What we do
We deploy an inquiry-based model of philanthropy, funding initiatives, research, and communities tackling society’s most urgent challenges at the intersections of learning, work, and infrastructure.
Technological change has radically altered the way we live, work, and learn. The transformation of the global economy has impacted society on every level—from schools to the workplace to our communities—and altered the terms on which people are able to access opportunities and thrive in daily life. In order to address the biggest challenges we face today, we aim to support technology that serves the public interest, and ensure all people can engage with and affect change in a rapidly evolving world.
Who We Are
Founded in 2011 by David Siegel, co-founder and co-chairman of the financial sciences company Two Sigma, we believe that philanthropy is society’s risk capital–it can help drive innovation by investing in local leaders and community-born solutions, fostering prosperous and equitable futures for all. Our work is centered around funding organizations that address society’s most critical challenges, while supporting innovative civic and community leaders, social entrepreneurs, researchers, and more that are driving this work forward.
Our Mission
To understand and shape the impact of technology on society
Our Vision
A world in which all people have the tools, skills, and context necessary to engage meaningfully in a rapidly changing society
Our Work
Our Interest Areas
We make grants across three primary interest areas. Learn more about each one, and the grantees we work with, below.
Approach
Inquiry-Driven Grantmaking
A Grounding in the Scientific Method
We know that philanthropy doesn’t hold all the answers to addressing tough societal challenges. However, we believe that philanthropy is uniquely positioned to ask big questions of our society, and to bring together the right stakeholders to answer those questions. Our inquiry-driven approach to grantmaking is an iterative process of asking questions, systematically interrogating them, and applying our learnings to subsequent rounds of questioning.
Our approach is grounded in the scientific method, and is inspired by our chairman and founder David Siegel’s approach to his life’s work. We ask questions that help us develop an informed hypothesis, support academic and field-work that uncovers evidence, track and interpret outcomes thoughtfully, and apply our findings in order to inform the next phase of inquiry.
Knowledge and Impact
This approach moves beyond the traditional grant check-in. We are deliberate about how we gather and interpret information, ensuring that learnings accumulate over time and across grants and portfolios. We call this work Knowledge and Impact. We deeply engage with our partners to surface insights that advance both Siegel’s inquiry and their own—and to translate those learnings into knowledge that can inform the broader field.
Grantees
Our Grantees
We support a wide range of grantees who are engaged with advancing our understanding of the driving questions that underpin our research. We also support a diverse range of grantee work, from academic research projects, to mission-driven programs, to institutions informing policy and governance across a range of sectors.
Go Deeper
All Insights
Reflections
You spoke, we listened: 2025 Grantees’ Perspectives on Funder-Grantee Relationships and Siegel Family Endowment
We believe feedback is essential to continuous improvement. Philanthropy operates within inherent power imbalances, making it all the more important…
News | Reflections
Playback: Siegel’s 2026 “Ask-Me-Anything”
Siegel’s annual Ask Me Anything webinar is an opportunity for our friends and partners to learn about our plans for…
Big Ideas | Reflections
Rural Consultation Series: Rural Innovation Is Happening. Why Don’t We Hear More About It?
In our work—with grantees, through firsthand observation, and in the stories we intentionally seek—we’ve witnessed the power of technological innovation…