The Internet Society Foundation (“the Foundation”) exists to support the Internet Society and its mission.
The Foundation’s support for the Internet Society started primarily through grant-making in support of the Internet Society’s mission. This was a way to get the Foundation’s operations running smoothly and to ensure that the grant-making operations were mature for when the Foundation expanded.
Building on the success of the Foundation to date, it will take over the management of all philanthropic and grant-making work for the Internet Society beginning in 2023. The Foundation’s expertise will allow it to apply best philanthropic practices to all the grant programs it manages, to ensure the highest levels of transparency and consistency. It will also expand its remit to perform other important functions in support of the Internet Society’s mission.
We believe this new allocation of roles and responsibilities will help us perform better. It will expand our reach. It will allow us more effectively and efficiently to further our missions to promote the development of the Internet as a global technical infrastructure, a resource to enrich people’s lives, and a force for good in society; and to champion ideas and enable communities to unlock the Internet’s potential to tackle the world’s evolving challenges. Although some of the current Internet Society’s staff will become Foundation staff to make this happen, all of us at the Internet Society and Foundation will continue to work to realize our ultimate goal: the Internet is for everyone.