The Hirji Wigglesworth Family Foundation concentrates its funding on higher-education institutions and organizations working on global security and evidence-driven global health interventions. Grants are large and strategic, supporting university research/educational programs and policy or programmatic organizations focused on nuclear risk reduction and scalable health solutions. The presence of a sizable gift to a donor-advised/impact investing vehicle suggests interest in flexible, impact-oriented philanthropy as well.
A single $5,206,570 grant to ImpactAssets Donor Advised Fund anchors the Hirji Wigglesworth Family Foundation’s recent giving and signals how heavily it relies on large, strategic awards. The foundation’s portfolio also reaches nuclear risk reduction, evidence-based global health, and educational programs, with grants to organizations working in policy, research, and public-interest program support. Recent recipients include Nuclear Threat Initiative Inc, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Uci Foundation, showing a pattern that connects university-based work with issue-focused organizations. Its giving is shaped by a small number of sizable grants rather than many small awards, and the largest recent grants are concentrated in education and global security-related work. The foundation also backs altruism-focused programming, which appears alongside its support for global security and educational initiatives. Across the recent grant list, the foundation’s choices point to a preference for organizations that can use institutional funding for research, training, and field-facing programming rather than direct individual support.
In global security, the foundation gave $1,200,000 to Nuclear Threat Initiative Inc for global security. In higher education, it made a $1,000,000 grant to Massachusetts Institute of Technology for educational programs, alongside a $900,000 grant to Uci Foundation for educational programs. It also supported another university partner with $500,000 to Uc Berkeley Foundation for educational programs. On the health side, Evidence Action received $600,000 for global health. The grant list also includes a $300,000 award to Centre for Effective Altruism USA for altruism, reflecting a second thematic thread tied to education and public-interest values.
The foundation’s typical grant size is large: p25 is $500,000, median is $750,000, and p75 is $1,050,000. The recent record shows both recurring and one-off support: Massachusetts Institute of Technology appears twice in 2023, while most other recipients appear once. The foundation is a family foundation, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments. Its recent grantmaking also includes a very large donor-advised fund grant, indicating use of flexible philanthropic vehicles alongside direct institutional grants.
$0
$136.6M
$5.4M
$1.4M
Most grants fall between $500K and $1.1M, with a median of $750K.
25th Percentile
$500K
Median
$750K
75th Percentile
$1.1M
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Hirji Wigglesworth Family Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 7 | $9.9M | 87.5% |
| 2 | United Kingdom |
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Highly concentrated giving: few, large grants with repeat support to select institutions (multiple grants to MIT), favoring university research/education and specialized NGOs rather than many small community grants.
Notable grantees: ImpactAssets Donor Advised Fund, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), Evidence Action, UC Berkeley Foundation
Most recent grants went to recipients in the United States, with 7 of 8 grants there and 29% of grants to recipients in California, the foundation’s headquarters state. Massachusetts appears repeatedly through Cambridge-based grants, while Washington, DC also appears through policy and health recipients. Outside the US, one grant went to Oxford in the UK through Centre for Effective Altruism USA.
It funds universities and higher-education affiliates, global security policy organizations, evidence-based global health groups, and altruism-focused educational efforts. Recent grants include support for educational programs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Uci Foundation, and Uc Berkeley Foundation, plus global security funding for Nuclear Threat Initiative Inc and global health funding for Evidence Action.
Its grants are generally large. The typical range shown in the data is p25 of $500,000, a median of $750,000, and p75 of $1,050,000. That pattern fits a strategy of making fewer, substantial awards rather than many small grants.
Yes. Massachusetts Institute of Technology appears twice in the recent grant list, first at $1,000,000 and again at $500,000, both for educational programs. Most other recent grantees appear once, so repeat support exists but is not the dominant pattern.
The recent grants center on educational programs, global security, global health, and altruism. Those themes show up in awards to MIT, Nuclear Threat Initiative Inc, Evidence Action, and Centre for Effective Altruism USA.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
| 1 |
| $300K |
12.5% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IMPACTASSETS DONOR ADVISED FUND | BETHESDA, MD | $5,206,570 | 2024 | ALTRUISM, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, GLOBAL SECURITY |
| NUCLEAR THREAT INITIATIVE INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,200,000 | 2023 | GLOBAL SECURITY |
| MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $1,000,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS |
| UCI FOUNDATION | IRVINE, CA | $900,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS |
| EVIDENCE ACTION | WASHINGTON, DC | $600,000 | 2023 | GLOBAL HEALTH |
| MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $500,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS |
| UC BERKELEY FOUNDATION | BERKELEY, CA | $500,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS |
| CENTRE FOR EFFECTIVE ALTRUISM USA | OXFORD | $300,000 | 2023 | ALTRUISM |
IMPACTASSETS DONOR ADVISED FUND
$5,206,570ALTRUISM, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, GLOBAL SECURITY
GLOBAL HEALTH
CENTRE FOR EFFECTIVE ALTRUISM USA
$300,000ALTRUISM