Michael & Susan Dell Foundation

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation takes a highly strategic, data-driven approach to philanthropy. Founded in 1999 by Michael Dell (founder of Dell Technologies) and his wife Susan, the foundation has committed over $3 billion to accelerating human opportunity globally. Their grantmaking philosophy emphasizes evidence-based, results-driven programs that create long-term systemic change rather than short-term charitable relief. The foundation operates across eight core program areas: Quality Schools, Classroom Supports, University Success, Jobs & Livelihoods, Financial Services, Health Innovation, Jewish Community, and Greater Austin. They prefer to fund social enterprises (both for-profit and nonprofit) that directly serve children and youth from urban low-income communities. Their investment strategy combines traditional grants with impact investments, reflecting a venture philanthropy mindset where grantees are held accountable to concrete, measurable outcomes. The foundation maintains a rolling application process, signaling their preference for continuous deal flow rather than cyclical funding rounds. They explicitly require applicants to present baseline data and measurable outcomes, underscoring their commitment to quantifiable impact.

With approximately $7.77 billion in assets and annual grantmaking of around $120 million, the Dell Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the United States. Education receives the lion's share of funding, with their Ed-Fi data systems initiative alone accounting for $11 million in direct charitable expenses. Their Global Scholarship/University Success program accounts for roughly $6.9 million, while K-12 Educational Initiatives receive about $4.2 million and Jobs & Livelihoods approximately $2.8 million in direct charitable activities. The foundation sets a minimum grant threshold of $50,000 and caps funding at 10% of an organization's total annual operating expenses, indicating a preference for supporting established organizations with diversified funding rather than serving as a primary funder. Their December 2025 pledge of $6.25 billion to the Invest America Program represents a massive escalation in their giving capacity and signals that annual grant disbursements may increase significantly in coming years. Geographically, funding flows primarily to the United States (with heavy emphasis on Texas/Austin), India, and South Africa, with Israel also receiving significant support for Jewish community initiatives.

The Dell Foundation occupies a distinctive niche among major education funders. While Gates and Walton tend toward invitation-only grantmaking and high-profile policy advocacy, Dell maintains an open application process and focuses more on data infrastructure and direct student support. The foundation's asset growth has been remarkable, with its endowment quadrupling in roughly two years, positioning it to significantly increase its philanthropic footprint.

In December 2025, the foundation made headlines with a landmark $6.25 billion commitment to the U.S. Government's Invest America Program, pledging $250 to the accounts of 25 million American children under age ten who are not eligible for the standard federal deposit. This represents the single largest philanthropic commitment in the foundation's history and signals a dramatic expansion of their financial inclusion work. In October 2025, the foundation awarded a $1.35 million grant to Let's Get Ready, renewing their support for the college access organization. The foundation continues to support persistence and completion services for Pell-eligible students at UT Austin. Their Ed-Fi initiative, an open-source education data system, continues to expand, serving as the backbone for student data systems in multiple U.S. states. The foundation's endowment growth from approximately $1.7 billion to $7.8 billion in just two years reflects significant new capital contributions from the Dell family, positioning the foundation for substantially increased grantmaking in 2026 and beyond.

1. Lead with data: The Dell Foundation explicitly requires applicants to present baseline data, target population identification with numeric documentation, and measurable outcome metrics. Proposals that quantify the problem and propose concrete benchmarks for success will stand out.

2. Demonstrate scale potential: Dell prefers programs that can create systemic, broad-based change rather than localized interventions. Show how your model can be replicated or scaled beyond the initial implementation.

3. Meet the minimum threshold: Grant requests must be $50,000 or more, and the foundation will not fund more than 10% of your total annual operating expenses. Ensure your organization's budget is at least $500,000 to qualify.

4. Align with core populations: Focus your proposal on children and youth from urban low-income communities. Programs serving rural or suburban populations, or those targeting adults without a youth component, are less likely to receive funding.

5. Avoid excluded categories: The foundation explicitly does not fund individuals, medical research, event sponsorships, lobbying, endowments, infrastructure, or technology hardware. Do not request computers or equipment.

6. Consider the social enterprise angle: Dell funds both for-profit and nonprofit entities. If your organization uses a social enterprise or earned revenue model, highlight this as it aligns with their venture philanthropy approach.

7. Use the rolling application strategically: Since there is no fixed deadline, take time to craft a strong application rather than rushing to meet a cutoff. However, apply early in the calendar year when annual budgets are fresh.

8. Highlight geographic alignment: Proposals serving communities in the United States (especially Austin/Texas), India, or South Africa have the strongest geographic fit.