Peery Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Peery Foundation’s global development grantmaking invests in market-based interventions to advance poverty alleviation and development efforts around the world. Its global health grants fund organizations serving vulnerable, marginalized and rural communities around the world.
IP TAKE: Peery paused grantmaking in 2021, and it is unclear if this funder has resumed funding. According to its website, it seeks grantees “proactively” and does not respond to inquiries. However, reviews indicate that this funder is “responsive,” “friendly,” “openminded” and that it likes to build relationships with its grantee partners. Networking will be necessary here, but it may be worth your time. See below for the foundation’s contact information.
PROFILE: The Peery Foundation was established in 1978 but did not begin its grantmaking activities until 2001. It funds market-based approaches due to its commitment to providing unrestricted multi-year funding. Based in Palo Alto, California, Peery is “family-run” and does not employ a large staff or run an application program. About half of its grantmaking stays in Northern California, but grants have gone to organizations in other parts of the U.S. and around the world. It does not articulate areas of interest, but a significant portion of its funding supports anti-poverty initiatives.
Grants for Global Development and Global Health
Although five generations of the Peery family have called Palo Alto, California home, many have spent years living and traveling in developing countries. Inspired by time spent working on service projects for the vulnerable, the foundation established a Global Portfolio to address poverty issues around the world. According to former Executive Director Jessamyn Lau, the foundation believes its “primary function is to support and serve the social entrepreneurs” it works with and to keep its “funding as flexible as possible.”
Peery is in tune with global philanthropy and is a member of Big Bang Philanthropy, a collaborative of like-minded funders who favor entrepreneurial approaches to reducing global poverty. In each of its grantmaking portfolios, the Peery Foundation is willing to take risks and acknowledges that not all results can be measured, but a promise of great impact is required.
Examples of past global grantees include VisionSpring, which received funding for its program providing access to high quality reading glasses; and Medic Mobile, which received funding to support its free, open source mobile health technology platform. Additional global grantees include the One Acre Fund, Living Goods, Samasource, and Vittana.
Grants for Work and Opportunity
A portion of Peery’s grantmaking supports U.S.-based initiatives that promote work and economic opportunity for vulnerable and low-income people. Unfortunately, the foundation does not outline its strategies for this giving. Grantees have included New York City’s Center for Employment Opportunities and the Street Business School of Niwot, Colorado.
Grants for the Bay Area
The funder’s local program focuses on closing the opportunity gap to prevent the achievement gap from widening. Peery prefers to see a demonstrated and articulated need by community stakeholders, high-quality services and transformational experiences. It does not fund programs that are not requested by local schools or the community, nor does it typically fund housing or health causes. Past local grantees include the East Palo Alto Charter School, the East Palo Alto Youth Court and the Ravenswood Education Foundation.
Important Grant Details:
Funding is made in the form of one-time and multi-year unrestricted grants that range between $1,000 and $100,000 per year. The foundation does not have specific grant making cycles and awards grants on a rolling basis. The Peery Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications or requests for funding. Contact information is provided below.
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CONTACT:
Peery Foundation
2390 El Camino Real, Suite 260
Palo Alto, CA 94306-1454
(800) 839-1754
