Neilom Foundation Inc.

The Neilom Foundation (EIN 46-4177070) is a Bethesda, Maryland-based private foundation established in 2012 by Dr. Davinder K. Anand in honor of his late son, Dilip "Neil" Anand. The foundation's mission—"Using technology for good"—focuses on supporting young people who leverage technology to create positive social impact. The foundation operates an active, competitive RFP grant program with bi-annual deadlines (December 1 and May 1), making it one of the more accessible small foundations with a structured, transparent application process. Organizations should craft proposals that clearly demonstrate how technology is used as the mechanism for social change, not merely as a tool. Strong proposals will feature youth engagement as a core component—the foundation emphasizes that its community is made up of "enthusiastic young people." The foundation has deep ties to the University of Maryland, where it funded the Engineering for Social Change course in partnership with the School of Public Policy, suggesting a preference for academic-adjacent or university-connected initiatives. Bethesda-area and Mid-Atlantic organizations have geographic proximity advantage, though the RFP program appears open nationally.

Based on IRS 990-PF filings from 2020–2023, the Neilom Foundation has maintained consistent charitable distributions of $50,000–$85,000 annually. In 2020 (a strong year), $78,887 was distributed on $220,103 revenue. In 2021, $51,741 was distributed. In 2022, $56,275 was distributed on $31,287 revenue, drawing down assets. In 2023, two separate filing periods show $82,800 and $1,763 distributed across different periods, with total year assets stabilizing around $1.36 million. The foundation carries no investment in corporate stock per recent filings and does not pay officer compensation, suggesting volunteer leadership with minimal administrative overhead. NTEE code T23 (Public Foundations) distinguishes it from private independent foundations. Total assets have remained remarkably stable at approximately $1.3–$1.4 million across multiple years, indicating a managed endowment strategy. The bi-annual RFP cycle (December and May) creates two predictable giving windows per year, with individual grants likely in the $5,000–$25,000 range based on total annual distributions and typical small-foundation grant sizing.

The Neilom Foundation occupies a distinctive niche among technology-for-good funders. The following comparison situates it among similar mission-aligned foundations:

Neilom is notably one of the few small private foundations with a published RFP process and bi-annual grant cycles for technology-social-impact work. Most foundations of similar asset size ($1–2M) do not operate public competitive grant programs. The foundation's university partnership model (University of Maryland) is also distinctive and sets it apart from peer funders of similar scale.

The Neilom Foundation has recently restructured its grant program under new leadership. Alex Anand (grandson of founder Dr. Davinder K. Anand, son of the foundation's namesake Neil Anand) now serves as Director of Operations. The website at neilom.org was updated in 2025–2026 and features a revitalized RFP program with bi-annual grant deadlines on December 1 and May 1. The "RFP Awardees May 1st '25" and "RFP Dec 1st '25" pages indicate active grant cycles underway. The foundation's tagline "Using technology for good" and the highlighted community descriptor—"An active community of enthusiastic young people using technology to improve people's lives"—suggest a rebranding toward a more participatory, community-oriented model. The original Engineering for Social Change course at University of Maryland, which supported over $60,000 in student-selected social impact projects, represents the foundation's most notable programmatic legacy. Total assets remain stable at approximately $1.36 million as of fiscal year 2023, with the foundation appearing well-positioned to continue its bi-annual grant program through the current decade.

The Neilom Foundation operates one of the most accessible structured grant programs among foundations of its size. To maximize your application's success: (1) Apply during the published RFP windows—December 1 and May 1 are the stated deadlines; check neilom.org for current RFP details and submission instructions. (2) Lead with technology as the primary change mechanism—the foundation specifically funds work where technology is used as the tool for social good, not just organizations that use technology operationally. (3) Center youth participation prominently—the foundation's stated community is "enthusiastic young people"; proposals featuring youth as leaders or primary beneficiaries align with core mission. (4) Reference the foundation's legacy at the University of Maryland if your work has academic or research dimensions, as this is a strong institutional affinity. (5) Keep grant requests proportionate to the foundation's capacity: given annual distributions of $50,000–$85,000 across likely multiple grantees, requests in the $5,000–$20,000 range are most competitive. (6) Emphasize measurable social impact—the foundation tracks "Awards & Grants," "Participants Impacted," and "Total People Reached" as its key metrics. (7) Ensure your mission clearly connects to social change; technology alone is insufficient—the intersection of technology and positive community impact is the qualifying factor. (8) Contact the foundation via neilom.org/contact if you have questions before applying, as the volunteer-led model means personal engagement is welcomed.