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Mozilla Foundation

Annual Giving
$6.0M
Grant Range
$3K - $0.3M
Decision Time
2mo

Mozilla Foundation - Funder Overview

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $5,981,253 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Up to 2 months (MOSS program); varies by program
  • Grant Range: $3,000 - $250,000+ (varies by program)
  • Geographic Focus: International (with specific programs for Africa)

Contact Details

Website: https://foundation.mozilla.org

Location: Mountain View, California, United States (formerly San Francisco)

Press/Media Contact: Tracy Kariuki at [email protected]

Fellowship Inquiries: [email protected]

Overview

Founded in 2003, the Mozilla Foundation (EIN: 20-0097189) is a public charity with a mission to improve and protect the Internet as a public commons. In fiscal year 2023, the Foundation invested $26 million into three main program areas, with $17.2 million directed toward leadership development through grantmaking. Led by Executive Director Nabiha Syed (appointed May 2024), Mozilla Foundation employs over 100 staff and operates with an annual budget of approximately $30 million. Over the past decade, the organization has invested over $35 million in building a better technology future, distributing $22 million in award funds since 2015 and supporting more than 200 fellows across 46 countries on six continents. Mozilla's current strategic focus centers on trustworthy AI, internet health, data stewardship, and digital rights, with particular emphasis on supporting initiatives at the intersection of technology and social justice.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Fellowships and Awards (Various amounts, competitive application)

  • Senior Fellowship: Empowers changemakers who protect democracy from disinformation and ensure AI serves the public good. Duration: 1-2 years. Fellows receive employee benefits including medical insurance, wellness budget, and professional development support.
  • Tech + Society Fellowship: Connects tech-and-society strategists with civil society organizations. Stipend: $60,000 USD/year plus personal supplements and separate project funding. Duration: 1-2 years (most fellows complete full two-year cycle).
  • Africa Innovation Mradi - Research Grants: $5,000 - $10,000 USD. At least six grants supporting research on AI and social justice in Southern and Eastern Africa.
  • Africa Innovation Mradi - IRL Fund: $15,000 - $50,000 USD. Supports African partners with initiatives strengthening digital and human rights. Total fund: $350,000.
  • Alumni Connection Grants: $3,000 - $15,000 USD. For 2024-2025 cohort, total pool: $150,000 USD. Supports collaboration among Mozilla alumni.
  • Creative Media Awards: Amounts vary. Supports artwork (literature, documentaries, games, exhibitions) that reaches mass audiences and facilitates understanding of complex technological concepts. Program currently under retrospective review; next call launching in 2025.
  • Data Futures Lab Grants: Various amounts. Experimental funding for new approaches to data stewardship challenges.
  • Creative AI Futures Grants (New in 2025): Will bring together underserved creative community organizations and professional academies to prototype new AI programs.

Mozilla Open Source Support (MOSS) - IMPORTANT: This program is on indefinite hiatus as of 2020 and is not currently accepting applications. Historical context: Supported three tracks with awards ranging from $5,000 - $250,000 USD, averaging $70,000 per project.

Mozilla Technology Fund: Funds open source projects at the intersection of environmental justice and AI making positive impact in ecosystems and human communities.

Application Methods: Most programs use fixed deadlines with online applications through Fluxx platform. Two-stage process: Letter of Intent (LOI) followed by full application for invited applicants.

Priority Areas

Core Mission Areas:

  • Trustworthy AI and responsible AI practices
  • Internet health and digital rights
  • Data stewardship and data justice
  • Environmental justice and technology
  • Democracy protection and countering disinformation
  • Computer science ethics education
  • Digital civil rights and inclusion
  • Open source technology advancement

Geographic Priorities:

  • Global reach with specific focus on Global South
  • Dedicated programs for East and Southern Africa
  • Support for underserved creative communities worldwide

Approach:

  • Open source ethos and commitment to open licenses
  • Community-centered methods and collaboration
  • Movement-building and leadership development
  • Innovation at intersection of technology and social justice

What They Don't Fund

Explicit Exclusions:

  • Brand new projects without established users/contributors (for MOSS-type programs)
  • Projects that are not open source
  • Projects not yet built or lacking community
  • Individuals/entities on SDN sanctions lists
  • Individuals with documented violations of Mozilla's Community Participation Guidelines
  • Projects not aligned with Mozilla Foundation's strategic aims
  • General operating support for organizations without charitable mission
  • For-profit entities (except in specific venture/investment contexts through Mozilla Ventures)

Requirements:

  • Equipment purchases over $5,000 USD must typically be donated to qualifying nonprofits at project conclusion (unless recipient is exempt organization)
  • All project content must be released under Creative Commons license
  • All project code must be released under open source license
  • Applications must be submitted in English via Fluxx

Governance and Leadership

Executive Director: Nabiha Syed (appointed May 2024) - Media executive, lawyer, and champion of public interest technology. Previously led The Markup from launch through successful acquisition. Former media lawyer at New York Times and BuzzFeed. Recognized by NAACP in 2023 as transformational leader in digital civil rights. Education: J.D. from Yale Law School, M.St from Oxford (Marshall Scholar), B.A. from Johns Hopkins.

Board Structure: As of 2025, the Mozilla Foundation board has nine members responsible for corporate governance, strategic oversight, selecting and evaluating leadership, and ensuring financial and ethical integrity. Board members bring expertise in web/internet trends, open source, innovation, and business/nonprofit management.

Recent Leadership Changes: On February 19, 2025, Mitchell Baker departed from her role as Chair and member of the boards for Mozilla Foundation and Mozilla Corporation after serving in various leadership roles since the organization's founding.

Former President: Mark Surman served as President until 2024, during which he stated: "More and more people are realizing the need for more responsible tech products — and a movement that mobilizes people to reclaim the internet."

Key Quote from Current Leadership: Nabiha Syed expressed her vision "to bring joy and creativity back to the internet" and hopes "we can arrive at a tech economy that is not purely extractive, but rather one that respects people's values and dignity."

Organizational Structure: Mozilla Foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and owns the Mozilla Corporation as a wholly-owned subsidiary. In addition, Mozilla Ventures operates as an impact investing venture capital fund supporting early-stage startups aligned with Mozilla Manifesto values.

Recent Organizational Changes: In November 2024, Mozilla Foundation announced a 30% staff reduction as the organization faces what they describe as a "relentless onslaught of change."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Two-Stage Process (standard for most programs):

  1. Letter of Intent (LOI): Initial expression of interest submitted via Fluxx platform. Review committee uses quantitative scoring and qualitative discussion to short-list applicants.

  2. Full Application: Invited applicants submit detailed application including organizational details, budget template, and project specifics.

Platform: All applications must be submitted via Fluxx in English. Mozilla encourages use of translation tools/apps to complete applications.

Eligibility: Open to individuals, teams, nonprofit organizations, and in some cases for-profit companies. Unregistered organizations can apply with a legally registered fiscal host (grant agreement will include fiscal host).

Required Documentation:

  • Budget template
  • Organizational details (for invited full applications)
  • Commitment to open licensing (Creative Commons for content, open source for code)

Program-Specific Processes:

  • MOSS: Applications accepted on rolling basis, reviewed monthly (PROGRAM ON HIATUS - not accepting applications)
  • Alumni Connection Grants: Fixed deadline (October 4 for 2024-2025 cohort)
  • Africa Mradi programs: Fixed call for proposals with specific deadlines
  • Fellowships: Annual or biennial calls for applications

Decision Timeline

MOSS Program (historical reference): Up to 2 months from submission to committee feedback, depending on when application received in monthly review cycle.

Data Futures Lab Infrastructure Fund (example timeline): LOI submitted by August 31st receives response by September 29th with request for more information, invitation for full proposal, or declination.

Alumni Connection Grants: Application deadline October 4th (23:59 PST), with decisions communicated to all applicants in November. Successful applicants begin contracting process in November.

General Process: All proposed grant decisions subject to legal review to confirm applicant eligibility. Review committees typically include Mozilla staff, alumni, and external experts from relevant fields.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed by Mozilla Foundation. The organization made 75 awards totaling approximately $5.98 million in 2023.

Reapplication Policy

Mozilla Foundation does not publicly disclose a specific reapplication policy for unsuccessful applicants. For guidance on reapplying, contact [email protected] for fellowship programs or check specific program pages for updated policies.

Application Success Factors

Domain Expertise and Track Record: Mozilla seeks applicants who are "domain experts in the area in which they are applying, with a track record of success in the space of their proposed project, and a dedication to continuing to work in that space after their fellowship."

Evaluation Criteria (from official guidance):

  • Team: Who is on the team and how their backgrounds and experience can be leveraged in the project
  • Innovation: How innovative is the solution from technological, social, or economic perspective
  • Feasibility: How feasible are the goals proposed under the grant period
  • Impact: How relevant and urgent is the problem the project addresses

Mission Alignment: Fellows and grantees should align with Mozilla's interests and focus, able to leverage Mozilla's strengths including open source ethos and large network of contributors.

Collaboration Mindset: "An ideal candidate should enter the program with a project that would benefit from feedback and input from Mozilla's interdisciplinary community, with an eagerness to share and learn new skills, and to work in the open."

Open Source Commitment: Projects must demonstrate commitment to open source principles, with content released under Creative Commons and code under open source licenses.

Examples of Recently Funded Projects:

  • Fundación Vía Libre (2024): Building community-centered language dataset representing stereotypes in Argentina, publishing programming libraries for audit processes
  • Black Wealth Data Center collaboration: Creating interactive data tool to understand broadband inequalities in the U.S., mapping "digital deserts"
  • OONI (Open Observatory of Network Interference): Developing OONI Run tool for coordinated testing of website blocking, deployed through partnerships with 41 digital rights organizations
  • Data Provenance Initiative: Tracking and filtering audited datasets for ethical, legal, and transparency considerations
  • Data Science Law Lab: Creating prototype for new data license based on African needs and use cases
  • FLAIR Initiative: Developing method for rapid creation of custom ASR models for Indigenous languages

Language and Terminology Mozilla Uses:

  • "Internet health"
  • "Trustworthy AI"
  • "Data stewardship"
  • "Movement-building"
  • "Public interest technology"
  • "Open and accessible"
  • "Community-centered"

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Open source is non-negotiable: All funded projects must commit to open source licenses for code and Creative Commons for content - this is a fundamental requirement across all Mozilla programs.

  • Demonstrate established track record: Mozilla does not fund brand new projects or ideas; show evidence of existing work, user community, and domain expertise in your application area.

  • Align with current strategic priorities: Focus particularly on trustworthy AI, data justice, internet health, and intersections of technology with social/environmental justice - these are Mozilla's 2024-2025 strategic priorities.

  • Emphasize collaboration and community: Mozilla values projects that benefit from interdisciplinary feedback and demonstrate eagerness to "work in the open" - highlight how you'll engage with Mozilla's network.

  • Two-stage process requires strategic LOI: The Letter of Intent is scored quantitatively - make it clear, compelling, and directly aligned with program criteria to advance to full application stage.

  • Budget realistically and specifically: Mozilla has specific requirements around equipment purchases over $5,000 and expects clear, feasible goals for the grant period - vague or inflated budgets will hurt your chances.

  • Current program landscape is shifting: Be aware that MOSS is on hiatus, some programs are under review (Creative Media Awards), and new programs are launching (Creative AI Futures in 2025) - check current opportunities carefully before applying.

References

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