Hastings Fund

OVERVIEW: The Hastings Fund invests in educational initiatives that prioritize underserved students, minority students and the portfolio model of school governance.

IP TAKE: This is not an accessible funder. It’s a private family foundation with a limited scope and highly targeted grantmaking. Its main grantees include charter schools and organizations that promote the portfolio model of school governance. It has also given to higher education initiatives that prioritize underserved and minority students within its mission.

PROFILE: The Hastings Fund was established in 2016 by Reed Hastings, the CEO of Netflix, a leading media content and services provider. Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin, are signatories of the Giving Pledge, and they launched the Hastings Fund with a $100 million grant through the Silicon Valley Community Foundation to two initial grantees, the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley and the United Negro College Fund. Hastings aims to “partner with communities to significantly increase the number of students who have access to rich and holistic educational experiences.” This funder does not maintain a website, limiting information about its specific grantmaking practices.

Grants for K-12 and Higher Education

The Hastings Fund focuses exclusively on education and prioritizes quality education for underprivileged and minority students. In partnership with the Arnold Ventures, Hastings founded the City Fund, which supports and facilitates the adoption of the portfolio model of school governance by urban schools across the U.S.

In higher education, Hastings recently announced that it would be supporting historically black colleges and universities with a $120 million grant to be split between Spelman College, Morehouse College, and the United Negro College Fund. Additional past grantees include the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley and the Ross Valley Charter School in Marin County, California. 

Important Grant Details:

The Hastings Fund does not maintain a website and does not accept unsolicited proposals. All grantmaking is conducted through the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which may be contacted via email or telephone at 650-450-5400.

PEOPLE:

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CONTACT:

Hastings Fund

c/o Silicon Valley Community Foundation

2440 West El Camino Real, Suite 300

Mountain View, CA 94040

(650) 450-5400