Tosa Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $88.9 million (2024)
Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
Decision Time: Not disclosed
Grant Range: $100 - $25,000,000
Median Grant: $5,000
Geographic Focus: National (US), with strong emphasis on Wisconsin
Total Assets: $481 million

Contact Details

Address: Portola Valley, CA

Note: The foundation maintains a low profile and does not provide public contact information or accept unsolicited inquiries.

Overview

Founded in 1992 by John P. Morgridge (former chairman of Cisco Systems) and his wife Tashia F. Morgridge, the Tosa Foundation takes its name from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, where both founders attended high school. As signatories of The Giving Pledge, the Morgridges have committed to giving away at least half of their wealth to philanthropy. With approximately $481 million in assets, the foundation distributed $88.9 million in grants in 2024 through 148 awards. The foundation focuses primarily on education, conservation, global development, and to a lesser extent, public health. The Tosa Foundation is characterized by its strategic, relationship-based approach to grantmaking, providing ongoing support to a small corps of preselected grantee-partners with minimal deviation year after year. Since 2016, the foundation has awarded 532 individual grants totaling over $359 million.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with published guidelines. Instead, it makes strategic investments in organizations aligned with its mission areas:

Education Initiatives:

Wisconsin Technology Initiative (WTI): Established in December 2010, this initiative makes 21st century instructional technology more accessible to forward-thinking school districts. WTI provides grants to K-12 schools and educational facilities committed to effectively integrating instructional technology into learning environments, particularly interactive whiteboards. Grant recipients are expected to provide annual reports and share best practices with peers across the state.
Higher Education Support: Major multi-million dollar investments in universities, particularly the University of Wisconsin system
K-12 Public School Support: Direct grants to public school districts across multiple states

Major Funding Streams:

University of Wisconsin Foundation ($25.0M in 2022, including a $125M pledge for the School of Computer, Data and Information Sciences in 2021)
Fund for Wisconsin Scholars ($5.0M in 2022; the Morgridges originally established this with $175M in 2007 to provide college tuition grants for low-income students attending Wisconsin's public universities)
Morgridge Institute for Research ($5.0M in 2022)
Milwaukee Public Schools ($1.2M in 2022)
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund ($2.6M in 2022)

Grant Range: Most grants range from $5,000 to $500,000, with an average grant size of approximately $25,000. However, the foundation also makes transformational gifts exceeding $1 million to strategic partners.

Priority Areas

Education (Primary Focus):

K-12 public school districts, with emphasis on instructional technology integration and professional development
Low-income student access to higher education
University-level support, particularly in Wisconsin (University of Wisconsin campuses)
Other higher education institutions include Stanford University, Alverno College, University of California (Irvine and Santa Cruz)

Public School Focus: The foundation's K-12 grantmaking prioritizes public schools, with grants going directly to school districts including:

Milwaukee Public Schools (Wisconsin)
Green Bay Area Public School District (Wisconsin)
Altoona Area School District (Pennsylvania)
Danbury Elementary School (Texas)

Conservation: Environmental and conservation initiatives, though with targeted support to established organizations

Global Development: International development programs

Public Health: Medical research and public health initiatives (to a lesser extent)

Arts and Human Services: Support for established arts organizations and human services

What They Don't Fund

Organizations seeking initial contact through unsolicited applications
Organizations outside their preselected network of grantee-partners
The foundation restricts its giving to preselected charitable organizations only

Governance and Leadership

Tashia F. Morgridge - Director and President Tashia Morgridge leads the foundation's strategic direction and has made access to education one of her top priorities throughout her philanthropic career. She is deeply connected to Wisconsin and serves as president of the Tosa Foundation.

John P. Morgridge - Director and CFO Former chairman of Cisco Systems, a multinational communications technology corporation. John Morgridge brings business acumen and strategic oversight to the foundation's operations. He serves on the boards of both the Morgridge Institute for Research and the Tosa Foundation.

Philanthropic Philosophy: The Morgridges established the foundation with an initial interest in giving anonymously, naming it after their shared high school in Wauwatosa. Their approach emphasizes "giving where they know," with a strong focus on their home state of Wisconsin and institutions with which they have personal connections.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

The Tosa Foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. The foundation maintains a low profile and does not accept applications for funding or provide a direct way of getting in touch.

Grantmaking Approach: The foundation tends to provide ongoing support to a small corps of grantees working in its areas of interest. Tosa's grantmaking tends to support the same grantee-partners year after year, with little deviation. This indicates grants are awarded through trustee discretion based on established relationships and strategic priorities.

Decision Timeline

Not disclosed. Given the invitation-only nature of the foundation, decision timelines are likely determined on a case-by-case basis for preselected organizations.

Success Rates

Not applicable. The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, making traditional success rate metrics irrelevant.

Grant Volume: The foundation made 148 awards in 2024 and 152 awards in 2023, totaling $88.9 million and $46.1 million respectively (fiscal years may vary by source).

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable due to the invitation-only structure. Organizations in the foundation's existing network receive ongoing, multi-year support.

Application Success Factors

Since the Tosa Foundation operates on an invitation-only basis with preselected grantees, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, based on the foundation's documented grantmaking patterns, the following characteristics appear to define their funding relationships:

Strong Wisconsin Connections: The foundation shows clear preference for Wisconsin-based organizations and initiatives, reflecting the founders' deep ties to their home state. Major grants have gone to University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Public Schools, Green Bay Area Public School District, and the Fund for Wisconsin Scholars.

Public Education Focus: For K-12 education, the foundation prioritizes public school districts over private or charter schools, demonstrating commitment to accessible public education.

Technology Integration in Education: Through the Wisconsin Technology Initiative, the foundation supports districts committed to integrating instructional technology (particularly interactive whiteboards) with accompanying professional development and ongoing reporting.

Low-Income Student Access: The foundation's $175 million founding gift to the Fund for Wisconsin Scholars demonstrates commitment to need-based support for students from Wisconsin public high schools attending state universities.

Established Institutional Relationships: The foundation provides ongoing support to the same grantee-partners year after year, with grants to well-established, large organizations rather than emerging nonprofits.

Accountability and Knowledge Sharing: WTI grant recipients are expected to provide annual reports and share best practices with peers across the state, indicating the foundation values learning and continuous improvement.

Multi-Year Strategic Commitments: The foundation makes transformational, multi-million dollar pledges (such as $125M to UW for the School of Computer, Data and Information Sciences) indicating interest in sustained, strategic partnerships.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Not Open to Applications: The Tosa Foundation does not accept unsolicited funding requests and works exclusively with preselected organizations. There is no pathway for new organizations to apply.
Relationship-Based Funding: The foundation provides ongoing support to a consistent network of grantee-partners with minimal year-to-year variation, emphasizing long-term strategic relationships over one-time grants.
Wisconsin Connection Critical: Geographic focus on Wisconsin is pronounced, particularly for education initiatives. Organizations with strong Wisconsin ties or serving Wisconsin communities appear most likely to be in the foundation's network.
Public Education Priority: K-12 funding goes directly to public school districts, not intermediary organizations, reflecting commitment to publicly accessible education.
Dual Grant Structure: The foundation makes both numerous smaller grants (median $5K, average $25K) and occasional transformational gifts exceeding $1 million to strategic partners.
Technology and Innovation: The Wisconsin Technology Initiative demonstrates interest in educational technology integration paired with professional development and accountability measures.
Low-Income Access Focus: Through the Fund for Wisconsin Scholars and other initiatives, the foundation prioritizes removing financial barriers to education for economically disadvantaged students.

References

Accessed: December 22, 2025