OVERVIEW: The Kismet 805 Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to education and health. Smaller areas of interest are Jewish causes and cycling.
IP TAKE: The Kismet 805 Foundation lacks transparency and its giving has tapered off recently. It is unclear what this foundation’s future giving will look like. A connection to its founder, Brad Silverberg, or a past grantee will likely be the only way to reach this funder.
PROFILE: The Kismet 805 Foundation was founded in 2002 by Microsoft veteran Brad Silverberg and his wife, Janice. Brad Silverberg graduated with a bachelor’s in computer science from Brown University in 1976 and a master’s in computer science from the University of Toronto in 1977. During his nine-year tenure at Microsoft, he was a senior vice president and member of Microsoft’s nine-member Executive Committee. He was responsible for driving all aspects of the Windows business during the early 1990s. Silverberg is a cofounder of Ignition Partners, which invests in software, infrastructure, and consumer companies.
The foundation does not maintain a website, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities. According to tax records, the Kismet 805 Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to education and health. A few grants have also supported Jewish causes and cycling organizations. Giving has tapered off over the past few years, and tax filings indicate that the foundation conducted its giving through a donor-advised-fund at Goldman Sachs Philanthropy.
Grants for Education
Education is Kismet 805’s largest giving area, with grants supporting both K-12 and higher education schools and organizations.
- The Silverbergs support the University of Washington, including its new Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering. The couple are part of a group who call themselves “Friends of Bill & Melinda” which has collectively donated more than $30 million toward the $110 million building project.
- Ongoing support has also gone to Brad’s alma mater, Brown University.
- Other education grantees include the Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Seattle Science Foundation and the Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology.
Grants for Public Health
This foundation does not name priorities for its health giving. Grantees include the Seattle Children’s Hospital and the Oregon Health and Science University.
Grants for Jewish Causes
This is another smaller area of giving for this funder. Jewish grantees include Seattle’s Kavana Cooperative and the Samuel and Althea Stroum Jewish Community Center of Mercer Island.
Other Grantmaking Opportunities
The Kismet 805 Foundation has supported cycling organizations including USA Cycling and the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance.
Important Grant Details:
Grants range from $1,000 to $34,000.
- Giving appears to be concentrated in the western region of the U.S., and most of this funder’s grantees receive multi-year support.
- Grantmaking has tapered off in recent years, and the foundation has conducted grantmaking via a donor-advised-fund at Goldman Sachs, further obscuring its grantmaking practices.
- This foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals for funding.
The foundation keeps a low profile and does not provide a way to get in touch. Its phone number is listed as (425) 646-7600. A mailing address is provided below.
PEOPLE:
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CONTACT:
Kismet 805 Foundation
PO Box 3831
Bellevue, WA 98009
(425) 646-7600
