • Four-year partnership supporting 1,200+ Cristo Rey students total

HBCU Support Programmes

  • Institutional grants supporting accounting programmes, curriculum development, faculty development, high school summer programming, community college transfer bridge programmes, and accounting/analytics labs
  • TMCF | Deloitte Foundation HBCU Accounting Scholarship Program: 70 scholars receive up to $8,000/year (renewable for 3 years, maximum $24,000 total)
  • Available to high school seniors, community college transfers, and first/second-year HBCU students majoring in accounting

Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Programmes

  • Institutional grants supporting business and accounting programmes, pre-college enrichment, first-generation student initiatives, and transfer bridge programmes
  • HACU Scholars Program: 68 scholarships of $2,500/semester (renewable for 4 semesters, $10,000 total)
  • Eligible majors: accounting, business, computer science, cybersecurity, data analytics, economics, engineering, finance, information systems, mathematics, supply chain, statistics, and technology

Doctoral Fellowship Program (Open Application)

  • $25,000 grants to 10 top accounting Ph.D. candidates annually
  • Intended to help cover expenses during recipients' final year of coursework and the subsequent year to complete their doctoral dissertation
  • Application deadline: October 15
  • Only one applicant per school allowed
  • Applications sent to Accounting Department Chair at each institution
  • Contact: usdeloittefoundation@deloitte.com

Accounting Scholars Program (Open Application)

  • Covers 100% of tuition and academic fees for one academic year
  • For students pursuing a fifth-year master's in accounting or tax
  • Application deadlines vary by participating institution; check directly with the relevant university
  • Evaluations occur after each institution's application deadline

American Accounting Association Awards

  • AAA/J. Michael and Mary Anne Cook/Deloitte Foundation Prize: $30,500 monetary prize plus silver medal for superior teaching in accounting (up to 3 awards annually for graduate, undergraduate, and two-year programmes)
  • American Taxation Association Teaching Innovation Award: $5,000 for innovative teaching techniques in tax education

Matching Gift Program (For Deloitte Personnel)

  • Matches 1:1 donations from US Deloitte Firms personnel to eligible colleges/universities
  • Minimum $1,000 aggregate donation required for matching
  • Maximum $32,500 match per donor per fiscal year
  • Has funded over $20 million in endowed professorships, fellowships, and chairs
  • Matching occurs annually in October

Priority Areas

Education Focus:

  • Business and accounting education at all levels
  • Technology and engineering education
  • STEM fields
  • Career preparation for students ages 12-24
  • First-generation college students
  • Racially and ethnically diverse students
  • Young women pursuing business, accounting, and STEM careers

Programme Types:

  • Curriculum development and innovation
  • Faculty development and support
  • Scholarships and fellowships
  • Mentorship programmes
  • Summer enrichment and after-school programmes
  • College and workforce readiness
  • Transfer bridge programmes for community college students
  • Pre-college enrichment for high school students

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the Foundation's focus is exclusively on education-related initiatives in business, accounting, technology, engineering, and related STEM fields. The Foundation does not appear to fund:

  • Programmes outside the United States
  • Non-educational initiatives
  • Students beyond doctoral level
  • Fields unrelated to business, accounting, technology, engineering, or STEM

Governance and Leadership

Chair: Lara Abrash, Chair of Deloitte US, also serves as Chair of the Deloitte Foundation

The Deloitte Foundation Board includes senior leaders from Deloitte US, though the complete board roster is not publicly disclosed. The Foundation operates under the governance of Deloitte US leadership, with strategic grantmaking decisions made primarily by the board and senior leadership.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

For Most Grant Programmes: The Deloitte Foundation does not have a traditional open application process. Strategic grantmaking is primarily by invitation only. Organisations cannot typically submit unsolicited grant proposals for the local impact grant programme or large institutional grants.

For Doctoral Fellowship Program:

  • Applications open annually with an October 15 deadline
  • Only one applicant per school permitted
  • Applications are sent to the Accounting Department Chair at each institution
  • Contact: usdeloittefoundation@deloitte.com

For Accounting Scholars Program:

  • Application deadlines vary by participating institution
  • Available to students pursuing a fifth-year master's in accounting or tax at participating institutions

For HBCU Accounting Scholarships:

  • Administered through Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF)
  • Available to high school seniors, community college students, and current HBCU students

For HSI Scholarships:

  • Administered through Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU)
  • Available to full-time undergraduate students at HACU-member institutions

Getting on Their Radar (for invitation-only programmes)

The Deloitte Foundation specifically recommends that organisations seeking support should "network with a Deloitte employee to champion your organization's work and, hopefully, get funding down the line." This suggests:

  • Building relationships with local Deloitte office personnel who may serve as internal champions
  • Being located in or serving communities within the approximately 30 select locations where Deloitte has a strong presence
  • Demonstrating alignment with the Foundation's mission of preparing diverse students for business, accounting, technology, and STEM careers
  • Serving students in age ranges the Foundation prioritises (generally through age 24)

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines vary by programme:

  • Doctoral Fellowship Program: Applications reviewed after October 15 deadline; recipients announced in spring
  • Accounting Scholars Program: Deadlines and selection processes vary by participating institution
  • Invitation-Only Grants: No public timeline; decisions made by Foundation leadership on rolling basis

Success Rates

The Foundation made 352 awards in 2023, 322 awards in 2022, and 265 awards in 2021, showing year-over-year growth in grantmaking activity. Specific success rates for application-based programmes are not publicly disclosed.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is publicly documented. Given the invitation-only nature of most grants, ongoing relationships with the Foundation likely matter more than formal reapplication cycles.

Application Success Factors

Based on the Foundation's stated priorities and funded programmes, successful initiatives share these characteristics:

Alignment with Strategic Priorities:

  • Programmes that prepare students for the "future of work" in business, technology, and related fields
  • Focus on "driving transformative change at the intersection of education and equity"
  • Support for "racially and ethnically diverse students and young women"

Educational Innovation:

  • The Foundation values "curriculum innovation" and "innovative programmes"
  • Programmes offering credentials, certificates, or skills in business, technology, engineering
  • Supplemental learning experiences such as online, after-school, or summer enrichment

Geographic Presence:

  • Organisations in the approximately 30 select locations nationwide where local impact grants are awarded appear to have better access
  • Examples of funded locations include New York City, San Diego, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Houston, South Florida, Boston, Detroit, and Northern/Central New Jersey

Measurable Student Outcomes:

  • Programmes serving students through age 24 with clear pathways to careers
  • Support for college and workforce readiness
  • Scholarship programmes that help students "continue on their educational journeys"

Institutional Quality for Academic Programmes:

  • For doctoral fellowships and academic awards, the Foundation recognises excellence in teaching and research
  • The Cook Prize specifically honours "the attributes of a superior teacher in the discipline of accounting"

Deloitte Connection:

  • According to Inside Philanthropy, the most successful approach is to "network with a Deloitte employee to champion your organization's work"
  • Organisations in markets with significant Deloitte presence may have better access to these networks

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation-only model: Most grant programmes do not accept unsolicited applications. Focus on building relationships with Deloitte employees who can champion your organisation internally.

  • Geographic strategy: The Foundation focuses on approximately 30 select US locations. Organisations should determine if they operate in markets where Deloitte has a strong presence.

  • Mission alignment is critical: Successful programmes prepare students (typically through age 24) for careers in business, accounting, technology, engineering, or STEM fields, with emphasis on serving diverse students and young women.

  • Look for open programmes: While strategic grants are invitation-only, the Doctoral Fellowship Program and Accounting Scholars Program have formal application processes with published deadlines.

  • Matching gifts leverage: If your institution receives donations from Deloitte personnel, the Matching Gift Program can double those contributions with a 1:1 match up to $32,500 per donor annually.

  • Multi-year partnerships: The Foundation demonstrates commitment to sustained impact (e.g., four-year Cristo Rey partnership, three-year YMCA grant), suggesting preference for long-term relationships over one-time grants.

  • Think beyond direct grants: Consider HBCU and HSI scholarship partnerships administered through TMCF and HACU as alternative pathways to Foundation support if you serve these student populations.

References

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