Hewlett Foundation

The Hewlett Foundation, formally the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, is an American private foundation established by William R. Hewlett, co-founder of Hewlett-Packard, and his wife, Flora Lamson Hewlett. Founded in 1966 in the Hewletts' Palo Alto home, it initially operated with a small family board and concentrated on organizations working in areas familiar to William Hewlett, including education, population, the performing arts, the environment, health, and social services. The foundation's early period, from 1966 to 1972, became known informally as its living-room years. The organization expanded its governance and professional staff during the 1970s. It hired its first executive director, John May, in 1974. After Flora Hewlett died in 1977, the foundation adopted its current formal name in her memory. Roger W. Heyns subsequently became president, while William Hewlett served as board chair. Family participation continued, but the foundation gradually developed a more independent governance model; since 1981, most board members have been non-family directors. Over time, Hewlett broadened both its geographic reach and its grantmaking strategy. Under David P. Gardner, who became president in 1993, environmental funding expanded beyond California to the western United States and Canada, while K–12 education reform and relations between the United States and Latin America became additional areas of attention. During the 2000s, the foundation increased its support for climate-change mitigation, open educational resources, university research and teaching, and environmental conservation. It also helped develop the OpenCourseWare field and provided early support for Creative Commons. The foundation's current program areas include education; environment; global development and population; the performing arts; and philanthropy. Its grantmaking has also addressed political polarization, cybersecurity, economic policy, journalism, misinformation, reproductive-health access, and the institutional capacity of nonprofit organizations. Environmental work has included conservation in the North American West, climate and fossil-fuel policy, California environmental protection, Bay Area salt-pond restoration, and conservation of Canada's Great Bear Rainforest. Hewlett is among the largest private grantmaking foundations in the United States. Its endowment grew substantially through investment and estate transfers, rising from approximately $15.3 million in grants during its first decade to assets exceeding $300 million in 1981, more than $800 million in the 1990s, and approximately $3.93 billion in 2000. The transfer of William Hewlett's estate later increased assets to about $8.52 billion. A public description of the foundation has cited assets of approximately $14 billion, although the applicable reporting year should be checked before using that figure as a current valuation. OECD data reported approximately $123.3 million in development-related grantmaking by Hewlett in 2019. Paul Brest led the foundation from 2000 until 2012, followed by Larry Kramer, who served until December 2023. Amber D. Miller became president in June 2024. Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar has served as board chair since 2021. The foundation remains an independent philanthropic institution rather than a commercial Hewlett-Packard operating company, and it does not have publicly traded shares or a stock ticker.

William R. Hewlett founded the foundation in 1966 with his wife, Flora Lamson Hewlett. The initial board consisted of William, Flora, and their eldest son, Walter Hewlett. During the foundation's first six years, its work was conducted largely from the Hewlett family home in Palo Alto. Its grants supported established organizations in education, population, the performing arts, environmental protection, health, and social services. The board expanded in 1972 with William A. Hewlett and James S. Hewlett. John May became the foundation's first executive director in 1974. Following Flora Hewlett's death in 1977, the organization was renamed the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Roger W. Heyns became president, and William Hewlett served as board chair. Eleanor Hewlett Gilmon and Mary Hewlett Jaffe later joined the board. Although family members remained involved, the foundation increasingly relied on independent directors; non-family members formed a majority of the board from 1981 onward. David P. Gardner became president in 1993 after Heyns retired. Gardner widened the foundation's environmental program from a primarily California focus to the western United States and Canada, while adding K–12 education reform and a program concerning United States–Latin American relations. The foundation also established term limits for program officers, initially requiring departure after six years with a possible board-approved extension; the standard was later extended to eight years. During the 2000s, Hewlett expanded its support for climate-change mitigation, open educational resources, higher education, and environmental conservation. It supported the development of OpenCourseWare with the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and provided $1 million in early support for Creative Commons. The foundation also made major university grants, including a $400 million gift to Stanford University in 2001 and a $113 million donation to the University of California, Berkeley in 2007 for endowed professorships and graduate-student assistance. Paul Brest became president in January 2000 and served for twelve years. During his tenure, the foundation moved to Menlo Park and increased its focus on global warming and open educational resources. Larry Kramer succeeded Brest in 2012 and introduced initiatives related to political polarization and cybersecurity. Kramer left the presidency in December 2023. Stephen C. Neal, a board member since 2006, succeeded Walter Hewlett as board chair before being succeeded by Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar in 2021. Amber D. Miller became president in June 2024. The foundation's endowment grew through investment and estate contributions. It distributed approximately $15.3 million during its first decade; assets later exceeded $300 million in 1981 and $800 million during the 1990s. Between 1993 and 1999, assets rose above $2 billion while annual grants increased from approximately $35 million to $84 million. Assets reached approximately $3.93 billion in 2000, then rose to about $8.52 billion after the transfer of William Hewlett's estate. Hewlett now operates across education, environment, global development and population, performing arts, and philanthropy, while also supporting journalism, reproductive-health access, economic-policy research, and efforts addressing misinformation.

• 2024

  Amber D. Miller becomes president

  [1]Hewlett Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  Amber D. Miller assumed the foundation presidency in June.

• 2021

  New board chair

  [1]Hewlett Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar succeeded Stephen C. Neal as chair of the board.

• 2010

  Deeper-learning strategy announced

  [1]Hewlett Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  The foundation introduced a strategy focused on substantive knowledge, advanced thinking skills, and productive learning dispositions.

• 2007

  University of California, Berkeley gift

  [1]Hewlett Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  Hewlett donated $113 million to support endowed professorships and graduate students at Berkeley.

• 2001

  Major Stanford University gift

  [1]Hewlett Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  The foundation gave Stanford University $400 million for humanities, sciences, and undergraduate education.

• 1993

  Environmental and education programs broaden

  [1]Hewlett Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  Under David P. Gardner, environmental grantmaking expanded geographically and the foundation added major K–12 education and US–Latin America initiatives.

• 1977

  Foundation receives current formal name

  [1]Hewlett Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  After Flora Hewlett's death, the organization was renamed the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation in her memory.

• 1974

  First executive director appointed

  [1]Hewlett Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  John May became the foundation's first executive director.

• 1972

  Board expanded

  [1]Hewlett Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  William A. Hewlett and James S. Hewlett joined the board, expanding the founding family governance structure.

• 1966

  Foundation established

  [1]Hewlett Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  William R. Hewlett established the foundation with Flora Lamson Hewlett in Palo Alto, California.

A large, independent, grantmaking foundation using long-term philanthropy to support progressive and liberal causes, public-interest institutions, environmental protection, education, global development, the arts, and improvements in philanthropic practice.

• 2010Deeper Learning

  United States

  Hewlett promoted a K–12 education framework combining robust subject knowledge, higher-order thinking, and learning dispositions. The approach became one of the foundation's signature education strategies.

  Outcome. The strategy shaped the foundation's education grantmaking and contributed to wider discussion of deeper-learning outcomes.

  Source
• 2008Climate and conservation grantmaking

  United States · Canada

  Hewlett expanded support for climate-change mitigation, fossil-fuel pollution reduction, North American western-land conservation, Bay Area salt-pond restoration, and protection of Canada's Great Bear Rainforest.

  Outcome. The cited material records major grants and program priorities but does not provide a single consolidated outcome.

  Source
• 2001Creative Commons seed funding

  Global

  The foundation provided early financial support to the Creative Commons project.

  Outcome. The funding helped support the project's early development; the cited material does not establish a complete campaign outcome.

  Source
• 2000Open educational resources and OpenCourseWare

  Global

  Hewlett supported the development and dissemination of open educational resources, working with the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation on the OpenCourseWare field.

  Outcome. The foundation became an important early philanthropic supporter of openly available educational content.

  Source

• 2022

  Partner on efforts to reimagine capitalismStrategy

  Background

  Hewlett and Omidyar Network sought to support new approaches to economic policy and the organization of markets.

  Action taken

  The two philanthropic organizations pledged more than $40 million for related work.

  Aftermath

  The pledge extended Hewlett's economic-policy grantmaking into a collaborative, multi-funder initiative.

  Joint pledge. More than $40 million (2022)

  Source

• 2019

  Increase support for economic-policy rethinkingStrategy

  Background

  The foundation examined economic-policy assumptions and supported organizations taking critical perspectives on prevailing market frameworks.

  Action taken

  Hewlett pledged substantial funding to organizations reconsidering dominant free-market policy approaches.

  Aftermath

  The initiative drew public attention because of its political and economic-policy orientation.

  Source

• 2007

  Support University of California, BerkeleyOther

  Background

  The foundation continued its higher-education philanthropy through support for faculty and graduate education.

  Action taken

  Hewlett donated $113 million to establish endowed professorships and provide graduate-student financial assistance.

  Aftermath

  The grant supported 100 new endowed professorships and graduate financial aid.

  Donation amount. $113 million (2007)

  Source

• 2001

  Approve major Stanford University giftOther

  Background

  The foundation sought to support higher education, humanities, sciences, and undergraduate learning.

  Action taken

  Hewlett committed $400 million to Stanford University.

  Aftermath

  The gift was described at the time as the largest recorded donation to a university.

  Gift amount. $400 million (2001)

  Source

• 1993

  Expand environmental and education grantmakingStrategy

  Background

  David P. Gardner became president and reviewed the foundation's geographic and thematic priorities.

  Action taken

  The foundation extended environmental funding beyond California, added K–12 education reform, and began supporting US–Latin America relations.

  Aftermath

  Hewlett's grantmaking became broader in geographic scope and more focused on education-system change.

  Source

1. 1Hewlett Foundationen.wikipedia.org
2. 2William and Flora Hewlett Foundation official websitehewlett.org