Lemelson Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Lemelson Foundation is interested in supporting the next generation of inventors by funding STEM education and entrepreneurship initiatives that support inventors whose work has the potential to improve the lives of underserved people.
IP TAKE: This is a somewhat accessible funder that does not accept unsolicited proposals but encourages prospective grantees to take an eligibility quiz. If your work aligns with Lemelson’s priorities, you may submit a one-page inquiry, to which foundation staff may respond with an invitation to apply. They are responsive and approachable.
Those who appear to be a good fit for the foundation may then be invited to submit a one-page letter of inquiry. This funder currently works in the U.S., India and East Africa. It also runs a special program to develop “invention ecosystems” in its home state of Oregon. Most grantees are large national organizations or NGOs.
PROFILE: Based in Portland, Oregon, the Lemelson Foundation was established in 1993 by Jerome Lemelson, an inventor who was involved in the patents for many broadly-used 20th century technologies including cordless phones, fax machines, warehouse automation systems and audio and video tape recording devices The Lemelson Foundation aims to “cultivate the next generation of impact inventors, and strengthen the supporting systems that allow invention-based businesses to thrive.” This funder supports programs and organizations in the United States and developing countries around the world through three grantmaking areas: education, entrepreneurship and regional ecosystems.
Grants for STEM and K-12 Education
The Lemelson Foundation supports STEM education via its education focus area. Grants support “invention education,” which the foundation describes as “a dynamic, open-ended, transdisciplinary teaching approach rooted in problem identification and solution development.” Grantmaking spans primary, secondary and post-secondary educational settings. At the primary and secondary levels, grants support in- and out-of-school learning in the STEM disciplines, as well as programs that aim to support the development of resilience, persistence and confidence in young learners. One recent grant supported the Stemie Coalition, a national organization that runs over 600 invention and entrepreneurship programs for K-12 students in the U.S. The foundation also maintains an ongoing partnership with MIT, which runs the Lemelson-MIT Inventeams program, a student invention event that culminates with a showcase of inventions at MIT.
Grants for Higher Education
In higher education, the foundation supports “student-led invention-based projects,” prioritizing underrepresented students, environmental responsibility and mentorship. The foundation runs a signature program, VentureWell, which helps student innovators bring projects that have the potential to solve global challenges to commercialization. The foundation also collaborates with Portland State University and Business Oregon to run Oregon’s InventOR College Challenge, a competition that aims to “increase the number of inventors and entrepreneurs across the state.” Other higher education grantees include the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance, Rice University, Oregon State University, the University of California at Berkeley and Olin College of Engineering in Massachusetts.
Grants for Work and Economic Opportunity
The Lemelson Foundation supports work and economic opportunity via its entrepreneurship and regional ecosystems funding areas. The entrepreneurship program aims to support inventors as their ideas become viable products that serve as the bases for “businesses that have scalable impact.” Areas of interest include business incubators, low-cost financing and programs that support communities of practice in STEM-related industries. The regional ecosystems program funds organizations in Oregon that support entrepreneurs and regional economic development initiatives. Past work and opportunity grantees include San Francisco’s Nonprofit Enterprise and Self-Sustainability Team, the TiE Oregon Foundation and the ASME Foundation, which supports early-career engineers with professional development and career advancement programs.
Grants for Global Development
Lemelson supports global development via its education and entrepreneurship focus areas. Global education funding supports “organizations that offer hands-on, invention activities to underserved students.” Specific priorities include programs that encourage solutions to real-world problems, practical applications of STEM knowledge and programs that help students develop empathy, confidence and creativity. Similarly, Lemelson’s entrepreneurship focus area, which prioritizes programs in India and East Africa, invests in “invention ecosystems” that address social, environmental and economic challenges faced by underserved communities. One recent grantee, India’s Villgro Innovations Foundation, supports early-stage businesses with mentoring and financial support. Another grantee, Global Minimum, runs critical thinking and hands-on learning programs in schools and community centers in Sierra Leone, Kenya and South Africa. Other global grantees include Kenya’s Impact Innovations Foundation, India’s Menterra Venture Advisors and Gearbox, a Kenyan organization that supports engineering projects that address the needs of underserved people in Africa.
Important Grant Details:
The Lemelson Foundation makes over $10 million a year in grants, ranging anywhere from $5,000 to over $1 million. The foundation’s average grant size is about $50,000. This funder tends to work with large national organizations or NGOs involved in development or education in STEM disciplines. The overarching theme of its grantmaking is invention and the potential for inventions to improve the lives of underserved people.
While this funder accepts applications on an invitation-only basis, prospective grantees may complete an eligibility quiz. Organizations whose work aligns with the foundation’s priorities may submit a one-page inquiry, to which foundation staff may respond with an invitation to apply. General inquiries may be submitted via the foundation’s contact page or by telephone at 503-827-8910.
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