About Fossil Foundation
The Fossil Foundation prioritizes youth-centered learning and economic opportunity, funding innovative alternative education models, skills-to-work pipelines, and youth entrepreneurship programs primarily in low-resource and international settings (India, Latin America, Africa). They favor program scaling and pilots—often trauma-informed or equity-focused—and partner with intermediaries and networks that can amplify locally led solutions. Repeated grants to organizations that test and scale new models suggest a preference for impact-driven, growth-phase investments rather than one-off charitable relief.
Focus Areas
Alternative/experiential secondary education models (Big Picture Learning, Upstream)Youth workforce readiness and internships (ImBlaze, Futures Employment)Edtech and self-directed learning for underserved youth (Quest Alliance, Medha Learning)Trauma-informed school models and youth psychosocial support (Glasswing International)Funding intermediaries and locally led ecosystem builders for African innovators (African Visionary Fund / King Baudouin Foundation)
Who They Fund
underserved and marginalized youth (low‑income/at‑risk)
About Fossil Foundation
Fossil Foundation’s recent giving is shaped by repeated support for alternative education and youth workforce pathways, especially through the Upstream initiative and other programs that aim to help young people move from school to opportunity. In 2025 it gave $150,000 to The Big Picture Company in Dallas for Upstream, a collaborative effort to reimagine alternative education through youth engagement, empowerment, and agency. It also backed Glasswing International with a $150,000 grant in 2024 to develop and pilot a trauma-informed school model in Guatemala, showing interest in education models that can be tested and adapted across settings. The foundation’s portfolio also includes grants tied to skills development, internships, and employability. Big Picture Learning received $100,000 to scale ImBlaze, its online internship placement platform for youth, while Quest Alliance received $150,000 to grow a self-learning user base. Other grants support youth entrepreneurship, digital public goods, and psychosocial supports for adolescents. The overall pattern points to direct support for organizations building systems, tools, and models that can be expanded beyond a single site.
What Fossil Foundation Funds
A core theme is alternative and self-directed learning. Fossil Foundation gave $150,000 to Quest Alliance in Bangalore to engage 50,000 youth to become self-learners and accelerate user growth, and another $125,000 to Quest Alliance in Koramangala to build digital public goods for school-to-work transitions. Youth employability is another clear area. Medha Learning Foundation received $125,000 in 2024 to prepare youth in underserved regions of India for lives after school, while Big Picture Learning received $100,000 to scale ImBlaze, its online internship placement platform. The foundation also funds trauma-informed and adolescent-focused work. Glasswing International received $150,000 to pilot a trauma-informed school model in Guatemala, and Centre for Catalyzing Change received $90,000 to support 15,000 adolescents in Gumla district, Jharkhand. Youth entrepreneurship appears as well, with The Nudge Foundation receiving $70,000 for youth-driven social innovation and entrepreneurship.
How Fossil Foundation Gives
Typical grant size sits at $20,000 at the 25th percentile, $40,000 at the median, and $50,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards cluster in the five-figure range, with some larger grants used for scaling and replication. Several organizations appear across multiple years, including The Big Picture Company, Glasswing International, Medha Learning Foundation, Quest Alliance, and The Nudge Foundation, which suggests recurring relationships rather than one-off gifts. The foundation operates as a corporate philanthropic program and funds individuals as well. Unsolicited applications are not accepted in the corporate philanthropic pillar described in the data.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$350K
Total Assets
$338K
Total Revenue
$69K
Total Expenses
$351K
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $20K and $50K, with a median of $40K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$40K
75th Percentile
$50K
Geographic Reach
National12 states funded
About 20% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where Fossil Foundation Funds
Top 8 recipient countries by grant volume for Fossil Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 64 | $3.2M | 71.1% |
| 2 | India | 11 |
Unlock Deep Analysis
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeSee Similar Funders
Free Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeExplore related grant guides
Want a Personalized Pitch for Fossil Foundation?
Sign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Free plan available
No contracts
Cancel anytime