William and Flora Hewlett Foundation - Infoplease

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This encyclopedia entry provides basic background on the Hewlett Foundation, which is tangentially relevant to AI safety as a major philanthropic funder of technology policy and governance research, but contains no direct AI safety content.

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Summary

An encyclopedia entry providing background on the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, a major philanthropic organization that funds work across education, environment, and global development. The Hewlett Foundation is notable in AI safety contexts for its significant funding of AI governance and policy research initiatives.

Key Points

•The Hewlett Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the United States, endowed by HP co-founder William Hewlett.
•It funds programs across education, environment, performing arts, global development, and population issues.
•Relevant to AI safety as a major funder of technology policy and governance research organizations.
•Provides general reference background for understanding the philanthropic landscape supporting AI governance work.

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William and Flora Hewlett Foundation	Organization	55.0

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William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, philanthropic organization founded in 1966 by engineer and entrepeneur William R. [Hewlett](https://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/science/engineering/computer-bios/hewlett-william-redington) (1913–2001), co-founder of Hewlett-Packard, his wife, Flora Lamson Hewlett (1914–77), and their eldest son, Walter B. Hewlett (1944–). Headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., it is one of the wealthiest foundations in the United States. Pledged to address social and environmental problems in the United States and the world, Hewlett concentrates its grant-giving activities on education, the environment, global development, the performing arts, and population. The foundation also makes grants to advance private philanthropy and to support organizations that serve disadvantaged communities in the San Francisco Bay area.

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