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Hitz Foundation

Annual Giving
$4.0M
Grant Range
$25K - $2.0M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $4,031,000 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $82 million
  • Grant Range: $25,000 - $2,000,000
  • Average Grant: $575,857
  • Geographic Focus: National (emphasis on New York, Oregon, Florida, California)
  • Total Grants History: Over $80 million to 300+ organizations since 2000

Contact Details

Address: 1801 Page Mill Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94304

Phone: 650-845-8100

Website: https://www.hitzfoundation.org/

Note: The Hitz Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant requests.

Overview

The Hitz Foundation is a private non-operating family foundation established in 2000 by David Hitz, co-founder of NetApp, a Silicon Valley data management company. With assets of approximately $82 million, the foundation has granted over $80 million to more than 300 organizations across five major project areas. Led by President Ken Hitz since 2011, with David Hitz serving as Chairman and Treasurer, the foundation supports projects in the arts, science, education, and environment throughout the world. The foundation takes a trust-based approach to philanthropy, emphasizing long-term relationships with organizational leaders and providing unrestricted funding that allows grantees autonomy in determining how to use funds. Notable recent commitments include a $10 million grant to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2022.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Hitz Foundation operates through trustee-initiated grants rather than open application cycles. Grants are awarded based on the board's discretion and relationships.

Priority Areas

Arts & Culture - The foundation's largest giving area, with particular emphasis on:

  • Shakespearean theater, specifically translation of Shakespeare's plays into modern English
  • Play On Shakespeare (commissioned 36 playwrights to translate 39 Shakespeare plays)
  • Oregon Shakespeare Festival ($10 million over five years)
  • Alabama Shakespeare Festival
  • Theater companies nationwide using modern Shakespeare translations

Education - Focus on higher education institutions including:

  • Deep Springs College (David Hitz's alma mater; funded legal fight for coeducation transition)
  • University of South Florida
  • Lesley University
  • Nueva School (serves gifted students in Hillsborough, California)

Science & Digital Heritage:

  • Global Digital Heritage (3D models of heritage sites and museum collections)
  • LiDAR mapping in Guatemala
  • 3D scanning of Mayan archaeological sites and museum collections

Environment & Conservation:

  • Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust (protecting ecosystems and biodiversity of East Africa)

Health Research (smaller area):

  • Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
  • Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
  • Alzheimer's Association

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant requests and appears to fund only organizations with which leadership has established relationships or personal connections.

Governance and Leadership

David Hitz - Chairman and Treasurer Co-founder of NetApp (1992), where he served in multiple roles including programmer, architect, VP of Engineering, and strategist before retiring in 2019. Hitz graduated from Princeton University with degrees in computer science and electrical engineering and attended Deep Springs College. Serves on the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Board of Directors.

On supporting the arts, Hitz stated: "I have been seeing Shakespeare's plays since I was a kid. I thought it would be fascinating, fun and educational to see Shakespeare translated into 21st-century English so that I could have an experience more like his original audience."

Regarding the foundation's grant philosophy: "The Hitz Foundation believes in supporting meaningful work in the arts and trusting its leaders to make an impact in their companies and throughout their industries."

Ken Hitz - President (since 2011) Prior to joining the Hitz Foundation, Ken was a senior manager for Price Waterhouse Management Consulting specializing in system architecture and implementation, and served as Director of Technology for Pru-One, a Hong Kong-based internet bank. He serves as Chair of the Board for Play On Shakespeare and sits on boards of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Fund, Global Digital Heritage, and Royal Shakespeare Company – America.

On the foundation's philanthropic approach, Ken Hitz stated: "We donate to organisations where we really trust the leadership. We don't want to set objectives, or designate targets. We believe those close to a project are best equipped to make the decisions on how to spend the funds, and we trust them to do that."

Kevin McAuliffe - Secretary

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Hitz Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant requests. Grants are awarded through trustee discretion based on the board's strategic interests and established relationships with organizational leaders.

The foundation proactively identifies and supports organizations aligned with their mission areas. For example, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival initially approached the foundation about a translation project, which after initial success led to the foundation supporting the larger Play On Shakespeare initiative.

Getting on Their Radar

Board Connections: David Hitz serves on the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Board of Directors, demonstrating the foundation's deep engagement with key grantee organizations. Ken Hitz serves on boards of multiple organizations in their funding areas (Royal Shakespeare Company America, Global Digital Heritage, Maasai Wilderness Conservation Fund, Play On Shakespeare).

Sector-Specific Pathways:

  • Shakespeare/Theater Organizations: The foundation has demonstrated strong commitment to Shakespearean theater through Play On Shakespeare and its network of theater companies using modern translations. Connection through this network or demonstrable engagement with modern Shakespeare translation work may be relevant.
  • Higher Education: The foundation has supported institutions with personal connections to the Hitz family, particularly Deep Springs College (David Hitz's alma mater).
  • Digital Heritage/Conservation: Organizations working on 3D scanning of cultural heritage sites, archaeological documentation, or conservation in East Africa align with demonstrated interests.

Trust-Based Relationships: Ken Hitz emphasized that the foundation "donates to organisations where we really trust the leadership," suggesting that establishing credibility and personal relationships with foundation leadership or their existing network of grantees is critical.

Application Success Factors

The Hitz Foundation's grantmaking reflects several consistent patterns:

Trust in Leadership: Ken Hitz explicitly stated the foundation doesn't "set objectives, or designate targets" and believes "those close to a project are best equipped to make the decisions." Organizations with strong, visionary leadership that the foundation can trust to use unrestricted funds effectively are prioritized.

Long-Term Commitment: The $10 million grant to Oregon Shakespeare Festival was structured over five years, demonstrating preference for sustained partnerships rather than one-time grants.

Unrestricted Funding: The Oregon Shakespeare Festival grant was described as "unrestricted," allowing leadership to deploy resources according to their strategic vision.

Transformational Projects: The foundation supported Deep Springs College's legal fight to transition to coeducation and Oregon Shakespeare Festival's recovery from COVID-19 and wildfire impacts, suggesting interest in supporting organizations through significant transitions or challenges.

Innovation in Traditional Arts: The Play On Shakespeare project represents innovation within a traditional art form—making Shakespeare accessible to contemporary audiences while maintaining its essence.

Personal Connection: Many grants reflect personal interests of the Hitz family, including David Hitz's lifelong engagement with Shakespeare and his attendance at Deep Springs College.

Scale and Impact: With an average grant size of $575,857 and range up to $2 million, the foundation makes substantial investments in fewer organizations rather than many small grants.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This foundation does not accept applications - it operates entirely through trustee-initiated grants, making traditional grant writing ineffective for securing funding
  • Relationship-building is paramount - all evidence suggests grants emerge from established relationships and trust in organizational leadership
  • Personal connections matter - connections to the Hitz family's interests, alma maters, and board service inform grantmaking
  • Think long-term partnerships - the foundation structures multi-year grants and deeply engages with grantee organizations (board service, attending events)
  • Unrestricted funding philosophy - the foundation trusts grantee leadership to determine optimal use of funds without imposed objectives
  • Focus on transformational projects - grants often support organizations through major transitions, innovative initiatives, or capacity-building efforts
  • Average grant exceeds $575,000 - this is a high-capacity funder making substantial investments in select organizations
  • Network through existing grantees - organizations like Play On Shakespeare, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Global Digital Heritage represent the foundation's areas of active engagement

References

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