The Lemelson Foundation

• The Lemelson Foundation is a strong fit for organisations working in invention education, invention and entrepreneurship, or climate action, particularly where work reaches children from low-income communities or groups under-represented in STEM, or supports inclusive regional business ecosystems.
• Geographically it prioritises the United States, Oregon, India, Kenya and global work.
• Most grants to organisations fall between $19,500 and $500,000, with a median of about $100,000, so a modest request in that range is realistic, though some grants have gone as high as roughly $3,050,000.
• Its approach is collaborative and relationship-driven, and grants are primarily awarded through invitation, so the practical route in is to send a brief email introduction setting out a strong fit with its strategic priorities rather than a full unsolicited proposal; it accepts applications on a rolling basis.
• A large share of its grant dollars goes to organisations it has funded before, so new applicants should expect this to be a relationship-led, competitive process best approached through genuine strategic alignment; it does not provide direct funding to individuals.

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

• National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance · To support inventive mindsets and skillsets among higher education students and to foster institutional conditions that nurture such students
  $2,959,9322024 tax year
• National Science Foundation · To enable innovative collaborative research on sustainability by fostering efforts to transform engineering education to prepare graduating engineers to address environmental and social sustainability
  $1,650,0002024 tax year
• Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy · To support pre-development activities necessary to support tribes seeking to develop renewable energy projects on their lands
  $1,250,0002024 tax year
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology · To (1) support the lemelson-mits invention education work in developing the next generation of inventors, with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and (2) advance the field of invention education
  $1,150,0002024 tax year
• Rocky Mountain Institute · To source, select, support, and scale promising startups through rmis third derivative and climate-aligned industries programs focused on decarbonizing three heavy industries: cement and concrete, petrochemicals, and steel
  $1,000,0002024 tax year
• Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors · To be used by rockefeller philanthropy advisors as fiscal sponsor for the urban movement innovation fund
  $750,0002024 tax year
• William Marsh Rice University · To increase capacity and partnerships in kenyan higher education institutions to strengthen kenya's innovation system
  $600,0002024 tax year
• Oil Change International · For general operating support
  $500,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

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.