Amar Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $5,775,000 (2023)
• Success Rate: N/A (invitation only)
• Decision Time: N/A (no public application process)
• Grant Range: $300,000 - $9,000,000
• Geographic Focus: United States and India

Contact Details

Address: 1760 The Alameda, Suite 300, San Jose, CA 95126

Phone: 408-977-7090

EIN: 94-3055731

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications or funding requests.

Overview

The Amar Foundation is a private foundation established in 1987 by venture capitalist Vinod Khosla and his wife Neeru Khosla, co-founder of the CK-12 Foundation. The foundation distributed $5,775,000 in grants in 2023, focusing primarily on K-12 education innovation and organizations supporting social, economic, and educational programs in India. As signatories to the Giving Pledge, Vinod and Neeru Khosla have committed to giving away at least half their wealth to philanthropy. The foundation reflects the couple's belief in technology as a force multiplier for educational equity and their commitment to providing "tools to grow" rather than creating dependency. The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, supporting preselected charitable organizations aligned with their strategic vision of leveraging technology to democratize access to quality education.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Amar Foundation does not operate formal grant programs with open applications. Instead, the foundation makes strategic investments in organizations through invitation only.

Known Grant Recipients and Amounts:

• CK-12 Foundation: Seven-figure annual support (the foundation's flagship educational initiative)
• IIT Delhi Excellence Foundation: $2.7+ million (2014) for scholarships
• Stanford University: Funding for athletic center and creative arts and design center
• Code.org: Support for computer science curriculum
• Wikimedia Foundation: $500,000
• Open Medicine Institute: $300,000 (2015)

The foundation made 2 awards in 2023 and 4 awards in 2022, suggesting highly selective grantmaking focused on significant partnerships.

Priority Areas

Primary Focus:

• K-12 STEM education, particularly personalized learning and educational technology
• Open educational resources and content democratization
• India-related programs supporting scholarships and educational access
• Technology-enabled solutions for educational equity

Geographic Priorities:

• U.S.-based educational organizations, particularly in K-12 sector
• Organizations supporting educational, social, and economic programs in India
• Institutions connected to the founders' educational backgrounds (IIT Delhi, Stanford)

What They Don't Fund

While the foundation does not publish explicit exclusions, their track record shows:

• No support for organizations outside education and India-focused social programs
• No grants to individual students (except through institutional scholarship programs)
• No funding for traditional charitable causes unrelated to systemic educational change
• Organizations not aligned with technology-enabled solutions or scalable impact models

Governance and Leadership

Vinod Khosla - Co-founder

• Co-founder of Sun Microsystems
• Founder of Khosla Ventures
• Board of Trustees, Carnegie Mellon University
• Giving Pledge signatory

Neeru Khosla - Co-founder

• Co-founder and Executive Director of CK-12 Foundation
• Leading advocate for personalized learning and educational technology
• CK-12 has served over 175 million users worldwide

The founders believe "technology is a positive force multiplier to accelerate societal reinvention" and emphasize that philanthropy should provide "tools to grow" rather than create dependency.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Amar Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

All grants are made through invitation only to organizations identified by the trustees based on strategic alignment with the foundation's mission.

Getting on Their Radar

While the Amar Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, understanding their giving patterns reveals potential pathways:

CK-12 Foundation Ecosystem:

• The foundation's primary educational vehicle is CK-12, which partners with schools and educational organizations
• Organizations working in personalized learning or AI-enabled education technology may come to their attention through CK-12's network

Educational Connections:

• Organizations connected to IIT Delhi, Carnegie Mellon University, and Stanford University have received support
• Vinod Khosla serves on the Board of Trustees at Carnegie Mellon

India-Focused Educational Programs:

• Given Vinod's IIT Delhi background and significant support for Indian educational institutions
• During COVID-19, the Khoslas donated $10 million to GiveIndia

Decision Timeline

N/A - No public application process

Success Rates

N/A - Invitation only

Reapplication Policy

N/A - No public application process

Application Success Factors

Since the Amar Foundation operates by invitation only, understanding what attracts their support is essential:

Technology as a Force Multiplier: Organizations leveraging technology to scale impact align with Vinod Khosla's stated belief that "technology is a positive force multiplier."

Sustainability Over Dependency: Neeru Khosla emphasizes avoiding dependency: "It's really criminal to give money and then say, 'Here's the money, go improve your life,' and walk away."

Personalized Learning: Organizations sharing the vision that "the one-size-fits-all model will leave more children behind" resonate with the foundation's mission.

Personal Connection: The foundation shows preference for institutions where founders studied or have governance roles.

Systems Change: The foundation supports organizations attempting to "reinvent societal infrastructure" rather than providing temporary relief.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No unsolicited applications accepted - operates exclusively on invitation-only basis
• Focus on educational technology and India - clear priorities in K-12 STEM and India-focused programs
• Preference for transformational giving - only 2-4 grants annually, seeking systemic change
• Sustainability is paramount - must demonstrate sustainable business models beyond grant funding
• Personal networks matter - strong preference for institutions connected to founders' backgrounds
• Technology as essential - organizations using tech to scale educational access align with their thesis
• CK-12 connection is key - represents clearest expression of foundation's values

References

• Inside Philanthropy - Vinod and Neeru Khosla profile (Accessed February 2026)
• Bridgespan Group - Neeru Khosla profiles (Accessed February 2026)
• Candid Foundation Directory - Amar Foundation (Accessed February 2026)
• Cause IQ - Amar Foundation (Accessed February 2026)
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Form 990 data (Accessed February 2026)
• Stanford PACS - Neeru Khosla on Philanthropy and Education (Accessed February 2026)
• The Giving Pledge - Vinod and Neeru Khosla (Accessed February 2026)
• CK-12 Help Center - Funding Information (Accessed February 2026)