Wyss Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 25-1823874 · since 1999wyssfoundation.org·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$223M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

Invitation only

Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.

Key takeaways

The Wyss Foundation funds work in conservation, economic opportunity, medical research, education and training, arts and social justice, so a project fitting one of these themes is a reasonable starting point.
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and operates by invitation only, so a grant writer should not send a speculative application; approaches depend on being identified or invited by the foundation rather than on competing in an open round.
With no grant range or geographic focus stated, it isn't possible to judge a realistic request size or whether a particular location qualifies, so keep expectations modest on that front.
The foundation's own guidance stresses grantees offering innovative, lasting solutions that improve lives, empower communities and strengthen connections to the land, so any invited proposal could usefully echo that language.
Overall this reads as a relationship-led funder rather than a competitive open-application one, given its invitation-only approach.

Overview

Wyss Foundation is a US private foundation based in Washington, DC.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The Wyss Foundation funds initiatives to conserve land, ocean and wildlife, and supports efforts to expand economic opportunity, spur high-impact medical research, create educational opportunities in conservation and the environment, and preserve museums and the arts. Its conservation work is carried out alongside local and Indigenous communities, national governments, land trusts and non-profit partners. In its discovery work, it supports education and training, the arts and medical exploration. Across its giving, it prioritises grantees that support innovative, lasting solutions that improve lives, empower communities and strengthen connections to the land. Its approach is to encourage new ideas and solutions that expand the reach of human possibility and compassion.

Themes

Conservation
Economic opportunity
Medical research
Education and training
Arts
Social justice

How to apply

The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.

Application success factors

What the foundation says:

The foundation prioritises grantees supporting innovative, lasting solutions that improve lives, empower communities and strengthen connections to the land.

Officers and directors

Robert Bland — Director
Patricia Kohl Davis — Secretary / CFO
Molly McUsic — President & Director
Joseph Fisher — Treasurer
Hansjoerg Wyss — Chairman

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$180,039,916	$163,338,595	$2,474,098,524	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$170,043,957	$149,332,735	$2,442,321,899	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$242,909,358	$222,645,225	$2,415,291,562	Filing for 2024 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.