← Back to US Funders Directory

William & Flora Hewlett Foundation

Annual Giving
$631.0M
Grant Range
$10K - $20.0M
Success Rate
1%

William & Flora Hewlett Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $631 million (2024)
  • Success Rate: <1% for unsolicited applications
  • Decision Time: Varies (primarily invitation-based)
  • Grant Range: $10,000 - $20,000,000 (most grants $50,000 - $750,000)
  • Geographic Focus: International (with focus on U.S., Africa, Asia, China, India, Europe, Mexico)
  • Total Assets: $13.9 billion (December 2024)

Contact Details

Main Office:

  • Address: 2121 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025
  • Phone: (650) 234-4500
  • Website: https://hewlett.org
  • Email Updates: Sign up at https://hewlett.org for notification of open application opportunities

Program-Specific Inquiries: See individual program pages on the foundation's website for program officer contact information.

Overview

Established in 1966 by William and Flora Hewlett, the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the United States with assets of approximately $13.9 billion as of December 2024. The foundation awarded $631 million in grants in 2024, with nearly three-fourths provided as flexible funding. The foundation maintains approximately 3,000 active grants to organizations around the world at any given time. Its mission focuses on solving social and environmental problems through strategic grantmaking in education, environment, global development, performing arts, U.S. democracy, and time-limited initiatives on racial justice, effective philanthropy, and the economy and society. The foundation is distinguished by its strong commitment to long-term general operating support and treating grantees as partners. In 2024, Amber D. Miller became president, succeeding Larry Kramer who led the foundation for over a decade and significantly expanded commitments to climate change, democracy, and racial justice.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Education Program

  • Focus: Providing students with rigorous, relevant, and innovative educational opportunities including open educational resources
  • Typical grants: $50,000 - $750,000
  • Application: Primarily by invitation

Environment Program

  • Annual giving: $240.9 million (2024, 289 grants)
  • Focus: Climate change mitigation globally and conservation in the U.S. West
  • Geographic priorities: U.S., China, India, Europe
  • Application: Accepts letters of inquiry in Climate and Energy subprogram

Global Development and Population

  • Focus: Climate change adaptation, reproductive health, women's economic empowerment, inclusive governance
  • Geographic priorities: Sub-Saharan Africa (particularly East and West Africa), Mexico, U.S.
  • 2023 allocation: $69.2 million to Africa, $25.1 million to Asia

U.S. Democracy Program

  • Focus: Strengthening governing institutions and building public trust in democracy
  • Application: Primarily by invitation

Performing Arts Program

  • Focus: Meaningful artistic experiences for communities throughout the San Francisco Bay Area
  • Geographic limitation: San Francisco Bay Area only
  • Application: Occasional open opportunities (e.g., Hewlett 50 Arts Commissions)

Time-Limited Initiatives:

  • Racial Justice Initiative: $170 million commitment over 10 years (announced 2020)
  • Economy and Society Initiative: Exploring ideas about the future of capitalism
  • Effective Philanthropy Program: Strengthening capacity of nonprofits and philanthropy

Priority Areas

  • Climate change mitigation and adaptation
  • Education innovation and access
  • Reproductive health and rights
  • Women's economic empowerment
  • Democratic governance and institutions
  • Community-led conservation in North American West
  • Performing arts access
  • Racial equity across program areas
  • Evidence-informed policymaking

What They Don't Fund

  • Individuals or scholarships
  • Unincorporated associations or groups
  • Political candidates or political action committees
  • Projects outside their strategic program areas
  • Generally do not make program-related investments (loans, equity investments, guarantees)

Governance and Leadership

Current President

Amber D. Miller became president in June 2024. She is an American experimental cosmologist and former dean of the USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

Board Leadership

Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, former California Supreme Court justice, serves as board chair (since 2021).

Board Composition

The foundation is governed by a board of directors that always includes four members of the Hewlett family and between five and 11 other leaders drawn from philanthropy, government, business, education, and civil society. Current board members include Susan Meany, Melody Barnes, Billy Hewlett, Sarah Jaffe, Flora Hewlett Birdzell, Benno Dorer, Sue Lloyd, Carrie Hewlett Zeisler, Mary Ellen Iskenderian, Persis S. Drell, and Alecia A. DeCoudreaux.

Former President's Vision

Larry Kramer (president 2012-2023) significantly shaped the foundation's current direction, stating: "I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to tackle some of the world's most pressing problems — the existential threat of climate, challenges to democracy, and persistent inequity. As I have seen and learned at Hewlett, philanthropy at its best — open, patient, collaborative — is a force for good to help make the world a better place." Under his leadership, the foundation deepened support for environmental protection, performing arts, and women's reproductive rights while taking on emerging challenges in cybersecurity and democracy.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Primary Model: Invitation-Based Grantmaking

The Hewlett Foundation operates primarily through proactive identification of potential grantees. Most grants are awarded to organizations identified by the foundation's program teams based on field expertise and strategic priorities. Outside of specific open opportunities, the foundation generally does not accept unsolicited letters of inquiry.

Limited Open Application Opportunities:

  • The foundation occasionally invites letters of inquiry through open processes in specific programs
  • Climate and Energy subprogram accepts letters of inquiry (LOIs) on a rolling basis. If interested, the foundation will invite a full proposal
  • Occasional special initiatives with open applications (such as the Hewlett 50 Arts Commissions)
  • Organizations can sign up for email updates at hewlett.org to be notified when open opportunities arise

Success Rate Reality: Less than 1% of unsolicited applications are successful, reflecting the foundation's proactive grantmaking model.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation has documented specific approaches for organizations seeking to build relationships:

Strategic Visibility:

  • Attend convenings, conferences, and events that Hewlett Foundation supports or where their program officers are present
  • Demonstrate excellence in your field through publications, research, and documented impact
  • Build authentic relationships with program officers over time rather than through cold outreach
  • Follow the foundation on LinkedIn and engage with their content
  • Sign up for email updates to stay informed about foundation priorities and occasional open opportunities

Research First: Organizations should thoroughly research the foundation's current strategies and program goals before any outreach. Program officers value potential partners who demonstrate deep understanding of Hewlett's strategic direction.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines vary significantly depending on the program and whether the grant is proactively identified or submitted through an open process. The foundation does not publish standard decision timeframes, as most grants result from ongoing relationships and strategic discussions between program officers and organizations.

Reapplication Policy

Given the invitation-based model, there is no formal reapplication policy for unsolicited inquiries. However, organizations that have received grants in the past may be considered for renewed or continued funding based on performance and strategic fit with evolving foundation priorities.

Application Success Factors

Foundation's Own Guidance

Alignment is Paramount: The foundation emphasizes that prospective applicants should refer to hewlett.org to read about the foundation's programs and initiatives, goals and strategies, and geographic limitations. Funding is provided to organizations working in areas that align with the goals and strategies of their programs.

Relationship Building: "Take the time to engage with the Hewlett Foundation and its program officers by attending events, webinars, or conferences where you can learn more about the foundation's priorities and connect with staff members."

Compelling Narrative: "Craft a compelling narrative that clearly communicates the mission, goals, and impact of your organization using concrete examples and evidence to demonstrate the importance of your work and how it aligns with the Hewlett Foundation's funding priorities."

Realistic Planning: "While it is essential to convey your organization's aspirations and goals, make sure they are grounded in reality and present a clear and achievable plan for how the grant funds will be used and the expected outcomes and impact."

What the Foundation Values

Long-Term Partnership Approach: The foundation's strong preference for multi-year general operating support signals their interest in sustained relationships with high-performing organizations rather than one-off projects. In 2024, nearly 75% of grants were flexible funding.

True Cost Funding: Hewlett is committed to "supporting the true cost of nonprofits' work" and funding grantees' true costs even when making restricted project grants. Applicants should not artificially reduce overhead or indirect costs.

Strategic Capacity: Demonstrating your organization's capacity to use flexible funding strategically for institutional strengthening, sustainability, and adaptive strategy is valued.

Evidence and Impact: Given initiatives like the Evidence-Informed Policymaking Strategy, the foundation values organizations that can demonstrate measurable impact and use evidence to inform their work.

Recent Funded Projects as Examples

  • JustFund: $2 million (2024) - platform for moving funds to social and racial justice organizations
  • University of Pittsburgh Institute for Learning: $1 million (2024) - establishing cross-school networked improvement communities
  • Mozilla Foundation/Artists Make Tech CoLab: Supporting performing artists to experiment with and influence emerging technology
  • Gender Just Economy (fiscally sponsored by Global Fund for Women): Supporting organizations advancing solutions and innovative policies in the Global South

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation-based model dominates: With <1% success rate for unsolicited applications, building relationships and visibility in your field is more important than perfecting an application
  • Flexible funding philosophy: The foundation strongly prefers general operating support (75% of 2024 grants) - emphasize your organizational capacity and strategic vision, not just project deliverables
  • Long-term partnerships: Hewlett seeks sustained relationships with organizations; demonstrate institutional stability and multi-year strategic thinking
  • Climate and Energy exception: This is the one program area with rolling LOI acceptance - organizations in this space should take advantage of this open door
  • Geographic and strategic alignment is non-negotiable: Thoroughly research current program strategies and confirm your work aligns with stated priorities and geographies before any outreach
  • Stay informed: Sign up for email updates and follow on LinkedIn, as occasional open opportunities do arise beyond the typical invitation-based model
  • True cost funding: Don't lowball overhead costs - the foundation explicitly supports funding the full cost of nonprofit operations

References

← Back to US Funders Directory