The Heising-Simons Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $167.7 million (2024)
Total Assets: $872 million
Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
Decision Time: Varies based on grant type and program area
Grant Range: $1,000 - Several million (majority $50,000 - $500,000)
Geographic Focus: Primarily United States (with some international science grants)

Contact Details

Website: https://www.hsfoundation.org

General Inquiries: [email protected]

Press Inquiries: [email protected]

Phone: 650-877-0277

Locations: Los Altos and San Francisco, California

Los Altos office: 400 Main St, Los Altos, CA 94022

Program-Specific Contact: If invited to submit a proposal, contact your assigned program officer directly

Overview

The Heising-Simons Foundation was established in 2007 by philanthropists Mark Heising and Elizabeth (Liz) Simons in Los Altos, California. The family foundation holds approximately $872 million in assets and distributed $167.7 million in grants in 2024, representing the foundation's highest annual grantmaking to date. Since 2016, the foundation has awarded 5,028 individual grants totaling $1.175 billion. The foundation's mission is "unlocking knowledge, opportunity, and possibilities," working with partners to advance sustainable solutions in climate and clean energy, enable groundbreaking research in science, enhance the education of young learners, and support human rights for all people. The foundation operates with core values of humility, courage, justice, opportunity, sustainability, innovation, relationships, and integrity. Mark Heising and Liz Simons joined the Giving Pledge in 2016, publicly committing the majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes. In 2025, the foundation appointed Brian Eule as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2026.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Science

51 Pegasi b Postdoctoral Fellowship: Three-year grants up to $450,000 (with optional fourth-year extension) for early-career scientists conducting research in planetary astronomy, exoplanet science, solar system science, and related topics. Eight fellows awarded annually.
Climate Change Science Grants: Funding for research providing scientific foundation for understanding global climate change
Astronomy and Cosmology Grants: Support for leading-edge research in these fields
Fundamental Physics Grants: Support for innovative physics research
Science Events and Gatherings: Open call grants ranging $20,000 - $80,000

Climate and Clean Energy

Grants supporting climate policy advancement
Energy sector transformation initiatives
Potent pollutant (methane) reduction projects
Time-sensitive opportunities for large-scale emission reductions
Geographic focus: Primarily United States

Education

Early childhood education grants (birth through third grade)
Early math education initiatives
Dual language learner (emerging bilingual) programs
Family engagement programs
State-level advocacy support for early childhood systems
Notable 2024 grant: $4 million over two years for 11 community-based organizations developing diverse parent leaders in California

Human Rights

Criminal justice reform initiatives
Immigration rights and justice work
Geographic focus: National grants plus concentrated funding in California, Texas, Georgia, and North Carolina
Since 2010, the foundation has invested more than $86 million in immigration and criminal justice work

CEO Fund: Technology and Society

Automated decision-making systems
Surveillance technologies
Disinformation and data privacy
AI harm mitigation and responsible innovation
In 2023, partnered with other philanthropies to contribute more than $200 million toward public interest AI efforts

Journalism Initiatives

Support for underrepresented groups and voices in media
Investigative journalism
American Mosaic Journalism Prize: Two annual awards of $100,000 each to freelance journalists for excellence in long-form reporting about underrepresented groups
Press Forward initiative investor
NewsMatch supporter

Priority Areas

Systems Change: The foundation emphasizes supporting work that creates structural and systemic impact rather than short-term fixes
Coalition Building: Funding organizations that bring together multiple stakeholders to achieve common goals
Research and Policy Development: Support for evidence-based approaches to complex problems
Grassroots Capacity Building: Particularly in human rights work, centering communities most affected by issues
Innovation and Risk-Taking: Early-stage research and approaches considered too exploratory by traditional funders
General Operating Support: The foundation believes in funding the true cost of grantees' work
Rapid Response: Timely funding for urgent opportunities

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant proposals or applications from organizations with which they do not already have a relationship. Beyond this key restriction, the foundation does not publish a detailed list of exclusions. Funding is limited to the specific program areas listed above, with geographic focus primarily in the United States (except for certain science grants which may be international).

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors

Liz Simons, Chair of the Board: Former teacher who worked in Spanish-bilingual and ESL classrooms and founded Stretch to Kindergarten, a spring-summer early childhood education program. Simons emphasizes the foundation's focus on care and concern for others.
- On Brian Eule's appointment as CEO: "He comes with a deep understanding of who we are and has an extraordinary talent for bringing people together. He is a listener, a learner, and a creator—a natural leader who is kind, but also honest and decisive. His lifelong experience as a journalist and communicator is exactly what we need in this moment."
Mark Heising, Vice Chair of the Board: Established Medley Partners in 2004, a firm specializing in private market investments. Previously founded VLSI Cores, focused on cryptographic integrated circuit design and licensing.
Caitlin Simons, Vice Chair of the Board: Daughter of Liz Simons and Mark Heising

Executive Leadership

Brian Eule, President and Chief Executive Officer (effective January 1, 2026): Previously spent nearly a decade leading communications at the Heising-Simons Foundation before serving as managing director for "Frontline," the PBS documentary series. A lifelong journalist and communicator with deep understanding of the foundation's mission and culture.
- On his appointment: "I'm deeply honored to return to the Heising-Simons Foundation and lead this organization as it addresses some of the most urgent and enduring challenges of our time. The Foundation's work is grounded in care and concern for others, and is helping shape a better future for generations to come. I'm humbled to be able to work with a family foundation Board so thoughtful, a staff so passionate, and extraordinary nonprofit leaders who are driving meaningful changes on the issues that matter most."
- On the foundation's role: "To be at an organization, working on these issues with resources and with strength right now, feels very important to me."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Heising-Simons Foundation operates primarily through an invitation-only model and explicitly discourages uninvited email inquiries and requests for proposals due to limited capacity to field unsolicited requests.

How Grants Are Awarded

Program staff identify potential grantees through:

Attending conferences and field convenings
In-house research and monitoring of fields of interest
Sourcing leads through current grantee partners
Recommendations from advisors and other funders
Relationships within specific areas of work that align with programmatic strategies

Exceptions: Occasional Open Calls

The foundation occasionally conducts open requests for proposals in specific areas, announced through:

The foundation's blog
Individual program pages on their website
LinkedIn
Email newsletter

Recent examples include the Science program's annual open call for support of science events and gatherings ($20,000 - $80,000 grants).

For Invited Organizations

If your organization has been invited to submit a letter of inquiry or proposal:

Contact your assigned program officer for specific submission instructions
Visit the "For Invited Grantseekers" page on the foundation's website
Work with your foundation contact to determine the best date to submit a proposal

Review Process

Proposals are reviewed on a rolling basis by:

Foundation staff
Consultants
Occasionally board members
External reviewers including community members, field experts, other funders, or current grantees

Decision Timeline

The entire process from proposal development and submission to approval varies significantly based on:

Grant amount
Program area
Scope of work
Whether the proposal is new or a renewal

Applicants are advised to work with their foundation contact to determine timeline expectations specific to their proposal. The foundation does not publish standard decision timeframes.

Success Rates

The foundation does not publicly disclose application success rates or the number of applications received versus grants awarded.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed. Given the invitation-only model, reapplication would depend on the foundation's continued interest in the organization's work and alignment with program strategies.

Application Success Factors

Given the foundation's invitation-only approach, success depends on being identified by program staff as aligned with strategic priorities. Organizations the foundation has funded demonstrate these characteristics:

Strategic Alignment

Work directly addresses one of the foundation's six program areas with clear connection to stated priorities
Projects focused on systems change rather than short-term interventions
The foundation emphasizes supporting research and policy development, coalition-building, and general operating support

Innovation and Impact

The Science program specifically seeks "innovative, leading-edge research where Foundation support can make meaningful impact"
Projects that bridge multiple fields or communities
Early-stage work considered too exploratory or high-risk by traditional funders
Rapid-response opportunities for timely projects
Work filling critical gaps in existing funding landscape

Community-Centered Approach

In Human Rights work, the foundation prioritizes "building the power and capacity of the grassroots" and "fostering justice reform and immigrant rights' ecosystems that center the grassroots in their work"
Asset-based approaches (e.g., in Education, viewing children's home culture and emerging bilingualism as strengths rather than deficits)
Organizations led by or accountable to communities most affected by the issues being addressed

Coalition and Ecosystem Building

Organizations that "bring benefits to communities" through coalition work
Groups that advocate for effective policies while defending community rights
Partners that strengthen broader field or movement ecosystems

Values Alignment The foundation's grantmaking is guided by values of humility, courage, justice, opportunity, sustainability, innovation, relationships, and integrity. Organizations demonstrating these values in their work and approach are more likely to align with the foundation's philosophy.

Full Cost Funding Philosophy The foundation "believes in funding the true cost of grantee's work," suggesting they are receptive to realistic budgets that include indirect costs and general operating support rather than artificially constrained project budgets.

Recent Grant Examples (2024) Organizations funded in Q2 2024 included work on:

Advancing climate and clean energy policies
Ensuring AI does not disrupt elections
Understanding causes of underrepresentation of women in math and physical sciences
Supporting early childhood advocates at state level
Supporting rights of transgender and gender non-conforming people
Organizations like Black Migrant Power Fund, Haitian Bridge Alliance, Transgender Law Center, Detention Watch Network, Border Network for Human Rights, United We Dream, and National Immigration Law Center

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

You cannot apply directly to this foundation unless invited or responding to a rare open call. Focus instead on becoming visible in your field through conferences, partnerships with current grantees, and connections with other funders who may recommend you.
Monitor the foundation's website and subscribe to their newsletter to learn about occasional open calls. The Science program has issued annual open calls for events and gatherings; other programs may do the same.
If you work in climate/energy, science, early childhood education, criminal justice reform, immigration rights, technology and society, or journalism, ensure your organization is visible at major convenings and maintains relationships with other funders and organizations in the foundation's network.
Emphasize systems change, coalition-building, and long-term impact in your work and communications. The foundation is not interested in short-term fixes or isolated projects but rather structural approaches that create lasting change.
The foundation values innovation and risk-taking, particularly supporting early-stage or exploratory work that traditional funders consider too risky. If your organization is pioneering new approaches, make this visible in your field.
For researchers: The 51 Pegasi b Fellowship represents one of the few open application opportunities, with up to eight fellowships of $450,000 awarded annually. Planetary astronomy postdocs should monitor deadlines closely.
Budget realistically and request full cost funding. The foundation explicitly states it believes in funding the true cost of work, suggesting they are open to general operating support and realistic indirect cost rates.

References

All sources accessed December 2025.