Sujal and Meera Patel Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Sujal and Meera Patel Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to education and health in the Seattle area.

IP TAKE: The Sujal and Meera Patel Foundation lacks transparency and tends to support a handful of regular grantees year after year. Patel is only in his 40s and still engaged in business, but the relatively young foundation should be watched for greater giving down the line, particularly in the Seattle area. A connection to the Patels or one of their grantees might be the best way to approach this funder. 

PROFILE: Established in 2011, the Sujal and Meera Patel Foundation was founded by technology entrepreneur Sujal Patel and his wife, Meera. Sujal graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer Science from the University of Maryland at College Park. He served in various engineering roles at RealNetworks. In 2001, Patel founded Isilon Systems, a scale-out network attached storage (NAS) platform which was acquired by EMC for $2.5 billion. He is a strategic director of Madrona Venture Group.

The foundation does not maintain a website, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities. According to tax records, the Sujal and Meera Patel Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to education and health. Grantmaking mainly stays in the Seattle area.

Grants for Education

Patel sits on the board of Rainier Scholars, which the couple steadily supports. The Patels have also supported University of Washington, including a professorship at the school of computer science and engineering.

Grants for Public Health

The foundation has provided ongoing support to Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Grants for Arts, Journalism and Democracy

In addition to its education and health grantmaking, the Patel Foundation has made grants to Creative Visions, a California organization that “empowers creative activists worldwide to raise awareness of critical issues and drive positive change through impact storytelling.” 

Important Grant Details:

Grants range from $2,000 to $30,000.

• This funder typically makes fewer than ten grants per year and tends to provide ongoing support to its grantees.
• The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals for funding.
• For additional information about Patel’s giving, see past tax filings.

This funder does not provide a direct way to get in touch. Its telephone number is listed as (425) 629-1990. A mailing address is provided below.