What Is IEEE Foundation?

The IEEE Foundation is the philanthropic arm of IEEE, organized as a United States 501(c)(3) public charity with the mission of expanding IEEE's charitable body of work through donor-supported giving. For more than fifty years it has operated as IEEE's primary vehicle for receiving and stewarding charitable contributions, directing funds toward programs that improve access to technology, enhance technological literacy, and support technical education and the broader IEEE professional community. The Foundation maintains legally distinct status from IEEE itself, which allows it to accept tax-deductible contributions in the United States and to hold restricted and donor-designated funds over the long term.

The organization takes its name partly from Alfred N. and Gertrude Goldsmith, whose early philanthropic vision provided seed funding for the Foundation's ability to support IEEE's mission. At the end of 2023, the IEEE Foundation held approximately US$74.3 million in net assets across 269 donor-designated funds serving more than 60 IEEE program partners.

Mission and Organizational Structure

The Foundation's governing structure separates it from the elected governance of IEEE proper. A volunteer board of trustees oversees investment strategy, gift acceptance policies, and grant-making priorities. Operations are coordinated closely with IEEE's educational and member programs staff. This arrangement allows individual IEEE technical societies, sections, and educational initiatives to establish named funds within the Foundation, giving donors a way to designate support to specific areas of engineering education or professional development while benefiting from the Foundation's tax-exempt status and financial management.

Programs and Initiatives

Among the Foundation's signature initiatives is the IEEE PES Scholarship Plus Initiative, a partnership with the IEEE Power and Energy Society that has awarded more than 2,000 scholarships to students pursuing careers in power engineering since 2010. IEEE Smart Village, another Foundation-supported program, provides sustainable energy infrastructure and educational resources to underserved communities internationally, with more than 170 projects incubated in 20-plus countries. IEEE REACH supports pre-university teachers with free open educational resources that embed science and engineering in social and humanistic contexts.

Fundraising and Donor Funds

The Foundation raises support through individual donations, corporate gifts, planned giving, and matching programs. Many funds are established by IEEE Fellows or longtime members who wish to honor a colleague, perpetuate a technical society activity, or endow a specific educational purpose. The Foundation accepts contributions from outside the United States as well, directing them through appropriate legal structures. Grant-making follows guidelines set by the board of trustees, with program partners submitting proposals that are reviewed against the Foundation's stated priorities of technology access, education, and professional development.

Applications

The IEEE Foundation supports and funds activities in a range of areas, including:

• Undergraduate and graduate scholarship programs in electrical and computer engineering
• Pre-university STEM education through open educational resources
• Humanitarian technology projects providing energy access to underserved communities
• Awards and recognition programs administered through IEEE technical societies
• Educational activities for IEEE members, including professional development programs