OVERVIEW: The Lemelson Foundation fosters the development of physical inventions that improve people’s lives. It makes grants in the United States, India, and Africa to support STEM education and entrepreneurship, especially in the area of climate change.
IP TAKE: The Lemelson Foundation is a niche funder that gives relatively substantial grants within its limited focus area. Lemelson is a major funder of STEM education and entrepreneurship initiatives, but its main focus is always on supporting and promoting young inventors. However, this funder has a very specific stance on what it sees as “invention”: rather than software or programming-related innovations, Lemelson seeks to support solutions based on hardware, materials, and physical sciences. Grantseekers should keep this in mind when deciding whether your project is right for this funder. While this funder takes a national and global approach to support for inventors, it has a soft spot for Oregon groups. Grant seekers can try suggesting a local education program for high school student inventors.
Lemelson is not the most transparent funder, as it does not maintain a comprehensive, searchable database of past grantees, although it does publicize select grantees through news and blog posts. It also does not have comprehensive guidelines on its grantmaking strategy. Lemelson is not particularly accessible either, as it does not accept unsolicited proposals or requests for funding. Although it conducts the majority of its grantmaking by invitation only based on the recommendations of its program staff, it does have a form for interested grantseekers to submit an inquiry.
PROFILE: The Lemelson Foundation was established in 1992 by Jerry and Dolly Lemelson. Jerry was a prolific independent inventor with over 600 patents in a wide range of applications, from industrial manufacturing to medical equipment to children’s toys. He was an outspoken advocate for the rights of independent inventors and established his foundation to support the education, work, and rights of inventors like himself. After Jerry’s death in 1997, Dolly served as President and Chair of the Board until she retired in 2018.
The foundation seeks to “cultivate the next generation of impact inventors, and strengthen the supporting systems that allow invention-based businesses to thrive.” The foundation has three core U.S.-based programs and later added programs for India and East Africa. The foundation makes grants, program-related investments, and endowments through its core initiatives of Education, Entrepreneurship, Regional Ecosystems, and Climate.
Grants for STEM Education
Lemelson’s Education program makes grants in the U.S., India, and East Africa to promote “a dynamic, open-ended, transdisciplinary teaching approach rooted in problem identification and solution development.”
In the area of Primary and Secondary Education, supports organizations that promote in-school and out-of-school science learning programs, especially those that include outreach to underserved communities. It also supports professional development programs for teachers aimed at promoting invention and entrepreneurship.
Grants for Higher Education aim to nurture student inventors by supporting “a pipeline of inventions and invention-based businesses while better preparing youth for the workforce of the innovation economy.”
Grants for International Education support programs in India and East Africa that “prepare students to become local change agents, inspired and equipped to invent products and build local businesses that address regional challenges.” Past grantees include InventEd, Engineering for One Planet, VentureWell, Invent Oregon, Global Minimum, Rice 360, and SELCO Foundation.
Grants for Global Development
The Lemelson foundation promotes invention-based entrepreneurship in the U.S. and abroad through its Entrepreneurship and Regional Ecosystems programs.
Grants for U.S. Higher Education and Entrepreneurship work to “increase the number of under-resourced and under-represented students who have access to resources” and “support programs that nurture student inventors on their journey to entrepreneurship and product creation.”
Grants for International Entrepreneurship support programs in India and East Africa that promote a culture of entrepreneurship and invention, prioritizing projects to solve pressing regional problems like clean water, agricultural production, health care, and clean energy. Grantees include Villgro, Gearbox, and Biosense.
Lemelson’s Regional Ecosystems program is working on creating “opportunity for inventors and invention-based start-ups that is equitable, inclusive and readily accessible to students irrespective of gender, background or geography.” It is currently focused on a pilot program centering around Oregon that it hopes can be expanded to regions across the United States. Current partners include Oregon MESA, TiE Oregon, and Invent Oregon.
Grants for Climate Change
The Lemelson Foundation’s Climate initiative aims to “combine the tools of innovation, invention, and climate justice to blaze and widen the pathways to drawing down emissions by 2030 and attaining net zero emissions by 2050.”
Its three-pronged strategy centers around Innovation, Justice, and Learning.
It works with partners in the climate science space to “identify targeted investments in technology, innovative finance solutions, and new research,” advocates for climate justice for Native American, indigenous, and underserved rural and urban communities, and fosters collaboration between partners to share knowledge and pool resources.
Important Grant Details:
Grants generally range from $10,000 to $200,000, although select partners receive millions of dollars a year. The foundation does not maintain a comprehensive list of grantees, but grantseekers may peruse its Featured Grantee Profiles or review its tax filings for more information on its past grantmaking habits.
The Lemelson Foundation conducts its grantmaking in the United States, India, and select countries in East Africa, namely Kenya and Tanzania. Its Regional Ecosystems pilot program is restricted to the state of Oregon.
The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. It conducts its grantmaking by invitation only based on opportunities identified by foundation staff. However, organizations who believe their work aligns with the foundation’s mission may submit an Inquiry Form. Invited proposals are reviewed by foundation staff and approved by the board of directors within six months.
The foundation does not make grants to individuals or support individual inventors in their work.
General questions can be directed to the staff at 503-827-8910. The mailing address is 1455 NW Overton Street, Suite 500, Portland, Oregon 97209.
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