The Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University, acting through Stanford’s Graduate School of Education (GSE), directs internal philanthropic and program funding to support graduate student wellbeing, professional development, and education research and innovation. Their resources prioritize short-term emergency and family supports for enrolled GSE students, small travel and fee grants to enable research dissemination, and programmatic investments that seed and pilot educator-facing innovations (e.g., the Stanford Accelerator for Learning). Funding is principally institutional, targeted to Stanford-affiliated students, faculty, and teams advancing equitable K–12 learning, teacher preparation, and education research.
A defining pattern in The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University’s recent grantmaking is its mix of large institutional gifts and tightly targeted support for Stanford-affiliated education work. Acting through Stanford’s Graduate School of Education, the foundation directs funding toward graduate student wellbeing, professional development, and education research and innovation, while also making sizable grants to universities, health-related institutions, and cultural organizations. In the latest grants list, the largest award is $25 million to The Morgridge Institute Foundation Inc for general support, alongside a $25 million facility-support grant to the University of Wisconsin Foundation and a $15 million future fund grant to the same institution. The portfolio also shows continued support for Stanford-based infrastructure and student services. Stanford Health Care received $3.81 million for general support in 2025, and Jewish Family and Children’s Services received $3.001 million for fund support the same year. Earlier grants include $2.5 million to Yale University for construction support and $2.5 million to Massachusetts Institute of Technology for construction support, signaling a willingness to fund major capital and institutional needs alongside programmatic work.
Within education, the foundation supports both training and innovation. Stanford’s Graduate School of Education appears in the grant profile through priorities such as emergency financial assistance for graduate students, childcare, family, and housing support for graduate students with dependents, and small travel and fee grants tied to research dissemination. The grant list also shows support for teacher preparation and early-stage education work. Grants are directed to the Stanford Teacher Education Program and the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, reflecting investment in professional development and education innovation. Beyond Stanford, the foundation has funded Aiglon College through Chapel & York US Foundation Inc with $6 million for Aiglon College, and Teach for America Inc received $500,000 for general support, showing engagement with education organizations outside the university. A separate area is research and policy. Columbia University received $1,235,500 for the Climate Policy Fund, and The Nature Conservancy received $1,250,000 for program support.
$74.6M
$63.3B
$9.5B
$8.9B
Most grants fall between $20K and $125K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$125K
JONATHAN D LEVIN
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Institutional, program-driven awards: mostly small, need-based or one-off grants (emergency, family, health fees, travel) available to enrolled GSE students on a rolling or annual cycle, plus competitive programmatic opportunities (open calls) for Stanford-affiliated teams to pilot or scale education innovations.
Notable grantees: Stanford Graduate School of Education students (Graduate Family Grant, Emergency Grant-in-Aid), Stanford Teacher Education Program (STEP), Stanford Accelerator for Learning participant teams
Typical grant size clusters around $20,000 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $125,000 at the 75th percentile, even though the recent list also includes multimillion-dollar institutional awards. The pattern combines recurring institutional support with one-time capital and campaign gifts; for example, several organizations appear across multiple years, including the University of Wisconsin Foundation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford Health Care, Jewish Family and Children’s Services, American Endowment Foundation, and San Francisco Opera Association. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
Giving is national, but California accounts for 54% of grants and is the top state by grant count. Recent recipient cities in California include Stanford, San Francisco, Palo Alto, and Redwood City. Outside California, the foundation has made large grants to Madison, Wisconsin; New York, New York; Cambridge, Massachusetts; and New Haven, Connecticut. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based in the data provided.
The typical award is $50,000 at the median, with $20,000 at the 25th percentile and $125,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent grant list also includes much larger institutional gifts, ranging into the millions.
Yes. Several organizations appear more than once across the recent grants list, including the University of Wisconsin Foundation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford Health Care, Jewish Family and Children’s Services, American Endowment Foundation, and San Francisco Opera Association.
The portfolio includes universities, health-related institutions, education organizations, cultural institutions, and environmental groups. Recent recipients include The Morgridge Institute Foundation Inc, Stanford Health Care, Teach for America Inc, The Nature Conservancy, and San Francisco Opera Association.
California is the top state by grant count, with 54% of grants going to recipients in the state. Recent California recipients include Stanford, San Francisco, Palo Alto, and Redwood City.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE MORGRIDGE INSTITUTE FOUNDATION INC | MADISON, WI | $50,000,000 | 2026 | ENDOWMENT SUPPORT |
| FIDELITY INVESTMENT CHARITABLE GIFT FUND | BOSTON, MA | $30,050,000 | 2026 | FUND SUPPORT |
| STANFORD HEALTH CARE | STANFORD, CA | $10,607,160 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY | MALIBU, CA | $3,015,000 | 2026 | TAUBE FAMILY CHAIR SUPPORT |
| MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $2,500,000 | 2026 | PAVILION SUPPORT |
| SAN MATEO COUNTY HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $2,000,000 | 2026 | CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT |
| DANA FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE | BOSTON, MA | $1,200,000 | 2026 | FUND & RESEARCH SUPPORT |
| YALE UNIVERSITY | NEW HAVEN, CT | $1,051,166 | 2026 | UNIVERSITY SUPPORT |
| UCSF FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $1,000,000 | 2026 | FUND SUPPORT |
| UC SANTA BARBARA FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $1,000,000 | 2026 | FOUNDATION SUPPORT |
| MAYO CLINIC ROCHESTER | ROCHESTER, MN | $1,000,000 | 2026 | RESEARCH SUPPORT |
| BAY AREA CANCER CONNECTIONS | SAN MATEO, CA | $895,000 | 2026 | FUND SUPPORT |
| TIPPING POINT COMMUNITY | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $750,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SAN FRANCISCO OPERA ASSOCIATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $500,000 | 2026 | EVENT SUPPORT |
| UC SANTA BARBARA FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $340,000 | 2026 | DEPARTMENT SUPPORT |
| LUCILE PACKARD CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | PALO ALTO, CA | $320,000 | 2026 | FUND SUPPORT |
| THE RONALD REAGAN FOUNDATION & INSTITUTE | SIMI VALLEY, CA | $300,000 | 2026 | FUND SUPPORT |
| SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY | SANTA CLARA, CA | $300,000 | 2026 | INITIATIVE SUPPORT |
| SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF MODERN ART | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $250,000 | 2026 | FUND SUPPORT |
| GOODNATION FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $250,000 | 2026 | FUND SUPPORT |
| FIELD INSTITUTE OF TAOS | EL PRADO, NM | $200,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SILICON VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA | $200,000 | 2026 | FOUNDATION SUPPORT |
| LOS ANGELES CHILDREN'S CHORUS | PASADENA, CA | $200,000 | 2026 | FUND SUPPORT |
| SAN FRANCISCO OPERA ASSOCIATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $200,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PACIFIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY | PASADENA, CA | $175,000 | 2026 | POLICY SUPPORT |
| PHILANTHROPIC VENTURES FOUNDATION | OAKLAND, CA | $173,250 | 2026 | FELLOWSHIP SUPPORT |
| WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY | WINSTON SALEM, NC | $167,000 | 2026 | TEAM SUPPORT |
| MAKING WAVES FOUNDATION | RICHMOND, CA | $150,000 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT |
| THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE NEAR EAST POLICY | WASHINGTON, DC | $150,000 | 2026 | FELLOWSHIP SUPPORT |
| TAOS SPORTS ASSOCIATES INC | TAOS, NM | $130,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| WU YEE CHILDREN'S SERVICES | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $125,000 | 2026 | CAMPAIGN SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY FDN | BERKELEY, CA | $125,000 | 2026 | MAGNES COLLECTION SUPPORT |
| HILLEL AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY | STANFORD, CA | $120,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| AMERICA'S CHARITIES | CHANTILLY, VA | $110,000 | 2026 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS | WASHINGTON, DC | $105,000 | 2026 | RELIEF SUPPORT |
| SPUR | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2026 | FUND SUPPORT |
| GRADUATE THEOLOGICAL UNION | BERKELEY, CA | $100,000 | 2026 | UNION SUPPORT |
| SAN FRANCISCO FORTY NINERS FOUNDATION | SANTA CLARA, CA | $100,000 | 2026 | FUND SUPPORT |
| BUCK INSTITUTE FOR AGE RESEARCH | NOVATO, CA | $100,000 | 2026 | INSTITUTE SUPPORT |
| J DAVID GLADSTONE INSTITUTES | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2026 | INSTITUTE SUPPORT |
| KHAN ACADEMY | MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA | $100,000 | 2026 | FUND SUPPORT |
| WOMENONE LTD | NEW YORK, NY | $90,000 | 2026 | FUND SUPPORT |
| US OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC FOUNDATION | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $75,000 | 2026 | GIFT SUPPORT |
| STANFORD HEALTH CARE | STANFORD, CA | $75,000 | 2026 | HEALTH CARE FUND |
| MUSIC HELPS | AUSTIN, TX | $75,000 | 2026 | EVENT SUPPORT |
| UC SANTA BARBARA FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $66,500 | 2026 | EVENT SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER | ROCHESTER, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | PROFESSORSHIP SUPPORT |
| WOMENS SPORTS FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | FUND SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN FEDERATION CHILDREN GROWTH FUND | DALLAS, TX | $50,000 | 2026 | FUND SUPPORT |
| TRINITY CHURCH SANTA BARBARA | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | FUND SUPPORT |
THE MORGRIDGE INSTITUTE FOUNDATION INC
$50,000,000ENDOWMENT SUPPORT
SAN MATEO COUNTY HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
$2,000,000CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT
SAN FRANCISCO OPERA ASSOCIATION
$500,000EVENT SUPPORT
SAN FRANCISCO OPERA ASSOCIATION
$200,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MAKING WAVES FOUNDATION
$150,000SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT
THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE NEAR EAST POLICY
$150,000FELLOWSHIP SUPPORT
TAOS SPORTS ASSOCIATES INC
$130,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
WOMENONE LTD
$90,000FUND SUPPORT
MUSIC HELPS
$75,000EVENT SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
$50,000PROFESSORSHIP SUPPORT
TRINITY CHURCH SANTA BARBARA
$50,000FUND SUPPORT