The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation (Hewlett Foundation) is a major private foundation based in Menlo Park, CA that makes grants across education, environment, performing arts, democracy, and other program areas. The official site hosts a searchable grants database, program pages, staff directory, and contact information.
Source: Website · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
Organizations working in Hewlett’s stated program areas (education, environment, democracy, arts, and related fields) with a demonstrable track record, clear theory of change, and capacity for programmatic and financial reporting; applicants can be national or local nonprofits, research centers, intermediaries, or regranting partners.
Good Fit
- • Clear alignment with one of the foundation’s program areas (education, climate/environment, democracy, performing arts, etc.).
- • Evidence of organizational capacity and prior results or rigorous evaluation.
- • Need or proposal that benefits from flexible/general operating support or program-scale grants.
- • Willingness to engage in learning, data use, and periodic reporting.
- • Programs that can operate at state, national, or international scale, or that fill a recognized ecosystem role (research, convening, regranting).
Geography
Giving is national and international in scope: the latest year shows grants reaching 52 distinct states/territories and a broad geographic distribution, although about one-third of dollars were concentrated in California.
Recipient Variety
The funder supported a large and diverse set of recipients in the latest year—1,095 distinct grantees across many sectors—while top-dollar concentration is low (about 2% to the single largest grantee and ~8% to the top five), indicating broad institutional variety.
New Applicants
Direct evidence of openness includes 429 new recipients in the latest year and a public application presence; the combination of turnover, many independent grantees, and visible application guidance makes it plausible that unfamiliar applicants can enter the portfolio.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
