← Back to US Funders Directory

Bia-Echo Foundation

Annual Giving
$0.1M
Grant Range
$500K - $8.0M

Bia-Echo Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $123,769 (2023 reported disbursements)
  • Total Assets: $119 million (2023)
  • Grant Range: $500,000 - $8,000,000 (known grants)
  • Geographic Focus: National and international
  • Application Process: No public application process - does not accept unsolicited proposals

Contact Details

Address: 1 Montgomery St, Suite 3150, San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: (415) 341-9300
Website: www.biaecho.org
EIN: 83-3983572

Note: The foundation does not provide a direct method for grantseekers to request funding.

Overview

The Bia-Echo Foundation was established by Nicole Shanahan (who previously supported philanthropic efforts through the Sergey Brin Family Foundation) and became tax-exempt in November 2019. The foundation is a private independent foundation with total assets of approximately $119 million as of 2023. The name reflects the founder's philosophy: "Bia is the Greek goddess of raw energy, and echo represents the reverberating and multiplying effect the foundation aspires to achieve."

Bia-Echo aims to "accelerate social change in order to establish a fair and equitable society for future generations to thrive" through three core investment areas: women's reproductive longevity and equality, criminal justice reform, and environmental sustainability. The foundation explicitly embraces high-risk initiatives, partnering with diverse changemakers including nonprofits, startups, educational institutions, and entrepreneurs to pursue transformative impact through both philanthropic endeavors and impact investing.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through strategic partnerships and major initiatives rather than traditional grant programs:

Women's Reproductive Longevity and Equality

  • Bia-Echo Asia Centre for Reproductive Longevity at Singapore's National University of Medicine: $8,000,000
  • Global Consortium for Reproductive Longevity and Equality (partnership with Buck Institute)
  • Focus on extending women's reproductive health options through medical advancements

Criminal Justice Reform

  • Edward Charles Foundation: $500,000
  • Good Films Impact: $500,000
  • Stanford Computational Policy Lab partnership
  • Supporting equitable justice systems accessible regardless of socioeconomic status

Healthy and Livable Planet

  • Silicon Valley Community Foundation: $5,000,000
  • Prairie conservation projects
  • Climate mitigation, disaster prevention, and conservation efforts

Priority Areas

The foundation invests in:

  • Reproductive health research and medical innovation to extend female fertility options
  • Criminal justice system reform promoting equal access to fair justice regardless of gender, race, or socioeconomic status
  • Environmental conservation and climate solutions addressing climate change and ecosystem preservation
  • High-risk, transformative initiatives with potential for multiplying positive effects globally

What They Don't Fund

While specific exclusions are not documented, the foundation:

  • Does not accept unsolicited proposals
  • Focuses exclusively on their three core investment areas
  • Appears to prioritize large-scale, transformative initiatives over small grants

Governance and Leadership

Nicole Shanahan - President and Founder
As founder, Shanahan brings a vision of supporting high-risk initiatives that can create reverberating change. She previously worked with the Sergey Brin Family Foundation before establishing Bia-Echo.

Daniel Hall - Treasurer
Compensation: $10,000 (2023)

Chloe Cockburn - Director

Dr. Christine Gulbranson - CEO (as of 2022)

Wendy Lim - COO (as of 2022)

The foundation recognizes that "investing in building the capacity of these ambitious projects" can create multiplying positive effects globally, reflecting their commitment to supporting transformative rather than incremental change.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Bia-Echo Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals or requests for funding, and it does not provide grantseekers with a clear way to get in touch for funding inquiries.

Grants appear to be made through:

  • Strategic partnerships initiated by the foundation
  • Collaborations with major research institutions
  • Foundation-identified initiatives aligned with their three core areas

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Success Rates

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Since Bia-Echo does not accept unsolicited applications, organizations cannot directly apply for funding. However, based on their documented grants and partnerships, the foundation values:

High-Risk, Transformative Potential: The foundation explicitly states they support "high risk" initiatives. Their funded projects focus on breakthrough medical research, systemic justice reform, and large-scale environmental impact rather than incremental improvements.

Scale and Capacity Building: Grants tend to be substantial ($500,000 to $8 million) and focus on "building the capacity of ambitious projects" rather than supporting ongoing operations.

Research and Innovation: Major grants support cutting-edge research institutions (Buck Institute, National University of Singapore, Stanford) working on scientific and policy innovations.

Alignment with Core Areas: All documented grants fall squarely within one of the three focus areas - reproductive longevity, criminal justice reform, or environmental sustainability.

Institutional Credibility: Funded organizations include established universities, research institutes, and reputable foundations with track records of significant impact.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Direct Access: This foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals and provides no clear pathway for organizations to request funding
  • Strategic Partnership Model: Grants appear to flow through foundation-initiated partnerships rather than responsive grantmaking
  • Large-Scale Focus: Known grants range from $500,000 to $8 million, suggesting the foundation prioritizes major initiatives over smaller projects
  • High-Risk Tolerance: The foundation explicitly seeks transformative, high-risk initiatives rather than safe, incremental programs
  • Three Clear Priorities: All funding falls within reproductive longevity research, criminal justice reform, or environmental sustainability
  • Institutional Partnerships: Track record shows preference for established research institutions and major organizations
  • Limited Recent Activity: Some sources indicate the foundation may not have made grants since 2021, with possible shift toward impact investing

References

← Back to US Funders Directory