Established in 2001, the James P. Geiss and Margaret Y. Hsu Foundation encourages and supports scholarly research and interpretation of the Ming Dynasty in China (1368–1644), and also the predecessors and successors of the Ming, as well as contemporaries in geographic areas with which the Ming interacted, through awards to not-for-profit entities. The Geiss Hsu Foundation accepts applications for publication subventions and projects twice per year. It is governed by a Board of Directors composed of volunteers with expertise in Ming Dynasty studies.
The Geiss Hsu Foundation is a private, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.