Private foundation · EIN 46-3460261
The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation
Palo Alto, CA
The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation is a private foundation based in Palo Alto, CA. On its Form 990-PF for tax year 2024, it reported $244M in grants and contributions paid across 379 grants, with $1.59B in assets (fair market value). It reports that it gives only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Its largest grants went to The Rhodes Trust, Kyutai and Barack Obama Foundation.
How to request funding
Gives only to preselected organizations. On its Form 990-PF, this foundation checked the box saying it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Relationships and invitations usually come first.
As reported on the foundation's Form 990-PF for tax year 2024. Requirements change; confirm with the foundation before applying.
Largest grants, tax year 2024
Historical data · not a prediction| Recipient | Location | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Rhodes Trust | Oxford | General Operating Support | $12,500,000 |
| Kyutai | Paris | To Provide General Support | $10,442,000 |
| Barack Obama Foundation | Chicago, IL | To Support the Obama Presidential Center | $10,000,000 |
| Future House Inc | Sherborn, MA | To Provide Support for Futurehouse Ai Scientist Program | $10,000,000 |
| The Rhodes Trust | Oxford | Support for Rhodes Trust Science Fellowship | $8,069,204 |
| Convergent Research Inc | Cambridge, MA | To Provide Support for Scientific Focused Research | $8,000,000 |
| Convergent Research Inc | Cambridge, MA | To Provide Support for Scientific Focused Research | $8,000,000 |
| Digital Harbor Foundation Inc | Baltimore, MD | Support to Implement the Learning Engineering Virtual Institute | $6,094,431 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, MA | To Support Mit's Plasma Science and Fusion Center | $6,000,000 |
| California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | Support for Dsa-2000: Revolutionizing Access to the Radio Sky | $4,826,269 |
| California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | Support for Clima: Climate Modeling Alliance 2024 | $4,500,000 |
| Convergent Research Inc | Cambridge, MA | To Provide Support for Focused Research Organization | $4,000,000 |
| The Regents of the University of California | Berkeley, CA | The Schmidt Center Ds4e | $3,065,404 |
| Convergent Research Inc | Cambridge, MA | To Provide Support for Scientific Focused Research | $3,000,000 |
| Ganna Walska Lotusland | Santa Barbara, CA | To Provide Support to Establish an Employee Assistance Endowment Fund | $3,000,000 |
| Chancellor Masters & Scholars of the University of Oxford | Oxford | Support for Schmidt Ai in Science Postdocs | $2,888,188 |
| Institute of International Education Inc | New York, NY | To Provide Support for the Quad Fellowship Program | $2,864,440 |
| California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | The Dsa-2000 Radio Camera: Revolutionizing Access to the Radio Sky | $2,409,535 |
| New York University | New York, NY | Support for Scientific Research on M2lines - Multiscale Machine Learning in Coupled Earth System Modeling | $2,267,755 |
| Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique | Paris | Support for the Scale-Aware Sea Ice Project | $2,259,408 |
| University of Western Ontario | London | To Provide Support for Scientific Focused Research | $2,200,000 |
| Science and Technology Futures Inc | Cambridge, MA | To Provide Support for Open Datasets Initiative. | $2,130,000 |
| University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Arts and Sciences Foundation | Chapel Hill, NC | Support for the Argus Observatory Low Cost Access to the Deep, High Cadence Sky | $2,043,250 |
| Princeton University | Princeton, NJ | Support for Scientific Research on Sargassum Seaweed As a Future Renewable Feedstock for Sustainable Biomanufacturing | $2,030,381 |
| Cambridge in America | New York, NY | Support for the University of Cambridge Scientific Software Center | $1,907,867 |
The 25 largest of 379 grants listed on the return. 152 grants to individuals ($32.5M) are counted but not named. Names and purposes as reported to the IRS.
Where its grants went
- Massachusetts$56.4M · 39 grants
- California$34.1M · 137 grants
- New York$15.4M · 33 grants
- Illinois$12.7M · 8 grants
- Maryland$11.1M · 6 grants
- Washington$5.59M · 6 grants
- Wisconsin$4.11M · 4 grants
- Pennsylvania$2.75M · 7 grants
- North Carolina$2.74M · 3 grants
- Arizona$2.49M · 8 grants
- Michigan$2.4M · 5 grants
- New Jersey$2.38M · 2 grants
Quick answers
Does The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation accept grant applications?
According to its Form 990-PF for tax year 2024, The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
How much does The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation give each year?
For tax year 2024, it reported $244,068,458 in grants and contributions paid (379 grants). Giving can change from year to year.
What organizations has The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation funded?
Its largest grants in tax year 2024 went to The Rhodes Trust, $12.5M, Kyutai, $10.4M, Barack Obama Foundation (IL), $10M, Future House Inc (MA), $10M and The Rhodes Trust, $8.07M.