The William &Flora Hewlett Foundation
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THE WILLIAM & FLORA HEWLETT FOUNDATION (MM® Office of the Foundation through July 31, 1980: Two Palo Alto Square Palo Alto, California 94304 (415)493-3665 Office of the Foundation as of August 1, 1980: 525 Middlefield Road Menlo Park, California 94025 (415) 329-1070 The Hewlett Foundation, incorporated others are in the process of definition. as a private foundation in the State of Special Projects outside these four California in 1966, was established by broad areas may from time to time be the Palo Alto industrialist William R. approved by the Board of Directors. Hewlett, his wife, Flora Lamson Hew Although the Hewlett Foundation is lett, and their eldest son, Walter B. a national foundation, with no geo Hewlett. The Foundation's broad pur graphic limit stipulated in its charter, pose, as stated in the articles of incor a modest proportion of disbursable poration, is to promote the well-being funds has been earmarked for projects of mankind by supporting selected in the San Francisco Bay Area. The activities of a charitable, religious, sci Foundation does not make grants to entific, literary, or educational nature, individuals, nor does it normally fund as well as organizations or institutions basic research. engaged in such activities. In its grant-making decisions as well as in its interests and activities, the More particularly, to date the Founda Hewlett Foundation is wholly inde tion has concentrated its resources on pendent of the Hewlett-Packard activities in the performing arts and the Company and the Hewlett-Packard humanities; education, particularly at Company Foundation. the university and college level; popu lation problems; and intelligent, life- The Foundation plans grant authoriza enhancing uses of the environment. tions for 1980 of approximately $8 Some sub-areas of particular interest million. Prospective applicants should to the Foundation are listed in the consult the Program Descriptions and Program Descriptions that follow; Advice to Applicants later in this Report. BOARD OF DIRECTORS WILLIAM R. HEWLETT, Chairman ROGER W. HEYNS, President WALTER B. HEWLETT Vice President & Secretary-Treasurer ROBERT MINGE BROWN WILLIAM A. HEWLETT ARJAY MILLER LYLE M. NELSON ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF ROGER W. HEYNS President HUGH C. BURROUGHS Program Officer THEODORE E. LOBMAN Program Officer ANNE FIRTH MURRAY Program Officer MARIANNE PALLOTTI Assistant to the President C. TED PERRY Business & Financial Officer GAIL STOCKHOLM Program Officer (as of May 1980) DYKE BROWN VIRGINIA L. HUBBELL Consultants Personal follow-up visits ensure consistent use of contraceptives by villagers in South India, in a program sponsored by World Neighbors of Oklahoma City. CONTENTS President's Statement 9 Program Descriptions 11 Authorizations and Disbursements, 1979 27 Advice to Applicants 45 Financial Statements 49 Catalog information from over one hundred major libraries in the United States is available instantaneously through the Research Libraries Information Network. President's The descriptions that follow in this Report set forth particular interests Statement within each of the Foundation's pro gram areas. The Foundation also has some general objectives that are re vealed only by implication in these program statements. Our first Annual Report stated as one such broad pur pose the desire to make ours an effective democratic society, a society whose institutions work. Effective institutions in America, we believe, are essential to human welfare not only in the United States, but throughout the world. This overriding interest of the Foundation expresses itself in grants that are in tended to strengthen institutions and in grants specifically directed toward in creasing the effectiveness of leadership. The building and strengthening of in stitutions is not a major preoccupation of our society. Apparent indifference to such concerns is particularly acute among institutions and organizations in the not-for-profit sector, for reasons that are wholly understandable. Social service organizations concentrate on services to clients. Arts groups focus on artistic endeavors. Research and policy institutions are inevitably project- oriented. An emphasis on the end result seems, at first glance, entirely com mendable. The delivery of services, PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT artistic productions, policy studies, is Another explanation for the neglect of the raison d'etre for such groups. Un management and organization con fortunately, however, despite the in cerns is the dearth of funds for strength tegrity and dedication of their board ening management or for support of and staff members, many of these the institution as opposed to its agencies have serious organizational projects, its programs, or the work of diffculties. Illustrative problems that individual members. Throughout we, along with many other funding society one finds a general skepticism agencies, have observed are: lack of toward institutional growth, a wariness clarity about the purposes of the organ toward administrative expansion and ization; inadequate definition of the the development of an overhead role of the lay board; ambiguous rela structure. tions between board and staff; poor Finally, funding sources themselves, personnel practices; inadequate long- both individual and corporate, bear a range planning, both programmatic share of the responsibility for neglect and financial; haphazard budgeting of organizational problems. They procedures; ineffective fund-raising share the general skepticism about efforts; inexperienced management. administrative expansion. They share How do these organizational deficien the general desire for products, for cies arise? The explanation in some tangible, identifiable results that will instances lies in the organizations' reflect immediate credit on them as origins. They are often established by sponsors. people who have ability and compe While such an attitude may be de tence in the field in question but lack fensible for individual donors, it seems managerial experience. Board mem to me harder to justify on the part of bers are often selected for their interest foundations. Foundations occasionally in the work of the organization or their manage their own programs but more value as potential donors, rather than often depend on other organizations to for their experience in organizational achieve their goals. They therefore matters. Even board members with cor have an obligation to take organiza porate board and executive experience tional problems seriously. In both the often suspend managerial judgment long and the short run, it is in the inter when they serve not-for-profit organi est of foundations to contribute to the zations. 10 PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT organizational strength of institutions judgments on the part of qualified and that implement foundation goals. experienced leaders. When we help them become well man Leadership roles in our society are aged, we decrease their dependency on increasingly difficult to perform satis foundation support and increase their factorily. The problems organizations attractiveness to other donors. face are complex, often arise from cir These considerations have led us to cumstances outside the control of the have a sympathetic attitude toward organization itself, and increasingly proposals that will strengthen the or require technical, specialized knowl ganizations in which we have a pro edge to be understood and solved. gram interest. We have provided funds Because of an increasing distrust of for management training, for manage authority in virtually all types of or ment assistance, and for the develop ganizations over the past two decades, ment of more effective procedures. We decision-making typically involves ex have provided general support funds to tensive consultation and the sharing of institutions whose leadership has a authority. As a consequence timely, demonstrated capacity for sound judg responsive action is difficult, and lead ment in allocating scarce resources. ers are more frequently perceived as While we may on occasion, in making sources of frustration than as sources a general support grant, indicate a of help. While this desire to restrict the special interest in particular programs, authority of leaders is understandable the grant provides flexibility so that in the light of recent history, it may when appropriate, the needs of the well be that we have preempted too organization for planning, project much of the discretion that effective development, and general supervision leadership requires. We would do can be at least partially met. better, I think, to improve our proce dures for holding leaders accountable, Our general interest in improving the and for removing them promptly when effectiveness of institutions has led us they fail, rather than continue the naturally to a particular concern with present tendency to grant them too strengthening the position and effec little authority to meet the responsi tiveness of their leaders. We have given bilities with which they are entrusted. particular emphasis to grants that increase the opportunity for sensitive II PRESIDENTS STATEMENT Many of the institutions with which the validity. We believe, nonetheless, that Foundation deals have leaders of leaders of important institutions re ability and experience who lack the quire the freedom to choose, in the light opportunity and resources for the of their informed judgment about their fruitful exercise of discretion. This ob organizations' needs