Updated:
The Grace & Mercy Foundation
Bill Hwang's Grace & Mercy Foundation has deployed $180M+ in grants to 200+ nonprofits since 2006 while operating an in-house VC portfolio.
The Grace & Mercy Foundation
The Grace & Mercy Foundation launched in 2006 as the philanthropic vehicle for Bill Hwang, the investor behind the family office Archegos Capital Management. The foundation deploys capital globally from its New York base, partnering with organizations focused on supporting the poor and oppressed and creating opportunities for individuals to learn and serve. The foundation's dual structure is unusual. It operates a traditional grant-making program that has directed over $180 million to more than 200 organizations worldwide, spanning domestic poverty relief, global development, and educational initiatives. Alongside this, it maintains an active venture capital portfolio, making direct investments in early-stage companies. The foundation's investment posture blends program-related grants with market-rate venture commitments, giving it a hybrid balance sheet that few private foundations replicate. Grant and investment decisions run through the foundation's New York office. While the current leadership team is not publicly listed, the foundation's origin in Hwang's Archegos structure informs its concentrated, conviction-driven approach. Recent grant-making activity continues to flow through U.S. and international channels, with an emphasis on capacity-building partnerships rather than one-time gifts. Structurally, the foundation stands apart from the typical billionaire giving vehicle by running an in-house venture capital strategy that mirrors the portfolio concentration that defined its founder's investment career. This combination of a tightly held VC book with a broad, mission-aligned grant program creates a distinct capital deployment model that is neither a pure endowment nor a standard foundation.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
2006
AUM
$523M (Altss estimate)
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
New York
Corporate office
New York, NY, United States
Principals
Bill Hwang
Wealth Creator
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who founded The Grace & Mercy Foundation, and where did the wealth come from?
Bill Hwang founded the foundation in 2006. The wealth traces to Hwang's investment management career, primarily through Archegos Capital Management, the family office he ran before its 2021 collapse. The foundation is structured as a private grant-making entity separate from Archegos.
What is the foundation's dual-grantmaking and venture capital strategy?
The Grace & Mercy Foundation operates a hybrid model. It makes program-related grants to nonprofits working on poverty alleviation and educational access, having deployed over $180 million to more than 200 organizations. Simultaneously, it runs a direct venture capital portfolio that invests in early-stage companies, a structure that is uncommon among private foundations of its size.
How does the foundation source its venture capital deals?
The foundation's venture capital sourcing is not publicly detailed. Given its founder's background in concentrated, conviction-driven investing through Archegos Capital Management, the portfolio likely reflects a tight network of relationships rather than a broad institutional sourcing funnel. No external co-investment platform or club affiliations are disclosed.
Does The Grace & Mercy Foundation accept external investors or co-investors?
As a private grant-making foundation funded entirely by Bill Hwang, The Grace & Mercy Foundation does not accept external capital. Its venture investments are made directly from the foundation's own balance sheet. There is no indication of pooled investment vehicles or co-investment structures available to outside allocators.
What is the foundation's known investment posture in venture capital?
The foundation operates as a generalist venture capital investor from its endowment-like base. It does not publicly disclose stage preferences, sector focuses, or portfolio company names. The strategy appears to mirror the concentrated approach of its founder's prior investment management activities rather than a diversified institutional VC mandate.
Is The Grace & Mercy Foundation still actively grant-making after Archegos's 2021 collapse?
Publicly available information does not confirm the foundation's post-2021 grant-making cadence. Its published mission and $180 million cumulative grant total remain on its website. The absence of recent operational announcements makes the current activity level difficult to verify through primary sources.
Who runs investment and grant decisions at the foundation?
The foundation does not publicly name its current investment committee, executive director, or program officers. Decisions ultimately flow from the founder, Bill Hwang, consistent with a tightly held single-family philanthropic vehicle. No independent board or external investment advisors are disclosed.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
Need institutional-grade insight on endowments & foundations?
Altss delivers:
Prefer a guided tour?
We’ll walk you through: