The Skoll Foundation is a U.S.-based philanthropy that supports social entrepreneurs and social innovators addressing global challenges through funding, convening, and field-building.
The foundation works to accelerate large-scale social change by backing, connecting, and elevating social entrepreneurs and other innovators pursuing practical, equitable responses to major global problems.
Jeff Skoll began the Skoll Foundation’s public-facing philanthropic work in 1999 around a vision of a sustainable world marked by peace and prosperity. The organization later developed a two-entity structure: the Skoll Fund was created in 1999 as a supporting organization associated with Silicon Valley Community Foundation, while the Skoll Foundation private foundation was launched in 2002. Across this structure, the organization has focused on supporting social entrepreneurs and other social innovators working on systemic change.
The foundation combines grantmaking, convening, partnerships, and public storytelling. Its model centers on investing in social entrepreneurs and other innovators with demonstrated approaches, connecting them through its network and events, and amplifying their work to expand reach and momentum. In addition to the Skoll Awards, it funds aligned organizations on a rolling basis across its strategic priorities and works with partners that contribute capabilities such as funding, strategy, and storytelling. Public FAQs state it does not fund individuals and supports only a limited number of organizations that are highly aligned with its mission and award criteria.
As of December 31, 2024, the foundation reported more than US$1.3 billion invested worldwide. Its public model has helped elevate social entrepreneurship through long-term funding, convening, and strategic visibility. The Skoll Awards have become a flagship mechanism for backing established social innovators with unrestricted support, while the Skoll World Forum has served as a recurring gathering point for cross-sector collaboration around major global challenges.
Officially named partners include Sundance Institute, NPR, Public Radio International, PBS NewsHour, HarperOne, the BBC, Doc Society, the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at Oxford Saïd Business School, Ashoka, Social Progress Imperative, and TED. These partnerships span storytelling, field-building, research, and aligned funding or influence networks.
The organization describes itself as operating through two entities: the Skoll Foundation, a private foundation, and the Skoll Fund, a supporting organization associated with Silicon Valley Community Foundation. This matters for interpreting public financial data, because the official website presents some figures on a combined basis. The current official contact page lists headquarters in Washington, DC and a mailing address in San Francisco, while the 2024 audited financial statements and 2024 Form 990-PF reflect a Palo Alto, California office/address for that filing period. The profile above uses the current headquarters address from the official contact page and notes the filing-year California address only as historical context. The official site also emphasizes a community-defined approach, proximity to the challenges being addressed, and collaboration as a core operating principle. Current leadership pages identify Marla Blow as CEO and President.