Funding FAQ

We fund social enterprises that directly serve or impact children or youth from urban low-income communities in the areas of education, health, and family economic stability (including livelihoods and financial services). These social enterprises may be structured as for-profit or nonprofit entities.

The foundation will not fund nor continue to partner with organizations that condone, tolerate, or conduct activities that are racist, antisemitic, promote hate, or are otherwise contrary to the values of the foundation.

The foundation only supports programs and organizations that fall within our key focus areas and align with our mission and programmatic priorities. With so much good work being done around the world, it’s hard to make these decisions, but we must stay focused to maximize our impact.

The foundation does not provide grants to support:

• Individuals
• Medical research projects
• Event fundraisers or sponsorships
• Lobbying of any kind
• Endowments
• Infrastructure
• Requests for computers, laptops, tablets, or other hardware

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation is not affiliated with Dell Technologies and does not supply computers or related technology equipment.

The exact amount of the foundation’s contributions changes from year to year, depending on need and programs.

See detailed instructions on the application page.

There is one application for all geographies.

A problem statement defines the unmet needs your organization is trying to address. It is a required part of the grant application. Your problem statement should:

• Identify who you are trying to help and why.
• Include data or numeric evidence documenting the scope of the problem affecting your target population.
• Describe the geographic area where you work.

For example (numbers cited below are for illustrative purposes only):

In the XYZ school district in [country], 40 percent of fourth graders are reading one or more grade levels below proficiency as measured by the state standard reading test. The average percentage of students reading at grade level statewide is 82%, and the average for districts that are demographically like XYZ is 58%.

The foundation funds programs and organizations that can document a measurable impact on the lives of children and families. Our application process asks that you show progress — through measurable data relevant to your problem statement — toward providing opportunities for children to achieve their full potential.

Baseline data and evidence numerically document the problem in your geographic area and target population. To demonstrate the outcomes or measurable progress of a program, you must be able to document your starting point. The baseline data is point A. The desired outcome is point B.

A strong application helps us understand your plan to get from point A to B based on the baseline data and the desired outcome, and how the foundation’s support can help.

As a guideline, the foundation does not fund more than 10% of an organization’s total annual operating expenses.

After you submit your funding request online, you will be directed to a confirmation web page with details on the timeline for review. After our team reviews your request in detail, we will email you about the status of your submission.