The Internet Society Foundation champions ideas and enables communities to unlock the Internet's potential to tackle the world’s evolving challenges. It supports initiatives that strengthen the Internet in function and reach so that it can effectively serve all people.
INTERNET SOCIETY is a public charity headquartered in Reston, VA. It gave $3,774,228 in annual grants and held $68,271,886 in total assets in the latest 990 year on file, 2025. Its stated work centers on internet access and connectivity, community-led connectivity solutions, internet exchange points and peering infrastructure, internet governance and policy, security and encryption, research and innovation, capacity building, and chapter support. The foundation’s grantmaking also fits its broader focus on internet resilience and strengthening, standards development and internet governance, digital literacy and public education, and community empowerment and civic participation online. Recent large grants include $600,000 to Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC), $250,000 to NetHope Inc, and $240,662 to Allied Media Projects Inc. Other notable grants include $192,768 to Aspiration and $175,000 to Roanoke Connect Holdings LLC, all of which appear in its recent grants list. INTERNET SOCIETY funds both chapters and external organizations through recurring program areas that cover infrastructure, governance, research, and community connectivity.
Recent grantmaking spans internet access and connectivity, internet resilience, and standards development and internet governance. It also includes digital literacy and public education, plus community empowerment and civic participation online. Notable grants include $600,000 to Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC) for “EMPOWERING THE PPL.”, $150,000 to IETF Trust LLC for “Technology & Standards Development,” and $100,000 to UN Technical Cooperation Activities for “Empowering People to Take Action.” The foundation also gave $175,000 to Roanoke Connect Holdings LLC for “GROWING THE INTERNET” and $50,000 to People Centered Internet Inc for “Strengthening the Internet.”
INTERNET SOCIETY’s typical grant size is $14,750 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $87,500 at the 75th percentile. It is a regular funder and does not fund individuals. Its programs show a mix of unsolicited application pathways and program-based support: Chapter Admin Funding, Community-Centered Connectivity Grant Program, Common Good Cyber Fund, Research Grant Program, Internet Governance Forum Events, and Sustainable Peering Infrastructure Grant Program all accept unsolicited applications, while the Resiliency Grant Program does not. Grant sizes range from smaller awards such as $25,000 to larger awards such as $600,000, depending on the program and recipient.
$1.3M
$68.3M
$48M
$43.6M
Most grants fall between $15K and $88K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$88K
About 3% of grants go to recipients in CA.
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INTERNET SOCIETY gives nationally, with all recent grants in the United States. New York is the state where it gives most often, and Virginia accounts for 3% of grants. Other states appearing in the recent grants list include Oregon, North Carolina, Maryland, Texas, the District of Columbia, Minnesota, Florida, Delaware, and California. The recipient country distribution shows 54 grants in the US and no non-US countries in the data provided.
Some of INTERNET SOCIETY’s programs do accept unsolicited applications, including Chapter Admin Funding, Community-Centered Connectivity Grant Program, Common Good Cyber Fund, Research Grant Program, Internet Governance Forum Events, and Sustainable Peering Infrastructure Grant Program. The Resiliency Grant Program does not accept unsolicited applications.
INTERNET SOCIETY funds internet access and connectivity, community-led connectivity solutions, peering and internet exchange infrastructure, internet governance and policy, security and encryption, research, capacity building, and chapter support. Recent grant purposes include “Growing the Internet,” “Strengthening the Internet,” “Technology & Standards Development,” and “Empowering People to Take Action.”
Its typical grant size is $14,750 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $87,500 at the 75th percentile. Recent grants in the data range from $25,000 to $600,000, including awards of $150,000, $175,000, and $250,000.
INTERNET SOCIETY gives nationally in the United States. New York is the state where it gives most often, and Virginia accounts for 3% of grants. Recent grants also went to organizations in Oregon, North Carolina, Maryland, Texas, the District of Columbia, Minnesota, Florida, Delaware, and California.
Recent grantees include Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC), NetHope Inc, Allied Media Projects Inc, Aspiration, IETF Trust LLC, UN Technical Cooperation Activities, People Centered Internet Inc, Access Now, Freedom House, and George Mason University Foundation Inc.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Internet Society that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Not specified in the scraped content; described as supporting strong and sustainable technical communities.
Deadline: Applications opened in February 2023 and were accepted on a rolling basis.
Who can apply: Open to independent researchers and research institutions around the world; underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.
Deadline: Statements of interest began 1 September 2020; full proposals accepted on a rolling basis thereafter.
Who can apply: UN IGF Secretariat-recognized NRIs and National/Regional Schools on Internet Governance.
Deadline: Grant deadline: 1 October 2026; applications must be submitted at least 8-10 weeks before the proposed event date.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NetHope Inc | — | $250,000 | 2025 | Empowering People to Take Action |
| Allied Media Projects Inc | — | $240,662 | 2025 | Empowering People to Take Action |
| Aspiration | — | $192,768 | 2025 | Empowering People to Take Action |
| IETF Trust LLC | — | $150,000 | 2025 | Technology & Standards Development |
| UN Technical Cooperation Activities | — | $100,000 | 2025 | Empowering People to Take Action |
| Oxfam America | — | $60,000 | 2025 | Empowering People to Take Action |
| People Centered Internet Inc | — | $50,000 | 2025 | Strengthening the Internet |
| USTTI | — | $40,140 | 2025 | Empowering People to Take Action |
| SFBAYISOC | — | $28,039 | 2025 | Empowering People to Take Action |
| Association for Progressive Comm | — | $26,000 | 2025 | Growing the Internet |
| Freedom House | — | $25,000 | 2025 | Growing the Internet |
| Association for Progressive Comm | — | $25,000 | 2025 | Empowering People to Take Action |
| Internet Society of Puerto Rico Chapter Inc | — | $23,500 | 2025 | Empowering People to Take Action |
| Equitable Origin Inc | — | $19,500 | 2025 | Growing the Internet |
| NANOG Inc | — | $15,000 | 2025 | Growing the Internet |
| Copia Institute | — | $15,000 | 2025 | Empowering People to Take Action |
| IETF Administration LLC | — | $12,915 | 2025 | Empowering People to Take Action |
| IEEE Communications Society | — | $6,451 | 2025 | Growing the Internet |
| Media Factory LLC | — | $6,000 | 2025 | Strengthening the Internet |
| UN Technical Cooperation Activities | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2024 | EMPOWERING PEOPLE |
| PCs for People | Saint Paul, MN | $87,500 | 2024 | GROWING THE INTERNET |
| Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corp | Houston, TX | $87,500 | 2024 | GROWING THE INTERNET |
| Equitable Origin Inc | Houston, TX | $39,994 | 2024 | GROWING THE INTERNET |
| USTTI | Washington, DC | $35,000 | 2024 | EMPOWERING PEOPLE |
| Freedom House Inc | Washington, DC | $25,000 | 2024 | GROWING THE INTERNET |
| Access Now | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | GROWING THE INTERNET |
| Inst of Elect and Electronics Engineers | Piscataway, NJ | $20,000 | 2024 | GROWING THE INTERNET |
| Internet Society of Puerto Rico Chapter Inc | San Juan, PR | $18,500 | 2024 | EMPOWERING PEOPLE |
| Association for Progressive Communications | San Francisco, CA | $16,000 | 2024 | EMPOWERING PEOPLE |
| Marconi Society | North Olmsted, OH | $10,000 | 2024 | EMPOWERING PEOPLE |
| Connect Humanity | Palo Alto, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | EMPOWERING PEOPLE |
| North America Network Operators Group | Ann Arbor, MI | $10,000 | 2024 | STRENGTHENING INTERNET |
| Interplanetary Chapter IPNSIG Inc | Elk Grove, CA | $8,466 | 2024 | EMPOWERING PEOPLE |
| Media Factory | Wilmington, DE | $6,000 | 2024 | STRENGTHENING INTERNET |
| Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC) | Eugene, OR | $600,000 | 2023 | EMPOWERING THE PPL. |
| Montgomery County Government | Rockville, MD | $175,000 | 2023 | Growing the Internet |
| Roanoke Connect Holdings LLC | AULANDER, NC | $175,000 | 2023 | GROWING THE INTERNET |
| District of Columbia Government OCTO DC Net | Washington, DC | $175,000 | 2023 | GROWING THE INTERNET |
| South Union Community Development Inc | Houston, TX | $174,900 | 2023 | GROWING THE INTERNET |
| UN Technical Cooperation Activities | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2023 | EMPOWERING THE PPL. |
| IETF Trust LLC | Wilmington, DE | $94,893 | 2023 | Education and Outreach |
| PCs for People | Saint Paul, MN | $87,500 | 2023 | GROWING THE INTERNET |
| Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corp | Houston, TX | $87,500 | 2023 | GROWING THE INTERNET |
| Texas A&M University San Antonio | San Antonio, TX | $87,500 | 2023 | GROWING THE INTERNET |
| Duval County Public Schools | Jacksonville, FL | $63,000 | 2023 | GROWING THE INTERNET |
| SFBAYISOC | Palo Alto, CA | $33,500 | 2023 | EMPOWERING THE PPL. |
| Freedom House Inc | Washington, DC | $25,000 | 2023 | GROWING THE INTERNET |
| George Mason University Foundation Inc | Fairfax, VA | $25,000 | 2023 | STRNGTHNING THE INT. |
| IEEE | Piscataway, NJ | $25,000 | 2023 | GROWING THE INTERNET |
| Stanford University | Redwood City, CA | $20,000 | 2023 | STRNGTHNING THE INT. |
IETF Trust LLC
$150,000Technology & Standards Development
Empowering People to Take Action
People Centered Internet Inc
$50,000Strengthening the Internet
USTTI
$40,140Empowering People to Take Action
SFBAYISOC
$28,039Empowering People to Take Action
Association for Progressive Comm
$26,000Growing the Internet
Association for Progressive Comm
$25,000Empowering People to Take Action
Internet Society of Puerto Rico Chapter Inc
$23,500Empowering People to Take Action
Equitable Origin Inc
$19,500Growing the Internet
NANOG Inc
$15,000Growing the Internet
Copia Institute
$15,000Empowering People to Take Action
IETF Administration LLC
$12,915Empowering People to Take Action
Media Factory LLC
$6,000Strengthening the Internet
Equitable Origin Inc
$39,994GROWING THE INTERNET
USTTI
$35,000EMPOWERING PEOPLE
Internet Society of Puerto Rico Chapter Inc
$18,500EMPOWERING PEOPLE
Association for Progressive Communications
$16,000EMPOWERING PEOPLE
Marconi Society
$10,000EMPOWERING PEOPLE
North America Network Operators Group
$10,000STRENGTHENING INTERNET
Interplanetary Chapter IPNSIG Inc
$8,466EMPOWERING PEOPLE
Media Factory
$6,000STRENGTHENING INTERNET
Montgomery County Government
$175,000Growing the Internet
Roanoke Connect Holdings LLC
$175,000GROWING THE INTERNET
District of Columbia Government OCTO DC Net
$175,000GROWING THE INTERNET
South Union Community Development Inc
$174,900GROWING THE INTERNET
IETF Trust LLC
$94,893Education and Outreach
Texas A&M University San Antonio
$87,500GROWING THE INTERNET
Duval County Public Schools
$63,000GROWING THE INTERNET
SFBAYISOC
$33,500EMPOWERING THE PPL.
