About
Our foundation prioritizes initiatives that deliver proven outcomes—maximizing our impact for communities worldwide
How We Work
We are built on a simple idea: strategically small actions can spark global progress.
Privately funded and driven by personal commitment over external donors, we select initiatives designed to create measurable impacts.
We provide grants to individuals who have compelling ideas with the potential for impact—from community artists to student journalists.
We assist individuals in emerging economies with grants to projects emphasizing self-sufficiency and economic development.
We actively fund democratic advocacy causes, supporting efforts that protect democratic institutions and encourage civic participation.
Finally, we are dedicated to investing in budding open-source software and tools that enhance transparency, innovation, and accessibility for communities worldwide.
Looking toward the future, we aim to deepen our partnerships and extend our support to more visionary projects, continually seeking solutions that genuinely improve people’s lives and strengthen communities.
Our ultimate goal remains clear: to champion ideas capable of shaping our world—big or small.
FAQs
What does the foundation do?
Philanthropy & Advocacy
We focus on project with a high impact-to-dollar ratio — particularly micro grant programs capable of scaling their influence. Our support extends to supporting emerging initiatives, such as open-source software and community grassroots movements, that have significant potential to create positive change. We believe deeply in the untapped potential of individuals whose ideas need just a modest investment to flourish—and our mission is to bridge that funding gap.
Alongside this, we have begun to engage actively in advocacy, promoting and defending nonpartisan democratic values and institutions.
See our work here
I’d like to help, how can I do that?
The best way to support our mission is to connect us with promising ideas that align with our focus. If you know a project or cause you believe we should consider, please visit our contact page and share the details.
We don’t operate a formal volunteer program at this time, but we always appreciate people who connect us to ideas or individuals doing great work.
The Payne Foundation is privately funded and operated; therefore, we do not accept financial donations.
When will your next impact report be released?
Autumn 2025
Can I learn more about the people behind the foundation?
The Payne Foundation is operated and supported by individuals who share a common commitment to our mission. We prefer to keep the emphasis on the projects and initiatives we support, rather than on ourselves. However, if you’re curious or would like to connect directly, please feel free to reach out through our contact page—we’re always open to conversation.