Breakthrough Prize Foundation
Breakthrough Prize Foundation is a private foundation based in Washington, DC. It supports scientific achievement through annual prizes in life sciences, fundamental physics, and mathematics, as well as early-career and other field-specific prizes.
Breakthrough Prize Foundation at a glance
In short: Breakthrough Prize Foundation gave $12.9M across 27 grants in 2025 (avg $478K), mostly in District of Columbia. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $12,901,104
- -69.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 27
- -28.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $477,819
- -56.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $100,000
- Total assets
- $13,386,127
- -32.2% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (78% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Breakthrough Prize Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2023 filing says candidate submission forms and criteria are available through its nominations process. Its website says anyone may nominate a candidate during the open nominations period, but self-nominations are not allowed. A valid nomination requires biographical information about the nominee and nominator and at least one third-party recommendation letter; citation requirements vary by prize. The filing says prizes have no age restrictions except for Junior Challenge awards, may be received more than once, and may be shared by multiple people or collaborations. Junior Challenge age restrictions apply, and previous Junior Challenge award winners cannot participate in later competitions. The website’s 2027 prize nomination period, which ran through July 17, 2026, has passed.
- Contact
Application contact: Breakthrough Prize Foundation
Mailing address: 1900 N Street Nw, Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 346-4293
Website: https://breakthroughprize.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Breakthrough Prize Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 8 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Milky Way Research Foundation ($2.8M across 3 grants). Together the top 8 received $5.7M.
Organizations only. It also paid 17 grants to individuals ($7,190,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
254 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 115 grants of 254 (45%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 78% of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, DC; 12% to Minnesota; 8% to California; 1% to Maryland; and 1% to recipients whose state was not identified.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
Cities
How Breakthrough Prize Foundation gives
- Giving fell 59% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $9.0M (2020) to $69.4M (2023). In 2025 it made 27 grants totaling $12.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 17 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $7,190,000 |
| International Rescue Committee (IRC) Albert Lea, MN | Tech for Refugees | $1,570,000 |
| Milky Way Research Foundation Washington, DC | Life Science Research | $1,225,271 |
| Milky Way Research Foundation Washington, DC | Life Science Research | $1,125,025 |
| Airbnborg San Francisco, CA | Tech for Refugees | $1,000,000 |
| Milky Way Research Foundation Washington, DC | Life Science Research | $466,881 |
| ARID1B Research Foundation Inc Chevy Chase, MD | Support Charitable Activities | $150,000 |
| Neev Academy | 2023 Breakthrough Junior Challenge - School Award | $100,000 |
| Los Altos Chabad Mountain View, CA | Support charitable activities and the bay area friendship circle | $50,000 |
| University of Oxford | Support Graduate Studentship in Particle Physics | $13,564 |
Ready to take the next step with Breakthrough Prize Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $13,386,127 | $25,836,917 | $35,684,674 | $12,901,104 | 27 | $29,097,593 | $480,312 | $635,469 |
| 2024 | $19,729,292 | $60,760,522 | $57,570,255 | $41,715,492 | 38 | $39,188,476 | $431,333 | $938,715 |
| 2023 | $20,787,237 | $98,745,658 | $91,429,307 | $69,407,197 | 47 | $68,862,878 | $7,138 | $466,223 |
| 2022 | $10,581,357 | $48,295,695 | $47,730,404 | $31,602,516 | 38 | $28,271,878 | $1,695 | $753,678 |
| 2021 | $8,542,108 | $32,572,414 | $25,260,173 | $12,884,094 | 104 | — | — | $172,201 |
| 2020 | $3,107,390 | $23,591,100 | $25,816,425 | $8,998,019 | 291 | — | $10,388 | $133,855 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Breakthrough Prize Foundation reported a distributable amount of $635K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s website describes the Breakthrough Prize as recognizing leading scientists working in fundamental sciences. Its main prizes recognize achievements in life sciences, fundamental physics, and mathematics. Other awards include the New Horizons prizes for early-career researchers and the Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prize in mathematics. The website says laureates are selected by committees composed of previous prize recipients and honored at an annual ceremony.
The foundation’s 2025 filing also lists grants for life science research and tech for refugees. Among the supported organizations, the International Rescue Committee received a grant for “Tech for Refugees.” Airbnb.org describes its mission as providing emergency temporary housing with communities and nonprofit partners. The ARID1B Research Foundation says it works to advance scientific and clinical understanding of disorders associated with the ARID1B gene and develop potential therapies. Kings Care Foundation describes its mission as supporting Los Angeles families through charitable organizations and programs focused on wellness, sustainability, social advocacy, and inclusion.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 27 grants totaling $12,901,104. Grant amounts ranged from $10,363 to $3,000,000, with a median of $100,000. The largest listed grants included two $3 million prizes to individual recipients for the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics and the 2025 Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. Other large grants included $1,570,000 to the International Rescue Committee for Tech for Refugees; $1,225,271 and $1,125,025 to the Milky Way Research Foundation for life science research; and $1,000,000 to Airbnb.org for Tech for Refugees.
The filing also lists a $466,881 life science research grant to the Milky Way Research Foundation, a $250,000 student award to an individual recipient for the 2023 Breakthrough Junior Challenge, and a $150,000 grant to the ARID1B Research Foundation for charitable activities.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Yuri B. Milner as president; Breck Hancock as director and treasurer; James A. Hutchinson as director and secretary; Simon Peter Worden as chairman and division executive director; Margot McGinness as division executive director; and Karl Johansson as director.
Breakthrough Prize Foundation is led by Margot McGinness, Division Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 3 of 5 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Margot McGinness
Division Executive Director
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$83K (2020) → $224K (2025)
Simon Peter Worden
Chairman & Division Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$318K (2020) → $293K (2025)
Karl Johansson
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$7K (2020) → $13K (2025)
Breck Hancock
Director & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James A. Hutchinson
Director & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Yuri B. Milner (2020–2025) — President · Filing note: Term ended end 5721
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $293K, to Simon Peter Worden (Chairman, Division Executive Director). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Breakthrough Prize Foundation
How much does Breakthrough Prize Foundation give each year?
Breakthrough Prize Foundation gave $12.9M across 27 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $41.7M across 38 grants.
What is Breakthrough Prize Foundation's typical grant size?
Breakthrough Prize Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $100,000, and its average grant was $477,819, across 27 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Breakthrough Prize Foundation give grants?
Breakthrough Prize Foundation gives mostly in District of Columbia: 78% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Minnesota (12%) and California (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (3 grants).
Does Breakthrough Prize Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 27 grants with a stated purpose on Breakthrough Prize Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "2025 New Horizons in Physics Prize" (5 grants), "2025 New Horizons in Mathematics Prize" (3 grants) and "2025 Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prize" (3 grants).
Who are Breakthrough Prize Foundation's largest grantees?
Breakthrough Prize Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Milky Way Research Foundation ($2,817,177 across 3 grants), International Rescue Committee (IRC) ($1,570,000) and Airbnborg ($1,000,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 17 grants to individuals ($7,190,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Breakthrough Prize Foundation?
Breakthrough Prize Foundation reported $13.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $29.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $635K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Breakthrough Prize Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website describes the Breakthrough Prize as recognizing leading scientists working in fundamental sciences. Its main prizes recognize achievements in life sciences, fundamental physics, and mathematics. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Breakthrough Prize Foundation?
The foundation’s 2023 filing says candidate submission forms and criteria are available through its nominations process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Breakthrough Prize Foundation's EIN?
Breakthrough Prize Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-0677985. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 31, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 18, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Breakthrough Prize Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Breakthrough Prize Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/breakthrough-prize-foundation-morg_643da3c267a249dca8b78a8e989b631f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_460677985_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Breakthrough Prize Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/breakthrough-prize-foundation-morg_643da3c267a249dca8b78a8e989b631f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Breakthrough Prize Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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