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Siegel Family Endowment Inc

Annual Giving
$26.9M
Grant Range
$100K - $1.0M

Siegel Family Endowment Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $26.9 million (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not specified (rolling basis review)
  • Grant Range: $100,000 - $1,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: National (United States)
  • Assets: Over $415 million (as of 2021)

Contact Details

Website: www.siegelendowment.org

Address: 1245 Broadway, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10013

Contact Page: siegelendowment.org/contact

Note: The foundation does not currently accept unsolicited proposals. Contact through their website form for inquiries.

Overview

The Siegel Family Endowment was founded in 2011 by David Siegel, co-founder and co-chairman of Two Sigma, a financial sciences company. With over $415 million in assets and annual giving of approximately $26.9 million, the foundation's mission is to understand and shape the impact of technology on society. The endowment envisions a world where all people possess the tools, skills, and context to engage meaningfully in a rapidly changing society. Operating with an inquiry-driven approach grounded in the scientific method, the foundation positions itself as "society's risk capital," funding innovative civic and community leaders, social entrepreneurs, and researchers working at the intersections of learning, workforce, and infrastructure. The foundation has significantly expanded in recent years, nearly doubling staff size in 2022 and continuing growth through 2024, now employing 23 staff members.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Siegel Family Endowment makes grants across three primary interest areas, plus additional strategic initiatives:

Learning ($150,000 - $1,000,000+ per grant) Supports multidimensional learning ecosystems through competency-based education, community-integrated learning, technology-enhanced personalization, and computer/data science education. Recent grants include Khan Academy ($1M-$3M annually), Scratch Foundation ($7.5M total), and Modern Classrooms Project ($800K+ total).

Workforce ($150,000 - $1,000,000+ per grant) Advances actionable insights into how AI and emerging technologies transform work. Supports workforce training programs, pilot programs, and research initiatives addressing workers' needs. Recent grants include Pursuit ($4M total), Center for Rural Innovation ($6M-$7M), and Jobs for the Future.

Infrastructure ($150,000 - $1,000,000+ per grant) Supports just and equitable social, physical, and digital infrastructure that is community-centric. Funds organizations designing resilient social networks, strengthening public spaces, and eliminating divides in digital technology access. Recent grants include Cornell Tech ($8.5M+ for infrastructure), Stanford University PACS ($3.3M), and Center for Democracy & Technology ($500K+).

Chairman's Initiative & Effective Philanthropy (varies) Supports organizations strengthening the nonprofit ecosystem, including JustFund (streamlining grantmaking) and Candid (improving demographic data collection).

Application Method: No public application process; primarily invitation-only and relationship-based grantmaking on a rolling basis.

Priority Areas

The foundation actively funds organizations working at the intersection of its three primary areas, with specific emphasis on:

  • Learner-centered ecosystems addressing systemic barriers to educational innovation
  • Responsible EdTech prioritizing collaboration with educators, students, and communities
  • Computer and data science education as fundamental K-12 learning components
  • AI and emerging technology impact on work including worker perspectives and needs
  • Community-centered digital infrastructure and internet connectivity ("last 200 feet" problem)
  • Public Interest Technology (PIT) talent pipelines and career pathways
  • Technology ethics, policy, and governance affecting democracy and civic engagement
  • Proximate leaders from and representing the communities they serve
  • Evidence-based research at technology-society intersections

The foundation aspires to support people and organizations "overlooked by traditional philanthropy" and explicitly casts "a wide and nontraditional net for sourcing, funding out-of-the-box ideas and overlooked changemakers."

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not publicly list explicit exclusions, but their focus on technology's impact on society, learning, workforce, and infrastructure clearly defines their scope. Organizations without clear connections to these areas or technology's societal impact are unlikely to be funded.

Governance and Leadership

Key Leadership Team:

  • Katy Knight, President & Executive Director: Joined the foundation with extensive experience in education technology and equity-centered philanthropy. Knight emphasizes scientific literacy, evidence-based approaches, and addressing systemic inequities. She has stated: "Philanthropy can be very much like the private markets and everything else, consumed by Shiny Object Syndrome. We are just as fallible and just as susceptible to chasing the Next Big Idea."

  • John Irons, Senior Vice President & Head of Research: Leads the foundation's inquiry-driven research function focused on technology and society intersections.

  • Joshua Elder, Vice President & Head of Grantmaking: Oversees the foundation's grantmaking strategy and portfolio management.

  • Jumee Song, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer: Manages operations and organizational infrastructure.

  • Laura Maher, Chief of Staff and Director of External Engagement: Handles strategic communications and external relations.

Founder:

  • David Siegel: Co-founder and co-chairman of Two Sigma. Established the foundation in 2011 to explore technology's role in creating a more equitable society.

Research Advisory Council: A high-level council of grantee research organizations and thought leaders aligned with the foundation's mission, convening several times yearly to provide strategic advice on potential grantees and projects.

Notable Quotes from Leadership:

Katy Knight on equity: "We should all recognize that our current K-12 and post-secondary systems were not designed to serve all students equally. That was not a consideration when the foundation of these systems was built."

Katy Knight on infrastructure: "It's embarrassing that, in one of the wealthiest and most technologically advanced countries in the world, many people still lack access to reliable high-speed internet... I call it the 'last 200 feet' problem."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The Siegel Family Endowment does not currently accept unsolicited proposals. Their grantmaking follows an inquiry-driven approach where they identify potential grantees through:

  • Research and field scanning
  • Recommendations from their Research Advisory Council
  • Existing network relationships
  • Strategic exploration of specific questions in their interest areas

The foundation states they "explore if an organization fits with their funding priorities by forming relationships with the people doing the work." Grants are awarded through a relationship-based process rather than open calls for proposals.

For Organizations Interested in Connecting:

While unsolicited proposals are not accepted, the foundation encourages potential partners to:

  1. Review "Our Approach" at siegelendowment.org/about-us/our-approach to understand their methodology
  2. Contact their team through the website contact form with a brief introduction
  3. Subscribe to their newsletter to stay informed about their evolving priorities and research questions

Getting on Their Radar

Based on grantee feedback and the foundation's documented approach, organizations can position themselves for consideration through:

Engagement with Their Research Questions: The foundation maintains a Research Fellowship Program and publishes insights on their website. Organizations working on questions aligned with current research priorities may come to their attention through academic conferences, publications, or collaborative research networks.

Participation in Relevant Networks: The foundation supports ecosystem-building organizations like the Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN), All Tech Is Human, and various sector convenings. Active participation in these networks can create natural connection points.

Geographic and Thematic Focus Areas: The foundation has shown sustained interest in specific regions (e.g., rural innovation, New York City's open data ecosystem, Birmingham's tech sector) and themes (e.g., computational journalism, civic technology, learner-centered education models). Organizations working in these spaces may be identified through field scanning.

Connections Through Current Grantees: The foundation values collaborative, networked approaches. Partnerships or recommendations from existing grantees may create introduction opportunities.

Demonstration of Systems Thinking: The foundation explicitly seeks organizations working at "intersections" of their priority areas rather than siloed approaches. Organizations demonstrating multidimensional thinking across learning, workforce, and infrastructure may stand out.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly specified. The foundation reviews opportunities on a rolling basis rather than fixed grant cycles. Based on their inquiry-driven approach, the process likely involves:

  1. Relationship-building conversations
  2. Exploration of organizational fit with current research questions
  3. Due diligence and partnership design
  4. Formal grant approval

Grantees have noted that the pre-grant relationship phase can feel somewhat opaque, described as "dating-like experiences" in feedback surveys.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly available. Given the invitation-only nature of grantmaking, traditional success rate metrics do not apply.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable due to the relationship-based, invitation-only model. Grant renewals are determined through ongoing partnership conversations rather than formal reapplication processes. Grantees have noted some uncertainty about renewal prospects, which the foundation has acknowledged and is working to address through clearer communication.

Application Success Factors

The following factors are drawn from grantee feedback, leadership statements, and documented funding patterns:

1. Work at Intersections: The foundation explicitly funds organizations working at the intersection of learning, workforce, and infrastructure. Projects addressing only one area in isolation are less likely to align. As one grantee noted, the foundation values "bidirectional inspiration" and co-created visions rather than predetermined solutions.

2. Embrace Experimentation and Risk: Grantees praised the foundation for being "not extremely risk averse" and valuing experimentation. Knight has emphasized funding "deeply unsexy things" and avoiding "Shiny Object Syndrome," suggesting the foundation looks for substantive innovation over trendy approaches.

3. Evidence-Based and Inquiry-Driven: The foundation's scientific method approach means they value organizations that "gather data, develop hypotheses, experiment, and examine findings." Proposals should demonstrate rigorous evaluation frameworks and learning-centered measurement.

4. Equity and Proximate Leadership: The foundation actively seeks to fund "overlooked changemakers" and "proximate leaders who come from and represent the communities they serve." Over half of grantee leaders are women, and one-third are people of color, reflecting intentional equity commitments.

5. Systems-Level Thinking: Knight's 2021 reflections emphasized "multidimensional infrastructure" and "whole learner, whole school, whole community" approaches. Organizations should demonstrate understanding of systemic change rather than isolated interventions.

6. Flexibility and Adaptability: Grantees highlighted the foundation's flexibility in allowing goal adjustments as circumstances change. Organizations that can demonstrate adaptive approaches while maintaining accountability are valued.

7. Community-Centered Design: Across all priority areas, the foundation emphasizes community-centered approaches—whether in education (collaborating with educators and students), workforce (centering worker perspectives), or infrastructure (community-centric design).

Recent Funding Examples as Models:

  • Modern Classrooms Project: Implements scalable, evidence-based instructional models with demonstrated impact across thousands of classrooms
  • Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN): Builds talent pipelines through collaborative, multi-institutional approaches
  • Center for Rural Innovation: Addresses geographic equity in technology access and economic development
  • Jobs for the Future Entrepreneur-In-Residence Program: Develops AI solutions informed by worker experiences, demonstrating workforce-centered innovation

What the Foundation Values (from Grantee Feedback):

  • "Manageable reporting requirements" and low bureaucracy
  • "Trusted partner" relationships rather than top-down directive approaches
  • "Non-evaluative check-ins" that flatten traditional funder-grantee hierarchies
  • Long-term systems thinking over quick wins
  • Transparency about funding expectations and decisions

What to Avoid:

  • "Shiny Object Syndrome" or chasing trendy technology without substance
  • Siloed approaches that don't connect across priority areas
  • Solutions imposed without community collaboration
  • Lack of evidence or evaluation frameworks
  • Projects focused solely on traditional approaches rather than innovation

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: This is an invitation-only funder. Focus on getting on their radar through relevant networks, research contributions, and demonstrated work at the intersection of their priority areas rather than submitting unsolicited proposals.

  • Intersection is key: Projects must demonstrate connections across learning, workforce, and infrastructure rather than operating in a single domain. Think about how your work addresses technology's systemic impact on society.

  • Evidence matters: The foundation's scientific method approach means rigorous evaluation frameworks and learning-centered measurement are essential. Be prepared to demonstrate data-driven decision-making and hypothesis testing.

  • Equity is central, not peripheral: Proximate leadership, community-centered design, and addressing historically overlooked populations are core to the foundation's identity. Equity should be embedded throughout your approach, not added as an afterthought.

  • Substance over buzz: The foundation explicitly resists "Shiny Object Syndrome." Focus on "deeply unsexy" infrastructure and systems work that creates lasting change rather than chasing trendy technologies or quick wins.

  • Relationship-building is essential: With no public application process, connections through current grantees, participation in relevant convenings (PIT-UN, Aspen Digital, sector conferences), and alignment with their research questions are critical pathways to consideration.

  • Long-term partnership orientation: The foundation values ongoing relationships with manageable reporting, flexibility, and "non-evaluative check-ins." Demonstrate readiness for collaborative, adaptive partnership rather than transactional grant relationships.

References

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