Siemens Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Siemens Foundation is the stateside foundation of the gigantic global engineering and electronics conglomerate of the same name. The foundation supports STEM education and health equity.
IP TAKE: The Siemens Foundation’s philanthropy consists mainly of ongoing partnerships with large nonprofits in STEM career training. A smaller portion of giving supports health equity. Siemens has also made investments in a few community development financial institutions to provide low-cost business loans to veterans and disabled people. This is an inaccessible corporate foundation. Connecting through an employee may present an opportunity.
PROFILE: The Siemens Foundation is the American philanthropic arm of Siemens, the German multinational technology firm created in 1847 by two Berlin-based inventors who made improvements in telegraph technology. It operates in conjunction with the company’s suite of foundations in other countries. The Siemens Foundation “advances workforce development and health equity initiatives in the United States.” Additionally, the foundation has made investments in Community Development Financial Institutions that prioritize low-income communities, veterans and disabled people.
Grants for STEM Education and Economic Development
Workforce development is the Siemens Foundation’s largest giving area. Grantmaking aims to “promote awareness of opportunities in STEM, healthcare, and clean energy careers, and scale effective education and training models that help young adults prepare for well-paying jobs.” A significant portion of recent funding has focused on workforce development for the emerging electric vehicle charging sector. The foundation has partnered with the National Governors Association and the National League of Cities in the development of an EV Workforce Collaborative. Support has also gone to Everyone Charging Forward, “a collaboration of automakers, unions, utilities, electric vehicle supply equipment manufacturers” and others to develop training and certification programs for the field.
Additional giving for workforce development has focused on high school students. Grantees include the National League of Cities’ Youth Excel program, the Education Strategy Group and the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship.
Grants for Public Health and Access
Siemens’s health equity giving works broadly to improve quality and access to health care in the U.S. through grants and in-kind donations. The foundation does not name specific goals for its grantmaking in this area. A significant portion of recent health giving has focused on COVID vaccine outreach and home testing. Other areas of interest appear to be exercise and nutrition.
Public health grantees include the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, the Washington Association for Community Health and Choose Healthy Life, a faith-based initiative that works to “increase access to health screenings, vaccinations, and resources.”
Grants for Community Development, Military and Veterans
The Siemens Foundation has demonstrated commitment to community development through its investments in community development financial institutions (CDFIs). Recent investments have gone to PeopleFund and the Disability Opportunity Fund, which support the economic revitalization of low-income areas through “low-cost, patient capital to create long-term positive change.” The funds will focus capital on small business loans for veterans and disabled people.
Important Grant Details:
Grants generally range from $2,500 to $500,000 but have been larger in a few cases.
Siemens grantmaking generally takes the form of long-term partnerships with large, well-established organizations.
Workforce development and STEM careers are the foundation’s largest giving areas.
This funder does not appear to accept unsolicited proposals.
Information about past grantees is available on the foundation’s program pages.
General inquiries may be submitted to the Siemens Foundation via email at foundation.us@siemens.com.
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