Seeing ahead by glancing back
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
20th Annual Report

The First 20

Dear Friends,

Reflecting on the past can illuminate the path ahead. 

The year 2020 represents the 20th anniversary of grantmaking at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Throughout our history, and especially in this tumultuous year, we have been guided by our founders’ desire to create lasting change for the good. 

In 2015, Gordon and Betty Moore codified their aims for the foundation. The Statement of Founders’ Intent put into writing the guidance they had shared from the foundation’s inception. Above all, they asked that the foundation “tackle large, important issues at a scale where it can achieve significant and measurable impacts.”

In this report, we feature a select set of principles from our founders that have guided the foundation over the last two decades. 

  • We can offer sustained funding if that is what it takes to achieve durable change.
  • We seek opportunities to provide early, catalytic funding that accelerates progress.
  • We rely on the expertise of those in the field.
  • We embrace a systematic approach and honest evaluations in making our decisions.

The stories below illustrate how these principles have guided our work to date. No doubt, they will continue to serve us well in the years ahead.

Sincerely,

Dear Friends,

Reflecting on the past can illuminate the path ahead. 

The year 2020 represents the 20th anniversary of grantmaking at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Throughout our history, and especially in this tumultuous year, we have been guided by our founders’ desire to create lasting change for the good. 

In 2015, Gordon and Betty Moore codified their aims for the foundation. The Statement of Founders’ Intent put into writing the guidance they had shared from the foundation’s inception. Above all, they asked that the foundation “tackle large, important issues at a scale where it can achieve significant and measurable impacts.”

In this report, we feature a select set of principles from our founders that have guided the foundation over the last two decades. 

  • We can offer sustained funding if that is what it takes to achieve durable change.
  • We seek opportunities to provide early, catalytic funding that accelerates progress.
  • We rely on the expertise of those in the field.
  • We embrace a systematic approach and honest evaluations in making our decisions.

The stories below illustrate how these principles have guided our work to date. No doubt, they will continue to serve us well in the years ahead.

Sincerely,

Harvey Fineberg signature

Harvey V. Fineberg, M.D., Ph.D.
President

About Our Founders

Tilton Ranch is home to the headwaters of Fisher Creek, which flows north through Coyote Valley (pictured here top of frame) before terminating in the San Francisco Bay. Ancestral lands of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe and the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band. Photo: Courtesy of Hall and Hallock.
from the very beginning

Measurable Impacts

We are mission-driven, fostering path-breaking scientific discovery, environmental conservation, patient care improvements and preservation of the special character of the Bay Area. We aim to tackle a limited number of important issues at a scale where we can achieve significant impact. As an evidence-based organization, we incorporate lessons from the past and help them guide our work into the future.

Multi-year Commitments

The foundation wants to tackle projects where we can see significant and measurable impact.

Achieving significant and measurable impacts has always been core to the Moore Foundation’s mission. Not shying away from difficult and complex issues, our long-term involvement allows us to see important and significant progress in the fields where we work. From the creation of our very first initiative, to recent program milestones, the foundation celebrates the successes that stem from our vital partnerships. Our long-standing commitments also illustrate the important evolution of our work; and help us determine how to best support partners in our program areas well into the future.

Front view of the Betty Irene Moore Hall, partof the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, California.

Catalytic Funding

The foundation’s ability to take risks and make long-term and relatively large commitments should allow it to undertake challenges not accessible to many other organizations.

One of the greatest opportunities for philanthropy is to serve as society’s venture capital. Philanthropic resources can jumpstart fields, accelerate progress and lower barriers to success. Reflecting on the past twenty years reveals many examples of how our willingness to take risks, investing in both good ideas and good people, has created positive change in our areas of focus. With early-stage funding and collaboration among unlikely allies, our funding has catalyzed invention, ranging from new scientific instrumentation to sustainable corporate practices. Furthermore, this type of funding also provides grantees the time and space needed to prove their ideas and entice additional funders.

Prototype of an inexpensive “lab on a chip”using “microfluidics” created by Manu Prakash and George Korir, winners of the 2014 Science, Play and Research Kit (SPARK) Competition.
Celebrating 10 years of Forever Costa Rica.
Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative
Marine Microbiology Initiative

Expertise in Grantees

The foundation is critically dependent on capable grantees and should work with them as respected experts in their fields.

In pursuing positive outcomes for future generations, foundation staff are ever mindful that our grantees bring the technical expertise, field knowledge, and frontline perspectives necessary to achieve the lasting change we and they seek. While we have the privilege to support their work through our own wide-lens view, we recognize that we are only able to have that perspective thanks to their depth of knowledge and the information they contribute to our collective understanding. And, for our work to endure, we also understand that we must be working in harmony with the ideas, knowledge, and aspirations of geographically and topically proximate communities.

EPiQS Materials Synthesis Investigator IvanBozovic posing alongside his team with the atomic layer-by-layer molecular beamepitaxy system. Image courtesy of Brookhaven Lab.
Beyond-the-Lab

Scientific Approach

Scientific methodology should be a cornerstone of nearly all of the foundation’s efforts.

From the start, we have been outcomes-driven, and through the years, we’ve relied on rigorous inquiry and adaptive management to guide our work. The scope of the challenges we prioritize guarantee that results are never certain and that conditions are constantly and unpredictably changing. Comprehensive investigations, well-vetted theories of change, and honest evaluation of our impact help us make informed decisions and apply lessons from our successes and failures.

from the very beginning

Multi-year commitments

We are mission-driven, fostering path-breaking scientific discovery, environmental conservation, patient care improvements and preservation of the special character of the Bay Area. We aim to tackle a limited number of important issues at a scale where we can achieve significant impact. As an evidence-based organization, we incorporate lessons from the past and help them guide our work into the future.
Celebrating 10 years of Forever Costa Rica.

Multi-year initiatives and commitments

The foundation wants to tackle projects where we can see significant and measurable impact.

Achieving significant and measurable impacts has always been core to the Moore Foundation’s mission. Not shying away from difficult and complex issues, our long-term involvement allows us to see important and significant progress in the fields where we work. From the creation of our very first initiative, to recent program milestones, the foundation celebrates the successes that stem from our vital partnerships. Our long-standing commitments also illustrate the important evolution of our work; and help us determine how to best support partners in our program areas well into the future.

Front view of the Betty Irene Moore Hall, partof the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, California.

Expertise in Grantees

The foundation is critically dependent on capable grantees and should work with them as respected experts in their fields.

In pursuing positive outcomes for future generations, foundation staff are ever mindful that our grantees bring the technical expertise, field knowledge, and frontline perspectives necessary to achieve the lasting change we and they seek. While we have the privilege to support their work through our own wide-lens view, we recognize that we are only able to have that perspective thanks to their depth of knowledge and the information they contribute to our collective understanding. And, for our work to endure, we also understand that we must be working in harmony with the ideas, knowledge, and aspirations of geographically and topically proximate communities.

EPiQS Materials Synthesis Investigator IvanBozovic posing alongside his team with the atomic layer-by-layer molecular beamepitaxy system. Image courtesy of Brookhaven Lab.

Catalytic funding

The foundation’s ability to take risks and make long-term and relatively large commitments should allow it to undertake challenges not accessible to many other organizations.

The foundation’s capacity to serve as a catalyst through its funding has increased the rate of change and lowered barriers. Reflecting on the past twenty years reveals many examples of how the Moore Foundation’s willingness to take risks has enabled grantees and institutions to accelerate progress in our areas of focus. With early-stage funding and collaboration among unlikely allies, we have been able to catalyze the creation of new scientific instruments, traceability and greater transparency in commodities’ supply chains, and the ecosystems that support inventors and opportunities for active public engagement with science. We have also seen that our early funding gives grantees the time and space to prove their ideas to other funders.

Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative
Marine Microbiology Initiative
Beyond-the-Lab
Prototype of an inexpensive “lab on a chip”using “microfluidics” created by Many Prasksh and George Korir, winners of the2014 Science, Play and Research Kit (SPARK) Competition.

Scientific rigor

Scientific methodology should be a cornerstone of nearly all of the foundation’s efforts.

From the start, we have been outcomes-driven, and through the years, we’ve relied on rigorous inquiry and adaptive management to guide our work. The scope of the challenges we prioritize guarantee that results are never certain and that conditions are constantly and unpredictably changing. Comprehensive investigations, well-vetted theories of change, and honest evaluation of our impact help us make informed decisions and apply lessons from our successes and failures.

Grantee voices

Andrea Ghez, Ph.D.

Professor of Astrophysics at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), co-recipient of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics.

“I’m interested in questions about fundamental physics and black holes. I’d describe the work we do as ‘technology-driven discovery.’ We’re helping to develop large telescopes that capture more detailed images than ever before, and we’re using that technology to expand our understanding of the universe, physics and strange phenomena like supermassive black holes.”  

Doug Parker

President and CEO, Land Trust of Napa County .

“The Bay Area is a place where we want to create a balance between population growth and protecting the rare species that exist here. This area is a national hotspot for biodiversity. By linking natural areas together along protected corridors, we can better ensure the survival of our native biodiversity over the long term.”

Erica Shelton, M.D., M.P.H.

Assistant professor of emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins University.

"I want patients to feel empowered to take an active role in their own health and to see their relationship with their doctor and other members of their health care team as partnerships and not one-way discussions comprised of health care providers dictating all aspects of how to manage a patient’s health."

Ken-ichi Ueda,

Director, iNaturalist.

“I hope people understand that science is always complicated, and you should never trust a headline without digging a little deeper.”

Rob Wallace, Ph.D.

Director of the Greater Madidi-Tambopata Landscape Conservation Program at the Wildlife Conservation Society .

“I am fascinated by the importance of communicating and conveying scientific knowledge about the unprecedented biodiversity of the Andes-Amazon region with society, especially an increasingly urban public. In Bolivia… information and images on African and Asian megafauna are often more available and visible than that of the extraordinary national natural heritage. Identidad Madidi is an attempt to change that situation.” 

Grantee voices

Andrea Ghez, Ph. D.

Professor of Astrophysics at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), co-recipient of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics.

“I’m interested in questions about fundamental physics and black holes. I’d describe the work we do as ‘technology-driven discovery.’ We’re helping to develop large telescopes that capture more detailed images than ever before, and we’re using that technology to expand our understanding of the universe, physics and strange phenomena like supermassive black holes.”  

Doug Parker

President and CEO, Land Trust of Napa County 

“The Bay Area is a place where we want to create a balance between population growth and protecting the rare species that exist here. This area is a national hotspot for biodiversity. By linking natural areas together along protected corridors, we can better ensure the survival of our native biodiversity over the long term.”

Erica Shelton, M.D., M.P.H.

Assistant professor of emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins University.

"I want patients to feel empowered to take an active role in their own health and to see their relationship with their doctor and other members of their health care team as partnerships and not one-way discussions comprised of health care providers dictating all aspects of how to manage a patient’s health."

Ken-ichi Ueda,

Director, iNaturalist.

“I hope people understand that science is always complicated, and you should never trust a headline without digging a little deeper.”

Rob Wallace, Ph.D.

Director of the Greater Madidi-Tambopata Landscape Conservation Program at the Wildlife Conservation Society.

“I am fascinated by the importance of communicating and conveying scientific knowledge about the unprecedented biodiversity of the Andes-Amazon region with society, especially an increasingly urban public. In Bolivia… information and images on African and Asian megafauna are often more available and visible than that of the extraordinary national natural heritage. Identidad Madidi is an attempt to change that situation.” 

A 20-year legacy

Looking back on the past twenty years, we are inspired by the work of our grantees and partners over the past 20 years. While certainly not comprehensive, the timeline below illustrates the progress of the foundation and achievements of our grantees.
2020
Celebrating a “forever” conservation model
Program Milestones
Celebrating a “forever” conservation model
First cohort of Betty Irene Moore Fellows, Nurse Leaders and Innovators
Program Milestones
First cohort of Betty Irene Moore Fellows, Nurse Leaders and Innovators
Bay Area science museums remote learning resources
Program Milestones
Bay Area science museums remote learning resources
2019
The lasting legacy of Peru
Program Milestones
The lasting legacy of Peru
Approach to Philanthropy
Foundation
Approach to Philanthropy
Imaging a black hole
Program Milestones
Imaging a black hole
Earthquake early warning system tested statewide
Program Milestones
Earthquake early warning system tested statewide
Launch of Curiosity-Driven Science Initiative
Initiatives & Commitments
Launch of Curiosity-Driven Science Initiative
Symbiosis in Aquatic Systems Initiative
Initiatives & Commitments
Symbiosis in Aquatic Systems Initiative
Diagnostic Excellence Initiative launches fellowship program
Program Milestones
Diagnostic Excellence Initiative launches fellowship program
Forest Resilience Bond
Program Milestones
Forest Resilience Bond
2018
Launch of LIRA in Brazil
Program Milestones
Launch of LIRA in Brazil
Diagnostic Excellence Initiative
Initiatives & Commitments
Diagnostic Excellence Initiative
A new chair of the board
Foundation
A new chair of the board
Providing public access to the Jenner Headlands
Program Milestones
Providing public access to the Jenner Headlands
2017
Historic treaty for fisheries management
Program Milestones
Historic treaty for fisheries management
Lessons learned from redesigning care in the ICU
Program Milestones
Lessons learned from redesigning care in the ICU
Giants of Land and Sea exhibit, Cal Academy
Program Milestones
Giants of Land and Sea exhibit, Cal Academy
2016
Moore Inventor Fellows
Initiatives & Commitments
Moore Inventor Fellows
Conservation and Markets Initiatives
Initiatives & Commitments
Conservation and Markets Initiatives
Designing a health learning system for patient care
Program Milestones
Designing a health learning system for patient care
Learn Foundation Law
Foundation
Learn Foundation Law
Support for struggling wildlife in Sonoma County
Program Milestones
Support for struggling wildlife in Sonoma County
2015
Marine Planning Partnership Signing
Program Milestones
Marine Planning Partnership Signing
Discovery of the Weyl fermion
Program Milestones
Discovery of the Weyl fermion
Expansion of OpenNotes movement
Program Milestones
Expansion of OpenNotes movement
$3 billion given
Foundation
$3 billion given
Statement of Founders' Intent
Foundation
Statement of Founders' Intent
Kashia Coastal Reserve
Program Milestones
Kashia Coastal Reserve
2014
Watershed year for ARPA
Program Milestones
Watershed year for ARPA
Sustainable farmed salmon in British Columbia
Program Milestones
Sustainable farmed salmon in British Columbia
The $1 microscope
Program Milestones
The $1 microscope
Roadmap for Patient and Family Engagement
Program Milestones
Roadmap for Patient and Family Engagement
Wildlife Corridor along Laurel Curve
Program Milestones
Wildlife Corridor along Laurel Curve
2013
Forest mapping tools
Program Milestones
Forest mapping tools
21st century chemistry set
Program Milestones
21st century chemistry set
Emergent Phenomena in Quantum Systems
Initiatives & Commitments
Emergent Phenomena in Quantum Systems
Quality and Safety Education for Nurses
Program Milestones
Quality and Safety Education for Nurses
Preservation Ranch
Program Milestones
Preservation Ranch
2012
Marine Stewardship Council certification
Program Milestones
Marine Stewardship Council certification
Helped create Science Philanthropy Alliance
Program Milestones
Helped create Science Philanthropy Alliance
Data-Driven Discovery Launch
Initiatives & Commitments
Data-Driven Discovery Launch
Gordon and Betty Moore sign the Giving Pledge
Foundation
Gordon and Betty Moore sign the Giving Pledge
The Tech and the SMART Museum
Program Milestones
The Tech and the SMART Museum
2011
Taku Atlin Land Use Plan
Program Milestones
Taku Atlin Land Use Plan
Expanding knowledge of plant science
Program Milestones
Expanding knowledge of plant science
$2 billion given
Foundation
$2 billion given
2010
U.S. National Ocean Policy
Program Milestones
U.S. National Ocean Policy
CA Council of Science and Technology Fellows
Program Milestones
CA Council of Science and Technology Fellows
Santa Cruz Puma Project
Program Milestones
Santa Cruz Puma Project
2009
UNESCO Marine Spatial Planning Guide
Program Milestones
UNESCO Marine Spatial Planning Guide
Inside a drop of seawater
Program Milestones
Inside a drop of seawater
Sepsis reduction program saves 1,400+ lives
Program Milestones
Sepsis reduction program saves 1,400+ lives
Move to Palo Alto
Foundation
Move to Palo Alto
2008
Skeena watershed
Program Milestones
Skeena watershed
BaySci Professional Development Program
Program Milestones
BaySci Professional Development Program
2007
Scientific data guides salmon management
Program Milestones
Scientific data guides salmon management
Global ocean sampling expedition
Program Milestones
Global ocean sampling expedition
Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis
Program Milestones
Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis
$1 billion given
Foundation
$1 billion given
2006
Great Bear Rainforest
Program Milestones
Great Bear Rainforest
Instrumentation for in situ cell sorting, identification
Program Milestones
Instrumentation for in situ cell sorting, identification
Bay Area Patient Safety Collaborative
Program Milestones
Bay Area Patient Safety Collaborative
Wildlake Ranch
Program Milestones
Wildlake Ranch
2005
Conservation in Brazil’s state of Pará
Program Milestones
Conservation in Brazil’s state of Pará
Marine bacteria sequenced
Program Milestones
Marine bacteria sequenced
Integrated Nurse Leadership Program
Program Milestones
Integrated Nurse Leadership Program
Jenner Headlands
Program Milestones
Jenner Headlands
2004
Kol River Salmon Refuge
Program Milestones
Kol River Salmon Refuge
Launch of Marine Conservation Initiative
Initiatives & Commitments
Launch of Marine Conservation Initiative
Barcode of Life
Program Milestones
Barcode of Life
Creation of Marine Microbiology Initiatve
Initiatives & Commitments
Creation of Marine Microbiology Initiatve
Accelerated Doctoral Program in nursing
Program Milestones
Accelerated Doctoral Program in nursing
Expanding Techbridge
Program Milestones
Expanding Techbridge
2003
Public Library of Science
Program Milestones
Public Library of Science
TMT commitment
Initiatives & Commitments
TMT commitment
Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative Launch
Initiatives & Commitments
Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative Launch
Creation of Andes-Amazon Inititaive
Initiatives & Commitments
Creation of Andes-Amazon Inititaive
Cargill Salt Ponds
Program Milestones
Cargill Salt Ponds
2002
Program Milestones
Tumucumaque Mountains National Park
Program Milestones
Keck adaptive optics
Initiatives & Commitments
Caltech Commitment
Initiatives & Commitments
Wild Salmon Ecosystems Initiative launch
2001
foundation
The Moores deliver an endowment
foundation
First office
initiatives & commitments
Conservation International Commitment
program milestones
Saving the Endangered Coast
2000
Gordon and Betty Moore
foundation
Establishing the foundation

Financials and Grantmaking

The foundation was established to function in perpetuity, or as long as its resources remain sufficient to make a significant difference. In 2001, we started with 175 million shares of Intel stock. As of December 31, 2020, the endowment grew to an estimated $8 billion. Over the course of those years, the foundation gave more than $4.5 billion through grants and other charitable activities.

Grants Paid by Program (year-by-year)

Grants Paid by Program (cumulative)

Grants Paid by Program (cumulative)

Grants Approved (cumulative)

Data details

Endowment Value and Spending

See more financial information on moore.org