The Heising-Simons Foundation is a private foundation established by philanthropists Elizabeth (Liz) Simons and Mark Heising in Los Altos, California in 2007.[1][2] The Heising-Simons Foundation's board consists of Liz Simons, Mark Heising, and their daughter Caitlin Heising.[3] Liz Simons and Mark Heising signed the Giving Pledge in 2016.[4]
| Formation | 2007 |
|---|---|
| Type | Private foundation |
| Headquarters | Los Altos, CA |
President and CEO | Jennifer Shipp (acting) |
Key people | Liz Simons, Mark Heising, Caitlin Heising |
| Disbursements | $947.7 million (2007-2023) |
| Website | https://www.hsfoundation.org/ |
The Heising-Simons Foundation's main areas of work include early childhood education, science, climate and clean energy, community and opportunity, and human rights.[1] It also funds a science fellowship known as the 51 Pegasi b Fellowship,[5] and the American Mosaic Journalism Prize.[6] It does not accept unsolicited grant proposals.[7]
The Heising-Simons Foundation's Acting President and CEO is Jennifer Shipp, taking over from Sushma Raman, who joined in 2023 from the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University.[8][9] The previous President and CEO was Deanna Gomby, who joined from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.[1]
Areas of Funding
editCEO Fund: Technology and Society
editThe Heising-Simons Foundation’s CEO Fund addresses the impact of technology on society.[10]
In 2023, the Heising-Simons Foundation partnered with other philanthropies to contribute more than $200 million in funding toward public interest efforts to mitigate artificial intelligence (AI) harms and promote responsible use and innovation.[11]
Climate and Clean Energy
editThe Heising-Simons Foundation's Climate and Clean Energy program funds work around energy policy analysis, public utility commissions, energy efficiency standards, and climate communications.[2] The Climate and Clean Energy program was named one of 25 mid-sized environmental grantmakers by Inside Philanthropy.[12] The Heising-Simons Foundation joined the Climate Funders Justice Pledge in 2022.[13]
In 2021, the Heising-Simons Foundation was one of the founding members of the Equitable Building Electrification Fund, a fund that seeks to advance an equitable transition to building electrification for communities most impacted by fossil fuels.[14]
Community and Opportunity
editThe Community and Opportunity program focuses on two areas: local community and organizational effectiveness for Foundation grantees.[15]
In 2022, the Local Community portfolio provided funding for the community-based nonprofit group Amigos de Guadalupe Center for Justice and Empowerment to purchase the childhood home of Cesar Chavez in San Jose, California.[16] The property is intended to become a community-centered space with a learning center, where residents can learn more about Chavez's mission of non-violent resistance and community organizing.[16]
In 2021, the Heising-Simons Foundation supported MIT Technology Review’s COVID-19 Inequality Fellows reporting on the systematic technological challenges COVID-19 brought to under-covered communities.[17]
As of 2024, the Community and Opportunity portfolio is no longer listed on the Foundation’s website.
Education
editThe Heising-Simons Foundation’s Education program awards grants in early childhood education, including supporting early math education and dual language learners.[2]
In 2019, the Education program co-created the Early Educator Investment Collaborative, a group of early childhood funders that also includes the Ballmer Group, the Bezos Family Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Buffett Early Childhood Fund, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Foundation for Child Development, and the Stranahan Foundation.[7]
Human Rights
editThe Heising-Simons Foundation’s Human Rights program focuses on criminal justice reform, immigration grant rights work,[18] and supporting human rights for all.[19]
Caitlin Heising serves on the board of directors of Human Rights Watch (HRW) and is the vice chair of HRW’s U.S. Program Advisory Committee.[20]
In 2023, the Heising-Simons Foundation signed the California Black Freedom Fund’s Philanthropic Sign on Letter in response to police violence in the wake of Tyre Nichols’ death.[21]
Journalism
editThe Heising-Simons Foundation’s Journalism portfolio recognizes and supports journalism as a critical element of a healthy and multicultural democracy, focusing in underrepresented groups and voices in media and investigative journalism.[22]
The Foundation's Journalism portfolio awards the American Mosaic Journalism Prize, which annually awards two freelance journalists with $100,000 each in unrestricted funds for "excellence in long-form, narrative or deep reporting about underrepresented and/or misrepresented groups in the American landscape".[6]
In September 2023, the Foundation’s Journalism portfolio was an investor in the Press Forward initiative.[23] [24]
Science
editThe Heising-Simons Foundation's Science program awards research grants in astronomy and cosmology, fundamental physics, paleoclimatology, climate science, and the search for axion dark matter.[2]
The Heising-Simons Foundation partnered with the Simons Foundation to fund the $40 million Simons Observatory, an astronomy facility in the Chilean desert.[19] It also awarded $300,000 in funding for a major upgrade to the Kast Spectrograph at Lick Observatory in 2014.[25]
In 2017, the Science program launched the 51 Pegasi b Fellowship, intended to allow post-doctorate researchers the opportunity to conduct theoretical, observational, and experimental research in planetary astronomy.[5] In its inaugural year, the Heising-Simons Foundation awarded four postdoc researchers $375,000 each to support their independent research over three years.[5]
In 2022, the Heising-Simons Foundation awarded a three-year grant to the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP) at UC Santa Barbara for the launch of a fellowship that aims to address the underrepresentation of minorities in physics, including theoretical physics.[26] Funds cover a stipend for fellows, as well as travel and accommodations for six to eight weeks.[26]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Scutari, Mike (2021-11-02). "Seven Questions for Deanna Gomby, President and CEO of the Heising-Simons Foundation". Inside Philanthropy. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ a b c d Williams, Tate (2017-08-21). "Inside the Heising-Simons Foundation: A Brainy Startup Finds its Way in 3 Major Arenas". Inside Philanthropy. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ Perkins, Madeleine (2023-09-12). "President and CEO Sushma Raman Joins Heising-Simons Foundation Board". Heising-Simons Foundation. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ Simons, Liz (2023-04-11). "Liz Simons and Mark Heising". The Giving Pledge. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ a b c Hill, Helen (2017-01-26). "Jason Dittmann named an inaugural Heising-Simons Foundation 51 Pegasi b Postdoctoral Fellow". MIT News. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ a b Castillo, Amaris (2022-04-28). "Why this family foundation gives out $100,000 of unrestricted money to select freelance journalists". Poynter. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ a b Chang, Audrey (2020-05-13). "Philanthropists step up in COVID fight: Los Altos foundation surpasses $500M in targeted giving". Los Altos Town Crier. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ "Heising-Simons Foundation Names Jennifer Shipp Acting President and CEO". Heising-Simons Foundation. 2024-07-22. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
- ^ Prest, M.J. (2023-01-20). "Heising-Simons Foundation Selects New CEO". The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ "CEO Fund: Technology and Society". Heising-Simons Foundation. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ "Philanthropies launch new initiative to ensure AI advances the public interest". Ford Foundation. 2023-11-01. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ Kavate, Michael (2022-12-22). "Green Middleweights: 25 Prominent, Mid-Sized Environmental Grantmakers". Inside Philanthropy. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ Welch, Kaniqua (2022-04-07). "Climate Funders Justice Pledge announces new $100M funding baseline for BIPOC-led organizations created in one year". The Kresge Foundation. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ Mazur, Laurie (2022-10-17). "Electrify Equitably: Philanthropic Partnership Centers Frontline Communities in Decarbonization". Inside Philanthropy. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ "Community and Opportunity". Heising-Simons Foundation. 2023-04-11. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ a b Bay City News (2022-07-26). "Non-Profit Acquires the Family Home of Cesar Chavez". NBC Bay Area. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ Johnson, Bobbie (2021-11-09). "Meet MIT Technology Review's covid inequality fellows". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ Simons, Liz (2022-08-09). "One Funder's Journey Toward Justice". Giving Compass. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ a b Savchuk, Katia (2016-10-05). "Two Generations Of Givers: How The Simons Family Passed On The Philanthropy Gene". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ Human Rights Watch (2023-04-11). "Caitlin Heising". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ Philpart, Marc (2023-04-11). "California Black Freedom Fund: Philanthropic Sign-On Letter in Response to Police Violence". California Black Freedom Fund. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ "Initiatives: Journalism". Heising-Simons Foundation. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ Forward, Press (2023-09-08). "Press Forward Will Award More Than $500 Million to Revitalize Local News". Press Forward. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ "The state of local journalism and how it affects democracy". KPBS Public Media. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ Lebow, Hilary (2014-12-03). "Lick Observatory plans major upgrade for Shane Telescope". UC Santa Cruz. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ a b Tasoff, Harrison (2022-07-21). "Enhancing Research: The KITP launches a fellowship for physics faculty at minority-serving institutions". The Current. Retrieved 2023-04-11.