Nick Simons Foundation

The Nick Simons Foundation is a deeply personal family foundation, not a program-driven grantmaking institution. It was established in 2005 to honor Nick Simons — son of Jim and Marilyn Simons — who died in Nepal and whose passion for the country shaped the foundation's singular geographic focus. Understanding this origin is essential: every funding decision flows from a family's grief, love, and long-term commitment to a specific place.

This is a by-invitation-only foundation. The foundation explicitly does not accept unsolicited proposals, and application_instructions in their public filings are marked "none." There is no grants portal, no RFP process, and no open cycle. Grant seekers who cold-submit an LOI or letter of inquiry should not expect a response.

The foundation's giving model is built on multi-year, high-trust relationships with a concentrated set of organizations. Its top two grantees — Gradian Health Systems ($25.2M) and Nick Simons Foundation International ($18.4M) — account for over 61% of all documented giving. This is not a foundation that spreads small grants across many organizations; it builds deep, decade-long partnerships with organizations demonstrably aligned to its mission.

For first-time applicants, the only realistic pathway is through warm introductions from existing grantees or through demonstrated involvement in Nepal's healthcare ecosystem — particularly organizations working alongside the Nick Simons Institute (NSI) in Kathmandu. Organizations operating in partnership with NSI on rural health worker training, anesthesia capacity, or TB elimination are most likely to surface in foundation conversations naturally.

Family governance is tight. All trustees are Simons family members or immediate in-laws (Heising, Cappell families). Zero compensation across all officers signals this is an owner-operated foundation with no professional program staff making independent grantmaking decisions. Relationship capital with any trustee is therefore highly transferable to funding consideration.

Following Jim Simons' death in May 2024, the foundation enters a period of potential transition. Marilyn Simons (Co-President & Secretary) is expected to continue the mission, but applicants should monitor whether the board composition or focus area evolves in 2025-2026.

The Nick Simons Foundation distributes approximately $14–16 million annually in grants, with a documented spike to $22.2M in fiscal year 2019 following a $17.5M contribution from the Simons family. Typical annual giving has remained consistent: $15.2M (2018), $16.7M (2020), $16M (2021), $15.9M (2022), $15.8M (2023). The 2024 fiscal year shows $16.71M in charitable disbursements per ProPublica data.

Grant sizing is highly bimodal. Across 97 documented grants totaling $70.2M, the average grant is $723,351 — but this figure is distorted by a handful of massive strategic grants:

• Tier 1 — Strategic Partners: $5M–$25M total across multi-year commitments (Gradian Health Systems, Nick Simons Foundation International). Individual annual installments in the $1.5M–$5M range.
• Tier 2 — Operational Partners: $500K–$3M total across 3–8 grants (Patan Hospital at $2.87M, Autism Care Nepal at $2.03M, Nyaya Health Nepal at $1.5M, American Himalayan Foundation at $779K, Birat Nepal Medical Trust at $725K). These grants run $150K–$500K annually.
• Tier 3 — Supplementary Grants: $15K–$200K total, typically 1–4 grants (Himalayan Cataract Project, Nepal Mathematical Society, Hospice Nepal, Doctors Without Borders, cultural preservation organizations).

Geographically, the foundation's beneficiary geography is 100% Nepal-focused, though grantee organizations are predominantly US-based nonprofits implementing in-country. By grantee headquarters state, New York–based organizations (21 grantees) and Massachusetts-based organizations (7 grantees) dominate, followed by California (7), Vermont (4), and West Virginia (4).

By program area: healthcare infrastructure and medical training dominate at an estimated 85–90% of total giving, with smaller allocations to mathematics education (Nepal Mathematical Society), disability services (Autism Care Nepal), cultural preservation (Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust), and reproductive health (Ipas). The foundation's core thesis is systems-level capacity building — training Nepali health workers, equipping rural hospitals, and developing sustainable healthcare delivery infrastructure.

The following peer foundations share similar asset sizes (~$223M) and operate in the Philanthropy & Grantmaking NTEE category. The Nick Simons Foundation's narrow geographic focus and invitation-only model contrast sharply with most asset-comparable foundations.

The Nick Simons Foundation stands out among its asset-size peers for its singular geographic concentration — virtually all giving flows to Nepal or Nepal-focused US organizations, while most similarly-sized foundations operate domestically with diverse program portfolios. Its giving ratio (roughly 7% of assets annually) falls within normal private foundation parameters (5% minimum payout required). The John T Gorman Foundation and BCBS NC Foundation both maintain more accessible application processes with structured LOI and RFP cycles — demonstrating that invitation-only models at this asset level are a deliberate choice reflecting the family foundation's owner-governed structure, not sector norms.

The most significant recent development is the death of Jim Simons on May 10, 2024, at age 86. As co-founder and Co-President & Treasurer of the Nick Simons Foundation, Simons's passing ends a chapter of direct family leadership. IRS filings show he held the Co-President & Treasurer title through at least fiscal year 2024. Marilyn Simons, who has served as Co-President & Secretary, is expected to continue leading the foundation alongside the next generation of trustees (Nat Simons, Liz Simons, Laura Baxter-Simons, Caitlin and Mark Heising, Audrey and Jacob Cappell).

Financially, the foundation's assets grew from $186.2M (2020) to $223.7M (2024), despite distributing $15–16M annually — driven by investment returns from what are presumed to be Simons-family investment vehicles. The foundation received zero external contributions in 2022, 2023, and 2024, confirming it operates as a fully endowed perpetual family foundation.

Grantee activity shows Gradian Health Systems remains the cornerstone relationship, with grants explicitly funding COVID-19 ventilator supply to Nepal (9 hospitals), R&D for expanded product portfolio, and ongoing hospital supply globally. Autism Care Nepal received support for a new service and training facility for children with autism — signaling the foundation's continued interest in broadening its disability services portfolio alongside its core healthcare infrastructure work.

No new program announcements or strategic pivots were publicly reported in 2025. The foundation maintains a deliberately low public profile, and its website (nicksimonsfoundation.org) offers limited programmatic detail beyond the core Nepal health mission.

Given the foundation's invitation-only structure, traditional grant-seeking tactics — cold LOIs, online applications, executive director outreach — will not work here. The following tips apply specifically to positioning for potential future relationship-building:

Establish credibility in Nepal's healthcare ecosystem first. The foundation consistently funds organizations with years of in-country track record. Before expecting to appear on the foundation's radar, build documented, multi-year presence working with Nepal's Ministry of Health, district hospitals, or community health systems — especially in rural and remote areas.

Partner with existing grantees. Organizations already in the Nick Simons Foundation's network — particularly the Nick Simons Institute, Patan Hospital, Nyaya Health Nepal, and American Himalayan Foundation — are your best pathway to a warm introduction. Sub-granting relationships, technical partnerships, or co-authored implementation research with these organizations creates the relational visibility the foundation relies on for due diligence.

Align language with rural health worker training and systems strengthening. The Nick Simons Institute's core mandate is training Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), Health Assistants, and other mid-level providers for rural deployment. Programs that complement this pipeline — including retention, supervision, continuing education, or facility readiness — are most likely to resonate.

Demonstrate organizational sustainability, not just program impact. The foundation's top grantees (Gradian, Nick Simons Foundation International, Patan Hospital) are institutions with 10+ year track records. The foundation is explicitly investing in organizational durability, not short-term pilots.

Avoid scope creep in your pitch. The foundation's 97 documented grants are almost entirely Nepal-specific. Proposals that position Nepal as one component of a global program will likely underperform compared to Nepal-dedicated organizations.

Timing: no open cycle. There are no documented application deadlines or annual RFP windows. Relationship development is the only viable timeline.

Leadership transition awareness. With Jim Simons's death in May 2024, Marilyn Simons and the second-generation trustees now govern independently. Prior relationships with Jim Simons personally do not automatically transfer — reestablishing touchpoints with current board members is advisable for any organization that had Jim as a direct relationship anchor.