IEEE Foundation
The IEEE Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity serving as IEEE's philanthropic partner, managing 250+ donor-restricted funds that support STEM education, humanitarian technology, awards, and history-preservation programs for students and young professionals worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1973
- HeadquartersPiscataway, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What IEEE Foundation does
The IEEE Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity established on February 16, 1973 in New York City and currently headquartered at 445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ (EIN 23-7310664). It was created in response to IEEE transitioning to 501(c)(6) tax status in 1972 and needing a vehicle to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions, with the Foundation's Certificate of Incorporation stating its sole purpose is to "further the scientific and educational purpose of IEEE." The Foundation operates as IEEE's official philanthropic partner, managing more than 250 donor-restricted funds that support a portfolio of roughly a dozen programs — IEEE TryEngineering, EPICS in IEEE, IEEE Smart Village, IEEE MOVE, IEEE REACH, IEEE Women in Engineering, IEEE-HKN, IEEE Tech4Good, IEEE SIGHT, the IEEE History Center, and the IEEE Awards program — organized under five impact pillars: Illuminate, Educate, Engage, Energize, and Future.
The Foundation does not sell products or services. Its revenue comes from individual donations, corporate grants, planned and legacy gifts, and capital campaign fundraising. In 2025, 6,920 donors contributed $10,108,662 (average gift $836), and 924 donors had given consecutively for 10 or more years; the multi-year "Realize the Full Potential of IEEE" campaign raised $32.1 million against goal. Marginal operational recovery is generated through fund administration fees of 0.4% annually on managed funds, plus credit-card, cryptocurrency, and investment-management fees (up to 1.0% on long-term funds). Distribution is via a secure online donation portal, direct engagement by Major Gifts and Planned Giving officers, and the IEEE global OU network of regions, sections, and societies.
Programmatic reach in 2025 included 2,925 supported projects, events, and deployments; 145,919 volunteer hours; 1,778,597 lives impacted worldwide; and cumulative 2020-2025 impact of 4,824,456 lives, 10,007 projects/deployments/events, and 679,254 volunteer hours. Major corporate partnerships included Keysight Technologies (TryEngineering lesson plans reaching 1,000,000+ students through 30,000+ teachers) and onsemi (a $137,000 grant for semiconductor STEM education). Donor recognition operates through the IEEE Heritage Circle (12 cumulative-giving levels) and the IEEE Goldsmith Legacy League (planned-giving society). The Foundation holds the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency and a Charity Navigator four-star rating.
IEEE Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- IEEE Foundation
- Legal name
- IEEE Foundation
- Website
- https://ieeefoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1973
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The IEEE Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity serving as IEEE's philanthropic partner, managing 250+ donor-restricted funds that support STEM education, humanitarian technology, awards, and history-preservation programs for students and young professionals worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
IEEE Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Charitable Foundation
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)
Keywords
Where IEEE Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Piscataway
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
IEEE Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: The Foundation receives charitable contributions from individuals, including IEEE members and supporters. In 2025, 6,920 donors collectively contributed $10,108,662 million. The average individual gift was $836, with 924 loyal donors giving consecutively for 10+ years.
- Corporate Grants: Corporations provide grants to support specific IEEE programs. Example: onsemi awarded a $137,000 grant for the TryEngineering program to educate pre-university students about semiconductors and engineering careers.
- Planned Giving / Legacy Gifts: Donors include the IEEE Foundation in their estate plans through wills, trusts, charitable remainder trusts, life insurance, donor advised fund succession plans, and retirement plan beneficiaries. Members of the IEEE Goldsmith Legacy League have made these commitments.
- Campaign Fundraising: The Foundation conducts fundraising campaigns, including the 'Realize the Full Potential of IEEE' campaign which successfully exceeded its goal, raising $32.1 million.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
IEEE Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The IEEE Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that raises charitable donations and manages more than 250 funds to support IEEE's humanitarian, educational, historic preservation, peer recognition, and collaboration programs. In 2025 it received $10,108,662 from 6,920 donors, channeling contributions into five impact pillars: Illuminate, Educate, Engage, Energize, and Future.
Product overview
The IEEE Foundation is a 501(c)(3) philanthropic organization established in 1973 that serves as the charitable arm of IEEE, the world's largest technical professional organization. Rather than a single product, the Foundation operates as a portfolio of humanitarian, educational, and historical preservation programs organized under five impact pillars: Illuminate, Educate, Engage, Energize, and Future. Core programs include IEEE TryEngineering (STEM education outreach), EPICS in IEEE (service-learning), IEEE Smart Village (energy access), IEEE MOVE (mobile STEM), IEEE REACH (educational resources), IEEE Women in Engineering, IEEE Awards, IEEE History Center, IEEE-HKN (honor society), IEEE Tech4Good, and IEEE SIGHT. The Foundation also manages donor recognition through IEEE Heritage Circle and IEEE Goldsmith Legacy League, publishes the IEEE Foundation Focus and Forever Generous newsletters, and provides fund management services for 250+ donor-restricted funds supporting IEEE programs worldwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- IEEE TryEngineering STEM education program providing pre-university engineering learning resources, lesson plans, and classroom materials for students, teachers, and parents.
- EPICS in IEEE Engineering Projects in Community Service program enabling IEEE students and members to partner with local community organizations on technology-based service learning projects.
- IEEE Smart Village Humanitarian initiative that delivers sustainable solar power, broadband connectivity, and educational resources to off-grid, energy-impoverished communities worldwide.
- IEEE MOVE Mobile Outreach for Voteless Energy (MOVE) program providing emergency power, communications, and STEM outreach via mobile units during natural disasters and community events.
- IEEE REACH Educational resources program that provides free, openly licensed humanities and social science teaching materials on the history of technology and engineering.
- IEEE Women in Engineering Program supporting the recruitment, retention, and professional advancement of women in engineering and technology careers through affinity groups, awards, and conferences.
- IEEE Awards Program Peer recognition program that administers medals, fellowships, scholarships, and prize awards honoring outstanding contributions to engineering and technology.
- IEEE History Center Program dedicated to preserving, researching, and promoting the history of electrical, electronic, and computer engineering through archives, exhibits, and publications.
- IEEE-HKN Honor society program (Eta Kappa Nu) recognizing scholarship, character, and attitude among electrical and computer engineering students and professionals.
- IEEE Tech4Good Program supporting technology-based humanitarian projects that address pressing societal challenges through innovation and volunteer engagement.
- IEEE SIGHT Special Interest Group on Humanitarian Technology (SIGHT) program partnering IEEE volunteers with underserved communities to deliver sustainable technology solutions.
- IEEE Foundation Fund Management Charitable fund administration service that establishes, invests, and manages restricted and unrestricted endowment funds for individual donors, IEEE units, and corporate partners, assessed at 0.4% annually on managed funds.
- Student and Young Professional Grants & Scholarships Grants and scholarship program providing direct financial awards to IEEE student and young professional members for research, conferences, and humanitarian projects.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4,824,456 lives impacted (2020-2025)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use IEEE Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
IEEE Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
IEEE Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- IEEEcoreIEEE Foundation is the official philanthropic partner of IEEE, managing 250+ funds that advance humanitarian, educational, historic preservation, peer recognition, and expanding collaboration programs. The Foundation connects IEEE member-led initiatives with financing, expertise, and philanthropic guidance.
- IEEE Smart VillagecoreIEEE Smart Village seed-funded seven new enterprises across Africa and Asia and supported expansion of four ongoing projects. Funded through the IEEE Jon C. Taenzer Memorial Fund.
- EPICS in IEEEcoreEPICS in IEEE achieved a record year with 48 projects involving nearly 1,000 students from 17 countries. 22 projects were funded by the IEEE Foundation.
- IEEE MOVE (Mobility Opp. for Vet. & Everyone)coreIEEE MOVE Global engaged new locations in Ecuador, Southeast Asia, Nigeria, Tunisia. MOVE India launched first Mobile Outreach Vehicle. Over 15,000 volunteer hours from 128 active volunteers in U.S., Puerto Rico, and India.
- IEEE TryEngineeringcoreIEEE TryEngineering supported 58 engineering outreach projects in 21 countries and provided 46 students opportunity to attend the IEEE TryEngineering Summer Institute at no cost. Celebrating 20 years of empowering educators in 2026.
- IEEE Tech4GoodcoreIEEE Tech4Good received a record 500 project proposals and awarded funding to 71 IEEE-member-led teams in 15 countries. 12 projects were directly supported by IEEE Foundation.
- IEEE SIGHTcoreIEEE SIGHT broadened global footprint welcoming 33 new groups, bringing network to 300+ groups across 58 countries and 80,000+ members. IEEE Foundation enabled four new groups in Tunisia, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Sri Lanka.
- IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE)coreIEEE WIE awarded two Family Cares Grants in 2025 to reduce caregiving costs for conference participation. Hosted IEEE WIE Big Idea Pitch Competition awarding grants to teams and individuals.
- IEEE History CentercoreIEEE History Center dedicated a record 28 IEEE Milestones and published 15 oral histories featuring IEEE Past Presidents. IEEE Global Museum program launched second exhibit 'Microchips that Shook the World'.
- IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE-HKN)coreWhen IEEE and Eta Kappa Nu (HKN), IEEE's honor society, merged in 2010, the new IEEE-HKN joined the IEEE Foundation portfolio of programs. IEEE-HKN logged 110,000+ hours of community service in 2025.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
IEEE Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Mozilla Foundation: Major technology-focused philanthropic foundation funding internet health, digital literacy, and AI accountability programs. Comparable in tech-mission-driven grantmaking, though operates independently rather than as a professional society's arm.
- Linux Foundation: Supports open-source ecosystem through foundation-funded programs including training, events, and community initiatives. Comparable as a large-scale technology-focused nonprofit stewarding multiple programs with corporate funding partners, though with a different primary mission.
- AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science): Operates as both a professional membership organization and a major science advocacy/philanthropic entity, including education programs like Science in the Classroom. Larger and broader than IEEE Foundation but functionally similar as a science/engineering society foundation.
Others
- National Geographic Society: Long-established philanthropic society funding exploration, science education, and grant programs with similar fundraising structures (membership, donor circles, legacy giving). Different domain but a useful peer for governance structure, multi-tier donor recognition, and impact reporting practices.
Direct peers
- ACM (Association for Computing Machinery): ACM is the world's largest computing professional society and operates ACM SIGs, awards, and education programs funded by an associated philanthropic arm — directly comparable to IEEE Foundation's role as the charitable arm of IEEE. Both steward member-led programs across computing/engineering disciplines and rely on member donations.
- ASME Foundation: The philanthropic arm of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, supporting engineering education, scholarships, humanitarian programs, and awards — structurally and functionally analogous to IEEE Foundation. Both are engineering-society foundations of similar scale.
- Optica Foundation: Philanthropic arm of Optica (formerly the Optical Society), funding optics and photonics education, research, and outreach programs. Highly comparable in scope: a technical society foundation supporting scholarships, student chapters, and public engagement around a specific engineering discipline.
- SPIE: International society for optics and photonics with its own education outreach and scholarship programs funded through SPIE's charitable activities. Closely comparable to IEEE Foundation in supporting student travel grants, fellowships, and educational initiatives for a technical sub-discipline.
- AIAA Foundation: Foundation arm of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, funding aerospace education, scholarships, and STEM outreach — a direct model-comparable technical society foundation of similar organizational size and donor base profile.
Emerging players
- Internet Society Foundation: Funds internet-related education, training, and community-building projects globally with a smaller scale than IEEE Foundation. Comparable in mission (technology for humanity) and grantmaking model, though narrower scope (internet access vs. broader engineering).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
IEEE Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceIEEE Foundation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
IEEE Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
IEEE Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
IEEE Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
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IEEE Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about IEEE Foundation
What does IEEE Foundation do?
The IEEE Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that raises charitable donations and manages more than 250 funds to support IEEE's humanitarian, educational, historic preservation, peer recognition, and collaboration programs. In 2025 it received $10,108,662 from 6,920 donors, channeling contributions into five impact pillars: Illuminate, Educate, Engage, Energize, and Future.
Is IEEE Foundation a public or private company?
IEEE Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was IEEE Foundation founded?
IEEE Foundation was founded in 1973. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is IEEE Foundation based?
IEEE Foundation is headquartered in Piscataway, United States, in the North America region.
How does IEEE Foundation make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Grants, planned Giving / Legacy Gifts and campaign Fundraising.
Who are IEEE Foundation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Mozilla Foundation, Linux Foundation and AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science). National Geographic Society is listed as an others. Direct peers are ACM (Association for Computing Machinery), ASME Foundation, Optica Foundation, SPIE and AIAA Foundation. Internet Society Foundation is listed as an emerging player.
Does IEEE Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for IEEE Foundation.
What industry is IEEE Foundation in?
IEEE Foundation's product category is Charitable Foundation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAA, Private Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGADAE, College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 813211.