The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation accepts no unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected organisations, so a cold application should not be sent; the filing gives no further application steps.
- Its recorded grants and themes centre on scientific research and technology, youth talent development, space and astrophysics, and strategic technology, so work well outside these areas is unlikely to fit its filed purposes.
- Half of its grants to organisations are $250,000 or less, and about 8 in 10 fall between $21,500 and $2,000,000, so a modest request sits within its typical range, though its largest grant was about $16,000,000 and that band is not a ceiling.
- Repeat giving is strong: 78% of its grant dollars in the latest filing went to organisations it had also funded in one of the two earlier filings, so an approach built on an existing relationship is likely to be more realistic than a formal submission.
Overview
The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation is a US private foundation based in Palo Alto, CA.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 12 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The fund’s recorded grants support scientific research and technology, including focused research and artificial intelligence in science. The filed purposes also cover climate and health research, space science and astrophysics, alongside educational and talent programmes. Its direct activities include strategic analysis of emerging technologies and their implications for national security, the economy and society, and programmes bringing young people and technologists together to address global challenges. Grant recipients listed in the filings include universities, research-focused organisations and specialist non-profits. Its giving combines institutional research support, talent development, education and collaborative projects addressing scientific and societal problems.
Themes
- Strategic technology
- Youth talent development
- Science and technology
- Space and astrophysics
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Massachusetts, California, New York, the United States, United Kingdom, France and Europe.
How to apply
Contributions are made only to preselected charitable organisations, and unsolicited requests are not accepted. The filing gives no further application steps.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 78% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 532 grants to organisations were $250,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 7%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 36%
- The largest single recipient received 14% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 78% of grant dollars went to organisations The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation had funded in earlier filings.
- 20% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (France, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Canada).
- 16% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 227 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $250k (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Rhodes Trust · General operating support$12,500,0002024 tax year
- Kyutai · To provide general support$10,442,0002024 tax year
- Barack Obama Foundation · To support the obama presidential center$10,000,0002024 tax year
- FutureHouse · To provide support for futurehouse ai scientist program$10,000,0002024 tax year
- Rhodes Trust · Support for rhodes trust science fellowship$8,069,2042024 tax year
- Convergent Research · To provide support for scientific focused research$8,000,0002024 tax year
- Convergent Research · To provide support for scientific focused research$8,000,0002024 tax year
- Digital Harbor Foundation · Support to implement the learning engineering virtual institute$6,094,4312024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Stuart Feldman — President - Schmidt Sciences
- Charles Giller — Chief Executive Officer - Agog
- John Redd — Chief Executive Officer - Silc
- Yll Bajraktari — Chief Executive Officer - SCSP
- Colette Haider — Co-Secretary
- Frances Babb — Co-Secretary
- Mandy Quach — Treasurer
- Wendy Schmidt — Director
- Eric Schmidt — President & Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $186,060,464 | $99,531,591 | $1,117,749,688 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $374,652,875 | $195,250,221 | $1,402,995,349 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $313,041,582 | $244,068,458 | $1,589,520,998 | 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.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Palo Alto, CA
Applying to The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Palo Alto, CA