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Open Educational Resources Grantseekers

The Hewlett Foundation accepts Letters of Inquiry for its Open Educational Resources (OER) strategy. You can begin by reading about Open Educational Resources and what we support below. If you decide your project or organization fits within our guidelines, please submit a Letter of Inquiry online.

You may submit a Letter of Inquiry at any time during the year; there are no submission deadlines.

What we support:

Open Educational Resources grantmaking strives to equalize access to knowledge for teachers and students around the globe through high-quality educational resources that reside in the public domain or carry a license that permits sharing and reuse, distribution, and revision. Ultimately, the work is designed to provide all students with access to rigorous, relevant, and innovative educational opportunities.

Letter of Inquiry guidelines

We accept Letters of Inquiry for the following work:

  • Production of high-quality educational resources for K-12 and higher education
  • Supportive policies that enable OER production and adoption by governments, institutions, and schools
  • Implementable standards that guide OER development and increase discoverability, interoperability, quality, and accessibility
  • Rigorous research that spurs demand for and guides the production of OER
  • Innovative OER that deliver new, more personalized approaches to teaching and learning
  • New tools and platforms that increase OER adoption and improve productivity

We do not accept inquiries to fund the following:

  • Computer equipment
  • Individual schools
  • Individual after-school programs
  • Apprenticeship programs
  • Environmental or health education
  • Pre-K/early education programs
  • Four-year degree programs
  • Post-baccalaureate, graduate-level, or professional degree programs
  • Creation of new degree programs
  • Student services, including GED preparation, counseling services, and career centers
  • Libraries and museums
  • International meetings and conferences
  • Non-credit workforce training

Foundation funds cannot be used for IRS-defined federal lobbying. For federal purposes, lobbying means carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation as defined by Internal Revenue Code Sections 501(h), 4945(d)(1) and 4945(e) and related regulations. 

The Foundation also makes operating grants to organizations, always based on the applicant’s organizational priorities and its compatibility with our Education Program's goals.

To help you prepare for your Letter of Inquiry submission, here are the fields you will be asked to complete:

If for a project:

  • Please describe your proposed project’s expected outcomes and deliverables (max 1,500 characters, including spaces).
  • How does this project fit with the goals and strategies of the Hewlett Foundation’s Education Program? (max 1,000 characters, including spaces)
  • What is the project’s expected budget?
  • What amount are you requesting from the Hewlett Foundation?
  • What is the expected length of the project (in months)?
  • Which Creative Commons or public domain license do you propose utilizing with your project, and how? For information on licensing, see http://creativecommons.org/education and/or the Creative Commons FAQ Sheet.
  • Other comments (max 1,000 characters, including spaces)


If for general organization support:

  • Please summarize your organization’s mission and work (max 650 characters, including spaces).
  • How does your organization fit with the goals and strategies of the Hewlett Foundation's Education Program? (max 1,000 characters, including spaces)
  • What is your organization’s annual budget?
  • What amount are you requesting from the Hewlett Foundation?
  • Other comments (max 1000 characters, including spaces)


Click here to submit an online Letter of Inquiry for Open Educational Resources.