Advanced search

About Us

1/10

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation invests in creative thinkers and problem solvers who are working to ensure everyone has a meaningful opportunity to thrive.

About Us

Today, people in communities in the U.S. and around the world are increasingly losing faith in each other, and in even the possibility of progress. Institutions at every level are struggling to provide solutions that work for all people.

The Hewlett Foundation addresses these challenges by harnessing society’s collective capacity to solve our toughest problems — from the existential threat of climate change, to persistent and pervasive inequities, to attacks on democracy itself.

As one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the United States, we promote constructive dialogue across difference, and we provide reliable, responsive, and strategic support to our partners. Together, we are working to build an inclusive society where all people, communities, and the planet flourish.

Our History

Established in 1966, the Hewlett Foundation is a nonpartisan philanthropy created through the personal generosity of engineer and entrepreneur Bill Hewlett and his wife, Flora. The Hewlett family’s philanthropic ethos remains at the core of the foundation’s enduring priorities and practices. The foundation is wholly independent of HP, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), and the HPE Foundation.

Learn more about the Hewlett Family and Foundation History.

Our Values

We believe all people, no matter who they are or where they come from, should have the opportunity to thrive. That requires mutual respect — and a dedication to everyone’s well-being. Our philanthropic approach, emphasizing patience and collaboration, is rooted in the ethos of our founders and in what we’ve learned about effective philanthropy in nearly six decades of working with nonprofits and other partners in the U.S. and around the world.

Learn more about our guiding principles.

Our Programs

We make grants across a number of program areas, many of which we have supported for decades. Locally, we make grants to support meaningful artistic experiences in communities across the Bay Area and support regional foundations working on critical issues such as housing. Our U.S. efforts prioritize strengthening democracy, advancing education for all, and supporting community-led conservation in the North American West. Globally — including in the U.S. — we make grants to reduce harms to communities from the growing threat of climate change and support reproductive health, women’s economic empowerment, and inclusive governance. We also invest in strengthening the effectiveness of philanthropy and the nonprofit sector and address specific challenges through time-limited initiatives.

Learn more about our programs and initiatives.

Our Grants

We invest in creative thinkers who imagine a better future and in problem solvers who turn ideas into action. We promote constructive dialogue across difference, and we provide reliable, responsive, and strategic support to our partners. In 2024, the foundation awarded $631 million in grants, with nearly three-fourths of that total awarded as flexible funding. At any one time, we have around 3,000 active grants to organizations around the world. That includes support to organizations large and small — from research universities building public knowledge to community-based organizations meeting on-the-ground needs, from Bay Area artists engaging local audiences to African think tanks developing policy solutions. As of December 31, 2024, the foundation’s assets were approximately $13.9 billion.

Explore our grants database and view our financial statements.

Our People

The Hewlett Foundation depends on a cooperative working relationship between our president, board, and staff. Our president, as of September 2024, is astrophysicist and university leader Amber D. Miller. Our board of directors always includes four members of the Hewlett family and between five and 11 other leaders drawn from philanthropy, government, business, education, and civil society. Based in the Bay Area, we have approximately 130 employees working together to advance the foundation’s mission and support our grantees.

Learn more about our staff and open positions.