The Intuitive Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The foundation is based in Sunnyvale, CA and gives worldwide, so location alone should not rule out a request, but its giving centres on health and education through robotic surgery, bronchoscopy, STEM and youth robotics, so check that your work fits one of these themes first.
- Most of its grants are modest: about 8 in 10 of its 263 grants to organisations fell between $18,000 and $180,000, with a median of $42,500, so a request near that size fits the typical pattern.
- That band is not a ceiling, since the largest grant was about $2,800,000, and single programmes state up to $75,000.
- Its latest filing shows 59% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in earlier filings, so a first request should be carefully matched to its stated aims.
- Research programmes may require a Letter of Intent, fellowship applications are accepted twice per year, and it does not fund galas, event sponsorship, middle school science camps, walkathons, college scholarships, physician salaries or for-profit activities.
Overview
The Intuitive Foundation is a US private foundation based in Sunnyvale, CA.
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 Intuitive Foundation supports nonprofit institutions worldwide with grants and fellowships to advance health and education through medical and technology research. It funds clinical research in robotic-assisted surgery and bronchoscopy, along with fellowships and training in robotic surgery. It also supports programmes that inspire the next generation of innovators and expand access to STEM and healthcare pathways. Its outreach work addresses the underrepresentation of women and minorities in STEM and healthcare, supporting students from underrepresented backgrounds from middle school through graduate school and professional societies developing mid-career professionals for leadership. The foundation also supports youth robotics teams and community engagement. Across these areas, its grants and partnerships aim to improve patient outcomes, develop clinical skills and foster a more diverse and inclusive future in healthcare and technology.
Themes
- Robotic surgical research
- Bronchoscopy research
- Robotic surgery fellowships
- STEM education
- Underrepresented STEM pathways
- Youth robotics
Geographic Focus
Worldwide.
What They Don't Fund
- Outreach Grants only: A kitchen renovation project to increase the capacity of the kitchen to accommodate more personnel, more food being cooked at once, more efficient preparation of food, etc; A fundraising gala; Event sponsorship (e.g., having Intuitive Foundation listed at an event); Middle school science camps; A hospital walkathon; College scholarship programs; Girls at The Tech
- Clinical Research Grants only: physician salaries; for-profit activities
- Bronchoscopy Research Grant only: physician salaries; for-profit activities
How to apply
Applicants use the Foundation's grant system. Some research programmes require a Letter of Intent; after review and ranking, applicants may be invited to submit a full proposal. Following proposal review, the top proposals receive grants.
Deadlines: Fellowship Grant applications are accepted twice per year.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 59% 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 263 grants to organisations were $42,500 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The highest-priority letters address novel, important questions in a methodologically sound and feasible manner.
- Fellowship applications are scored for sufficient clinical robotic work to support training.
- Fellowship applications are scored for sufficient opportunities and resources for clinical research.
- Fellowship applications are scored for sufficient mentoring to meet the fellow’s clinical and research goals.
- Outreach grants align with increasing diversity in STEM and healthcare fields.
- FIRST teams should expose students to STEM and inspire them to pursue it.
- Selected fellowship grantees submit a semi-annual progress report.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 12%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 31%
- The largest single recipient received 24% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 59% of grant dollars went to organisations The Intuitive Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- 26% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Guatemala, Uganda).
- 24% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 104 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $51,822 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- American Online Giving Foundation · General support for various designated charities$2,823,7342024 tax year
- European Society Coloproctology · European society of coloproctology colorectal robotic surgery training program$1,857,7952024 tax year
- GOG Foundation · A randomized controlled trial of robotic versus open radical hysterectomy for cervical$749,7592024 tax year
- European Society of Thoracic Surgeons · The adoption rate of robotic surgery in the european thoracic community is approaching a tipping point. the ests wants to drive further quality improvement in care in the field of thoracic procedures with a clear society and evidence based driven robotic training curriculum in partnership with industry.$365,0002024 tax year
- Engineers Without Borders · Programmatic support for merging of engineering world health and engineers without borders for management of biomedical engineering training program$275,0002024 tax year
- FIRST Robotics · Competition team support$256,7002024 tax year
- Johns Hopkins University · Gift to support the development and scholarly activity conducted by the da vinci research kit$220,0002024 tax year
- Emory University · Robotic surgical fellowships colorectal surgery program director terrah paul olson$212,3902024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Kelly Mccrystal — Director
- Romain Denis — Director
- Dr Myriam J Curet — Director
- Lonnie M Smith — Board Chair
- Stephanie Gilliard — Secretary
- Victor Chow — Treasurer
- Dr Catherine Mohr — President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $11,830,434 | $9,194,214 | $56,658,694 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $15,409,594 | $9,139,894 | $88,307,916 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $16,454,344 | $12,598,625 | $122,699,636 | 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
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to The Intuitive Foundation?
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Applying to The Intuitive Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required