About Nasdaq Educational Foundation
The NASDAQ Educational Foundation prioritizes building inclusive entrepreneurial and financial ecosystems, with a clear emphasis on capital access, investment literacy, and startup support for women and Black/Brown entrepreneurs. They fund accelerators, research and advocacy projects that change investor identity and engagement, and educational programs at HBCUs and universities; occasional disaster/humanitarian giving appears as an outlier. Grants are programmatic and capacity-focused rather than purely operating support, aimed at increasing representation in investing and entrepreneurship.
Focus Areas
Capital access and accelerator support for Black and Brown founders (e.g., TechTown, HBCU-focused capital initiatives)Financial and investor literacy programs for women and BIPOC consumers and students (e.g., Babson HBCU financial knowledge, Consumer Action)Ecosystem building and advocacy to shift investor identity and reduce bias (e.g., Commonwealth / Build Commonwealth research projects, Black Innovation Alliance)Direct support for women entrepreneurs and women-focused business centers (e.g., Black Girl Ventures, Women’s Business Center of Utah)Global emergency/humanitarian response (single large gift for Ukraine via ICRC) — occasional, strategic
About Nasdaq Educational Foundation
A $568,000 grant to Commonwealth for its “Transforming Investor Identity” work signals how Nasdaq Educational Foundation Inc uses grantmaking: to shape who participates in investing, not just who receives services. The foundation backs projects that expand financial literacy, investor engagement, and entrepreneurship support for under-resourced communities, with a strong emphasis on Black and Brown founders, women entrepreneurs, and HBCU-linked education. Its portfolio includes research and advocacy, accelerator support, and training programs that aim to broaden access to capital and build skills around investing and business growth. Recent grants show a mix of national partnerships and place-based support. The foundation gave $401,000 to Build Commonwealth for a research project on investor identity, $361,440 to Black and Brown Founders for the THRIVE campaign, and $150,000 to Consumer Action for an investment literacy and engagement program for women and BIPOC consumers. It also funded Black Girl Ventures, Babson College, and Shared Interest for entrepreneurship and investing-related work tied to women, HBCU students, and diverse founders. An occasional humanitarian grant appears in the record as well, including support for Ukraine through the International Committee of the Red Cross.
What Nasdaq Educational Foundation Funds
Financial literacy and investing education are central to the foundation’s work. It gave $150,000 to Consumer Action for an investment literacy and engagement program for women and BIPOC consumers, and $65,000 to 3rd Decade Inc for a financial education and mentoring program. Entrepreneurship support is another recurring theme. The foundation awarded $100,000 to Wayne State Univ Research & Technology Park in the City of Detroit for the TechTown Start Studio accelerator for diverse founders, and $75,000 to Project Vida for microenterprise technical assistance in El Paso County, TX. It also funds ecosystem-level work that changes who sees themselves as an investor. That includes $105,000 to Black Innovation Alliance for a bias ecosystem building advocacy initiative and $103,000 to Babson College for closing the financial knowledge gap for students at HBCUs.
How Nasdaq Educational Foundation Gives
Typical grants cluster in the mid-five-figure to low-six-figure range, with p25 at $50,000, a median of $75,000, and p75 at $143,742. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The record shows both one-time grants and repeated support for the same theme across years, including multiple grants tied to investor identity, financial literacy, and women entrepreneurs. It uses a mix of open and curated programs; the Quarterly Grant Program accepts unsolicited applications, while the New Investor Initiative and partner-led initiatives are invitation-based.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$4.6M
Total Assets
$32.5M
Total Revenue
$4.6M
Total Expenses
$3.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $50K and $144K, with a median of $75K.
25th Percentile
$50K
Median
$75K
75th Percentile
$144K
Geographic Reach
National12 states funded
About 0% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where Nasdaq Educational Foundation Funds
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Nasdaq Educational Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 42 | $4.3M | 97.7% |
| 2 | Switzerland | 1 | $250K |
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