What We Fund
How and what we fund
Siegel Family Endowment takes a collaborative approach to grantmaking, working closely with grantee partners and staying actively engaged in our learning, workforce, and infrastructure interest areas. Weareas the fields in which we invest. We engage in intentional and equitable grantmaking that elevates grantees, fosters connection, and generates tangible insights. Together with our grantees, we commit to codifying, reflecting on, and sharing what we learn to inform our own strategy, that of our grantees, and that of our peers.
Our grantmaking is grounded in ongoing learning and deep engagement with the field.
We actively seek out and build relationships with innovative leaders, thinkers, and practitioners whose work aligns with our focus areas. From these relationships, we invite a subset of partners to shape a potential collaboration with us and co-develop a proposal for funding. Most Siegel Family Endowment grants are made through this invitation-based process.
At times, we also issue open calls for proposals through signature initiatives—such as the Learning Landscapes Challenge—or via one of our collaborative funding initiatives. To stay informed about open calls and other funding opportunities, we encourage you to sign up for our emails (see bottom of page).
If we haven’t yet connected and you believe your work aligns with our goals, you’re welcome to reach out through our Contact Us page. When we see an opportunity to learn together, a member of our team will follow up to schedule a conversation.
Year In Review
Siegel’s 2025 Impact Index
Our Ask Me Anything Webinar
Frequently Asked Questions
Siegel only accepts proposals by invitation.
Proposal timelines vary by program and grant type. For aligned projects, the process from an initial meeting to grant approval typically takes about one year. In practice, this means that a conversation held today would most often result in a grant decision approximately a year later, though timelines may be shorter or longer depending on the nature of the grant, the partnership, and other circumstances. Most proposals go through several rounds of development before they are finalized. For more specific guidance, invited applicants are encouraged to speak directly with program staff.
Siegel’s current grantmaking areas include Learning, Work, and Infrastructure. Read more here.
No two grantees are alike! Each decision is made based on a number of factors, including history, context, and need. That said, here are some of qualities we look for in prospective grantees
Curious learners: They match the spirit of our inquiry-driven grantmaking by asking big questions, challenging their own assumptions, acknowledging and learning from set-backs, and generally embodying the spirit of lifelong learning.
Community-driven: They rely on community members, staff, and local knowledge to build their programs and drive their work
Systems entrepreneurs: They set their sights on and orient their programs toward the types of change they’d like to see at the systems level
Field builders: They work in tandem with others, recognizing that long-term change will be achieved by an ecosystem of coordinated players rather than one silver bullet
We make our grants to or through organizations in the United States that have been determined by the IRS to be section 501(c)(3) public charities. The Foundation does not provide direct unrestricted funding for individuals.
Siegel is part of a number of pooled funds, each of which have their own grantmaking goals, intake and diligence processes, approval structure, and governance. In the event that a prospective partner’s work aligns with one of these funds, we have the ability to go through the proper channels to submit a funding proposal to the pooled fund.
Siegel does not provide direct funding to individuals. However, we support a number of partner organizations that offer fellowships to individuals through grants made to their home institutions. In these cases, the partner institution is responsible for selecting, employing, and supporting the fellows.
Our In-House Research fellows, however, are full members of our staff. They go through a standard application and interview process, and become full employees within our team for their two year term. To see if there are any openings, please visit our Careers page.
Siegel supports a limited number of events, activations, and related efforts that align with our mission, narrative goals, and existing lines of inquiry, including work connected to current grants and grantee partners. Like our grantmaking, sponsorships are mission-aligned and offered by invitation only.
We do not have set funding bands for our grantmaking; amounts have ranged from $100 to $3,000,000, depending on a number of factors. However, for new grantee partners, the average grant size tends to be approximately $150,000 over one year.
We deliberately minimize the reporting burden on our partners, asking only what is essential.
We offer grantees both written and oral reporting options, which are conducted at minimum twice per year – though many request to meet more often. Oral check-ins allow us to delve deeper into our shared learnings in real-time. These conversations are supported by short written reports (~6 questions) submitted by our partners beforehand.
We also offer office hours and community spaces as interim touch points to connect with our staff and fellow grantees.