The Skees Family Foundation concentrates on early-stage, catalytic funding for international development and social enterprise initiatives—frequently focused in Africa and global communities. They favor seed and contingent catalyst grants that support organizational launch/growth, tech-for-good training, agribusiness development, and women‑centered programming. Grants are modest and mission-focused, often made as repeat investments in the same small number of organizations rather than broad one-off giving.
A defining feature of Skees Family Foundation’s grantmaking is its use of seed and catalyst support for early-stage organizations working on economic opportunity, livelihoods, and social enterprise. The foundation’s recent grants show that pattern clearly: Pollination Project Foundation received $20,000 in 2025 for EmbraceHer - Catalyst Grant, while Preserve International received $15,000 in 2025 for Contingent Catalyst Grant. Smaller grants also reinforce the same approach, with multi-year or unrestricted support used to help organizations build toward scale rather than fund isolated projects. The foundation backs a narrow set of mission-aligned organizations through modest grants that often recur over time. Myriad USA appears repeatedly in the recent record, including support for TechMe and Fundacin Gen E, and Idea for Africa appears in multiple years as well. Other funded work touches agribusiness, women-centered programming, and technology access. Across those examples, the emphasis is on organizations that are already operating and need flexible funding to deepen impact, strengthen capacity, or extend an existing model. Its program language also points to a mix of discretionary family and board giving alongside structured Seed, Catalyst, Storytelling, and Generational grants. That combination suggests a foundation that supports both planned, mission-aligned investment and smaller discretionary decisions tied to specific organizations and initiatives.
In women’s empowerment work, the foundation supported EmbraceHer through Pollination Project Foundation, including a $20,000 catalyst grant in 2025 and a $7,500 seed grant in 2024. The recent record also includes a $2,500 seed grant to Global Development Advisors Corpora for Wonder Woman Guatemala, linking women-centered funding to Guatemala-focused work. Technology access and tech training are another clear thread. Myriad USA received $15,000 in 2025 for TechMe and $7,500 in 2024 for TechMe - Unrestricted, followed by $5,000 and $2,500 in 2025 for Fundacin Gen E - Seed Grant. The foundation also gave $5,000 to King Baudouin Foundation United Sta in 2023 for Technology Motivation Empowerment Organization. Agribusiness and livelihoods appear in the support for Kadaafrica Agribusiness Development, which received $15,000 and $10,000 in 2023 for general support. International development and community-focused work also show up through Idea for Africa and Preserve International, each funded across more than one year.
$68K
$2.4M
$163K
$151K
Most grants fall between $7K and $10K, with a median of $9K.
25th Percentile
$7K
Median
$9K
75th Percentile
$10K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in MA.
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A concentrated portfolio of modest-sized grants ($20k–$30k) with multiple repeat awards to a handful of organizations; funding is oriented toward seed, pilot, or contingent catalyst support rather than large multi-year general operating grants.
Notable grantees: Pollination Project Foundation, Idea for Africa, Kadaafrica Agribusiness Development, Myriad USA, Preserve International
Typical grants cluster tightly around the middle of the distribution: p25 is $6,875, median is $8,750, and p75 is $10,000. The recent record shows both repeat funding and multi-year support, with organizations such as Myriad USA, Idea for Africa, Preserve International, and Pollination Project Foundation appearing more than once across 2023 to 2025. That pattern fits the foundation’s stated structure: Seed Grants, Catalyst Grants, Storytelling Grants, Board Grants, Family Grants, Generational Grants, and Local2Global decisions. The foundation is a Regular Funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals. Unsolicited applications are not accepted across the listed programs.
The foundation gives nationally, but the recipient map is concentrated in U.S. cities. Recent grants land in Brevard, NC; New York, NY; Arlington, TX; Amherst, MA; Nashville, TN; Worcester, MA; Salt Lake City, UT; Brookline, MA; Falls Church, VA; and Washington, DC. North Carolina is the top state by grant count, with 0% of grants going to recipients in California despite the Berkeley headquarters. All recorded recipient locations in the provided data are in the United States.
The recent record centers on early-stage and capacity-building support for organizations working in economic opportunity, livelihoods, vocational training, entrepreneurship, and women-centered programming. It also backs tech-for-development and agribusiness work, including grants tied to TechMe, EmbraceHer, and Kadaafrica Agribusiness Development.
No. The listed programs all show Accepts unsolicited: False, including Board Grants, Family Grants, Catalyst Grants, Storytelling Grants, Generational Grants, Seed Grants, and Local2Global.
The distribution is fairly compact: p25 is $6,875, the median is $8,750, and p75 is $10,000. Recent grants also include larger catalyst awards, such as $20,000 to Pollination Project Foundation and $15,000 to Preserve International.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Myriad USA, Idea for Africa, Preserve International, Pollination Project Foundation, and American Friends of Bean Voyage. That repeated pattern suggests ongoing support for a small set of aligned organizations rather than one-off giving.
The foundation gives nationally, but its highest concentration of grants is in North Carolina. Recent recipient cities also include New York, Arlington, Brevard, Amherst, Nashville, Worcester, Salt Lake City, Brookline, Falls Church, and Washington, DC.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pollination Project Foundation | Brevard, NC | $20,000 | 2025 | EmbraceHer - Catalyst Grant |
| Preserve International | Arlington, TX | $15,000 | 2025 | Contingent Catalyst Grant |
| Myriad USA | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | TechMe - Grant |
| Myriad USA | New York, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | Fundacin Gen E - Seed Grant |
| Asembo Skills for Hope | Brookline, MA | $2,500 | 2025 | Seed Grant |
| Harvest Fund | Washington, DC | $2,500 | 2025 | Seed Grant |
| Myriad USA | New York, NY | $2,500 | 2025 | Fundacin Gen E - Seed Grant |
| Pollination Project Foundation | Brevard, NC | $2,500 | 2025 | Africa Transformation Centres Foundation - Seed Grant |
| Global Development Advisors Corpora | Falls Church, VA | $2,500 | 2025 | Wonder Woman Guatemala - Seed Grant |
| Idea for Africa | Amherst, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| American Friends of Bean Voyage | Worcester, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Pollination Project Foundation | Brevard, NC | $7,500 | 2024 | EmbraceHer - Seed Grant |
| Myriad USA | Salt Lake City, UT | $7,500 | 2024 | TechMe - Unrestricted |
| Kadaafrica Agribusiness Development | Nashville, TN | $15,000 | 2023 | General Support |
| Idea for Africa | Amherst, MA | $15,000 | 2023 | General Support |
| Kadaafrica Agribusiness Development | Nashville, TN | $10,000 | 2023 | General Support |
| American Friends of Bean Voyage | Worcester, MA | $10,000 | 2023 | General Support |
| Preserve International | Arlington, TX | $7,500 | 2023 | General Support |
| Pollination Project Foundation | Brevard, NC | $5,000 | 2023 | EmbraceHer |
| King Baudouin Foundation United Sta | New York, NY | $5,000 | 2023 | Technology Motivation Empowerment Organization |
| Preserve International | Arlington, TX | $5,000 | 2023 | General Support |
Preserve International
$15,000Contingent Catalyst Grant
Asembo Skills for Hope
$2,500Seed Grant
Harvest Fund
$2,500Seed Grant
Pollination Project Foundation
$2,500Africa Transformation Centres Foundation - Seed Grant
Global Development Advisors Corpora
$2,500Wonder Woman Guatemala - Seed Grant
Idea for Africa
$10,000General Support
American Friends of Bean Voyage
$10,000General Support
Myriad USA
$7,500TechMe - Unrestricted
Kadaafrica Agribusiness Development
$15,000General Support
Idea for Africa
$15,000General Support
Kadaafrica Agribusiness Development
$10,000General Support
American Friends of Bean Voyage
$10,000General Support
Preserve International
$7,500General Support
King Baudouin Foundation United Sta
$5,000Technology Motivation Empowerment Organization
Preserve International
$5,000General Support