Today, the Smithsonian faces steep funding hurdles for its research, education and conservation programs – only about 60 percent of the Smithsonian’s $1 billion budget comes from the federal government. This leaves a big hole to fill, through private donations and support from endowments, foundations and corporations.
An added challenge: many valuable projects are too small to be of interest to big funders. This is where the SWC comes in. Each year the organization awards grants of up to $35,000 to SI institutions and programs so that valuable but unfunded projects can move forward. Often, SWC’ grants are the seed money for new research which may lead to additional outside funding. Every project funded through a SWC grant must have an immediate benefit, and most are completed within 18 months of funding.
Learn more about our grants and endowments
