The Lemelson Foundation

EIN 880391959

Bellevue, WA 98004 |(503) 222-2924

https://WWW.LEMELSON.ORG
Total Given 2018–2023
$105.2M
303 grants · $17.5M avg/year
based on 6 yrs of IRS 990-PF records on file
$10M+/yr
major funder
capacity
$110K
typical big bets · $40K–$291K
grant size
32%
supporter · 38/119 multi-year
repeat
$416.6M
Assets (2023)
119
Distinct Recipients

Focus Areas

Education Health Arts & Culture Environment Human Services

Application Information

Accepts Unsolicited Proposals No — Preselected Only
Phone (503) 222-2924

Financial Trends

Giving Over Time

Total Assets Over Time

View financial data as table
YearTotal GivingTotal AssetsRevenueGrants
2018 $19.6M $363.8M $31.2M 54
2019 N/A $405.5M $28.3M N/A
2020 $25.6M $447.6M $33.8M 75
2022 $29.8M $395.9M $7.2M 76
2023 $30.3M $416.6M $6.0M 98

Grant Size Distribution

Based on 303 grants on record

Minimum
$1K
25th Pctl
$40K
Median
$110K
Average
$347K
75th Pctl
$291K
Maximum
$9.2M

Geographic Distribution

Texas Counties Served

4.6% of US grants · Rank #7 of 25 states $3.2M across 12 grants 4 of 254 counties

Top 4 counties

  1. 1 Harris 6 grants · $2.9M
  2. 2 Tarrant 2 grants · $200K
  3. 3 Travis 3 grants · $100K
  4. 4 Bexar 1 grant · $5K

Officers & Directors

Grants Awarded (303 total)

Purpose
National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance Hadley, MA $9,155,572 TO SUPPORT PROMISING, EARLY-STAGE STUDENT INVENTORS IN THE VENTURE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, AND TO SUPPORT FACULTY TO... 2020
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA $5,750,000 TO SEEK TO DEVELOP THE NEXT GENERATION OF INVENTORS, WITH A FOCUS ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION, AND... 2022
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA $4,770,000 TO CONTINUE SUPPORT FOR THE LEMELSON-MIT PROGRAM INCLUDING THE LEMELSON-MIT PRIZE, STUDENT PRIZE PROGRAM, INVENTEAM... 2018
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA $4,500,000 TO CONTINUE SUPPORT FOR THE LEMELSON-MIT PROGRAM INCLUDING THE LEMELSON-MIT PRIZE, STUDENT PRIZE PROGRAM, INVENTEAM... 2020
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA $3,450,000 TO SEEK TO DEVELOP THE NEXT GENERATION OF INVENTORS, WITH A FOCUS ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION, AND... 2023
National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance Hadley, MA $3,094,405 TO SUPPORT PROMISING, EARLY-STAGE STUDENT INVENTORS IN THE VENTURE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, AND TO SUPPORT FACULTY TO... 2020
National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance Hadley, MA $3,092,045 TO SUPPORT EARLY-STAGE INNOVATORS TO DEVELOP AND COMMERCIALIZE PRODUCTS THAT SOLVE SOCIAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS,... 2018
National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance Hadley, MA $3,053,149 TO SUPPORT PROMISING, EARLY-STAGE STUDENT INVENTORS IN THE VENTURE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, AND TO SUPPORT FACULTY TO... 2022
National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance Hadley, MA $3,021,976 TO SUPPORT PROMISING, EARLY-STAGE STUDENT INVENTORS IN THE VENTURE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, AND TO SUPPORT FACULTY TO... 2022
National Collegiate Inventors & Innovators Alliance Hadley, MA $3,021,976 TO SUPPORT INVENTIVE MINDSETS AND SKILLSETS IN COLLEGIATE STUDENTS AND TO SUPPORT FACULTY TO CULTIVATE INVENTION EDUCATION. 2023
National Science Foundation Alexandria, VA $2,650,000 TO SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION PROJECTS AT HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS SELECTED BY THE RESEARCH... 2023
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA $2,300,000 TO SEEK TO DEVELOP THE NEXT GENERATION OF INVENTORS, WITH A FOCUS ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION, AND... 2022
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA $2,300,000 TO SEEK TO DEVELOP THE NEXT GENERATION OF INVENTORS, WITH A FOCUS ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION, AND... 2023
William Marsh Rice University Houston, TX $1,228,909 TO EXPAND A HIGH QUALITY INVENTION EDUCATION PROGRAM WITHIN MALAWI AND TANZANIA, AND TO DEVELOP AND DISSEMINATE... 2018
Kenya Impact Innovations Foundation Nairobi, None $1,200,000 TO SUPPORT BUSINESS INCUBATION ACTIVITIES, DEVELOP A PIPELINE OF INVENTION-BASED ENTERPRISES, AND STRENGTHEN AN... 2022
Villgro Innovations Foundation (Formerly Known As Rural Innovations Network Chennai, None $1,025,950 TO INCUBATE INVENTION-BASED ENTERPRISES, ADDRESS SYSTEMIC BARRIERS TO SCALE AND STRENGTHEN THE RESILIENCE OF THE... 2022
Climate Breakthrough Inc Berkeley, CA $1,000,000 FOR GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT. 2023
Instituto Clima E Sociedade Rio De Janeiro, None $1,000,000 TO BRING INTERNET CONNECTIVITY TO THE GUARDIANS OF THE AMAZON AND DEVELOP A ROADMAP FOR INDUSTRIAL DECARBONIZATION... 2023
Rocky Mountain Institute Boulder, CO $1,000,000 TO ACCELERATE INDUSTRIAL DECARBONIZATION BY SOURCING, SELECTING, SUPPORTING, AND SCALING CLIMATE TECH STARTUPS... 2023
Rocky Mountain Institute Boulder, CO $1,000,000 TO SUPPORT THE ACCELERATION OF INDUSTRIAL DECARBONIZATION BY SOURCING, SELECTING, SUPPORTING, AND SCALING CLIMATE... 2023
Environmental Defense Fund Incorporated New York, NY $1,000,000 TO SUPPORT METHANESAT, AN ORBITAL EYE IN THE SKY THAT COULD MONITOR INDUSTRIAL METHANE LEAKS ALL OVER THE PLANET. 2018
Environmental Defense Fund Incorporated New York, NY $1,000,000 TO SUPPORT METHANESAT, AN ORBITAL EYE IN THE SKY THAT COULD MONITOR INDUSTRIAL METHANE LEAKS ALL OVER THE PLANET. 2018
Villgro Innovations Foundation Chennai, None $867,658 TO SUPPORT THE INCUBATION AND LAUNCH OF HIGH-IMPACT, HIGHLY SCALABLE, INVENTION-BASED ENTERPRISES IN INDIA THAT... 2018
Smithsonian Institute National Museum of American History Washington, DC $850,000 TO SUPPORT THE INSTALLATION OF A NEW EXHIBITION, GAME CHANGERS, AND TO DEVELOP EDUCATION OUTREACH PROGRAMS. 2022
Portland State University Foundation Portland, OR $833,045 TO SUPPORT A STATEWIDE COLLEGIATE INVENTION COMPETITION IN OREGON. 2023