Hirji Wigglesworth Fam Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $5,206,570 (2023)
Total Assets: $137 million (2024)
Grant Range: Varies by invitation
Geographic Focus: National/International
Application Method: Invitation only - no unsolicited applications accepted
Number of Grants: 7 grants awarded in 2022, 1 grant in 2023

Contact Details

Address: 1880 Century Park East, Suite 950, Los Angeles, CA 90067

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations. There is no public email or phone contact information available.

Overview

The Hirji Wigglesworth Fam Foundation was established in 2018 by Asiff Hirji and Sarah Wigglesworth, receiving tax-exempt status in September of that year. With total assets of $137 million, the foundation operates as a private grantmaking foundation making selective grants to organizations aligned with the founders' philanthropic interests. The foundation is managed by its two co-trustees, Asiff S. Hirji and Sarah B. Wigglesworth, who both serve without compensation.

Asiff Hirji brings extensive experience in technology and finance, having served as President and COO of Coinbase, President of TD Ameritrade, and currently serves as President of Figure Technologies. He is also a faculty member at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business. This background in technology, financial services, and education appears to inform the foundation's philanthropic approach.

The foundation maintains a focused grantmaking strategy, awarding a small number of significant grants annually rather than distributing funds widely. Between 2022 and 2023, the foundation made approximately 8 total grants totaling over $5 million each year, indicating substantial average grant sizes.

Funding Priorities

Known Areas of Support

Based on publicly available information about organizations the foundation has supported, their philanthropic interests include:

Social Impact and Global Development: Support for organizations like Acumen, which focuses on tackling global poverty through social enterprise
Food Systems and Agriculture: Donations to Kitchen Table Advisors, which works on sustainable food systems
Arts and Culture: Significant support for photography exhibitions and acquisitions at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
Education and Community Development: Connection to Full Circle Fund, a San Francisco-based philanthropic organization

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with published guidelines or application cycles. All grantmaking is conducted at the discretion of the trustees to preselected organizations.

What They Don't Fund

As the foundation only makes grants to preselected organizations, they effectively do not fund:

Organizations submitting unsolicited proposals
Organizations without prior connection to the trustees
General operating requests from unknown entities

Governance and Leadership

Trustees

Asiff S. Hirji (Co-Trustee): Technology and finance executive with extensive leadership experience. Career highlights include:

President and COO of Coinbase (2017-2019), helping scale revenues past $1 billion
President and Chief Restructuring Officer at Hewlett-Packard (2014-2016)
President, COO, and CIO of TD Ameritrade (2003-2007), helping build it into the world's largest online broker
Partner at TPG Capital (2007-2013)
Currently President at Figure Technologies and teaches Private Equity at UC Berkeley Haas School of Business
Education: BS in Computer Science from University of Calgary, MBA from Ivey Business School at Western University
Born in Tanzania and raised in Calgary, Alberta

Sarah B. Wigglesworth (Co-Trustee): Background in consulting, having previously worked at Mitchell Madison Group LLC. Active in San Francisco Bay Area philanthropic circles.

Both trustees serve without compensation and maintain direct involvement in all grantmaking decisions.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

The Hirji Wigglesworth Fam Foundation explicitly states that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds." This means:

No application forms are available
No proposals are accepted from organizations that reach out directly
All grants are made at the sole discretion of the trustees
Organizations are selected based on the trustees' own research and relationships

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation operates on a trustee-discretionary basis rather than formal application cycles.

Application Success Factors

Given that this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional success factors do not apply. However, understanding their grantmaking patterns may provide insight:

Sectors of Interest: The foundation has demonstrated interest in social impact ventures, sustainable food systems, arts and culture (particularly photography), and organizations addressing global poverty.

Geographic Considerations: While based in Los Angeles, the foundation has supported organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area and internationally-focused organizations like Acumen, suggesting geographic flexibility.

Grant Size: With approximately $5 million distributed annually across fewer than 10 grants, average grant sizes appear to be substantial (potentially $500,000+ per grant), suggesting they prefer making meaningful investments rather than smaller, widespread donations.

Relationship-Driven: The foundation's invitation-only approach suggests that personal connections, board relationships, and existing networks are the primary pathway to funding.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No unsolicited applications accepted: This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant-seeking methods
Significant grant sizes: Limited number of grants suggests substantial funding amounts for selected organizations
Trustee expertise influences focus: Asiff Hirji's background in technology, finance, and education may indicate areas of interest
Multi-sector interests: Evidence of support across social impact, food systems, arts, and education
Relationship-based grantmaking: All funding decisions made through trustees' discretion and existing networks
Not publicly transparent: Limited public disclosure of specific grant recipients and amounts beyond IRS Form 990 requirements
Asset growth suggests sustainability: Strong asset base ($137 million) indicates long-term grantmaking capacity

References

All sources accessed December 2025