The Thiel Foundation
The Thiel Foundation is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. Its website lists the Thiel Fellowship and Imitatio, a René Girard research site, among its programs, and says the foundation backs people working on hard problems that otherwise would not be solved.
The Thiel Foundation at a glance
In short: The Thiel Foundation gave $1.0M across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $84K), top state Virginia. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,012,338
- -76.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- -79.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $84,362
- +14.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $64,000
- Total assets
- $45,244,823
- +1.8% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Virginia (42% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Thiel Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2121 Avenue Of The Stars 3300, Los Angeles, CA 90067
Phone: (323) 990-2000
Website: https://thielfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Thiel Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 6 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Donorstrust ($427K). Together the top 6 received $646K.
Organizations only. It also paid 6 grants to individuals ($366,250), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
234 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 123 grants of 234 (53%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports that grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia (42%), Illinois (16%), California (8%), and Georgia (1%). A further 33% is listed with the recipient state unidentified.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Thiel Foundation gives
- Giving fell 90% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 146% of 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.0M (2024) to $9.8M (2021). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Donorstrust Alexandria, VA | General Foundation Grant | $426,775 |
| 6 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $366,250 |
| Association Recherches Mimetiques | Imitatio Grant | $80,000 |
| Lumen Christi Institute Chicago, IL | Imitatio Grant | $63,000 |
| Glass Darkly Films Inc Bourbonnais, IL | Imitatio Grant | $53,313 |
| Adeodatus Pasadena, CA | General Foundation Grant | $15,000 |
| Colloquium on Violence and Religion Augusta, GA | Imitatio Grant | $8,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $45,244,823 | $454,852 | $3,922,878 | $1,012,338 | 12 | $3,420,251 | — | $2,347,887 |
| 2023 | $44,447,969 | $8,240,688 | $3,316,210 | $4,334,013 | 59 | $4,949,888 | $2,727,422 | $3,522,320 |
| 2022 | $28,591,177 | $5,743,115 | $7,433,736 | $4,668,150 | 70 | $5,056,776 | — | $2,579,381 |
| 2021 | $31,743,585 | $8,783,988 | $13,713,310 | $9,803,000 | 58 | $10,971,671 | $9,481,579 | $2,908,099 |
| 2020 | $32,930,009 | $13,359,843 | $9,179,723 | $5,479,615 | 35 | — | $8,490,459 | $5,267,734 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Thiel Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.3M for 2024 — 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 does not state a mission. Its 2024 grants included support designated for Imitatio and general foundation grants. Among the organizations it supported, the Lumen Christi Institute says its mission is to make the Catholic intellectual tradition a vital part of university culture, enrich academic communities with insights from Catholic thought, and engage with secular culture.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 12 grants totaling $1,012,338. Grant amounts ranged from $8,000 to $426,775, with a median of $64,000. Recipients included DonorsTrust, which received $426,775 for a general foundation grant; Lumen Christi Institute, which received $63,000 for an Imitatio grant; and Glass Darkly Films Inc., which received $53,313 for an Imitatio grant. The filing also lists grants to individual recipients.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Peter Thiel as chairman of the board, David Wheelock as president, and Blake Masters, Jason Camm, and Matthew Alexander as directors. The foundation’s website identifies Peter Thiel as founder and Clare O’Brien as foundation administrator.
The Thiel Foundation is led by David Wheelock, President on every filing since 2023; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
David Wheelock
President
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peter Thiel
Chairman of the Board
Chairmain of → Chairman of the Board, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Blake Masters
Director
President → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jason Camm
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matthew Alexander
Director
Treasurer & Secretary → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Ajay Royan (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Sonia Arrison (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Brian Rowen (2021–2022) — President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about The Thiel Foundation
How much does The Thiel Foundation give each year?
The Thiel Foundation gave $1.0M across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $4.3M across 59 grants.
What is The Thiel Foundation's typical grant size?
The Thiel Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $64,000, and its average grant was $84,362, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Thiel Foundation give grants?
The Thiel Foundation's top state is Virginia, with 42% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Illinois (16%) and California (8%).
Does The Thiel Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 17% of The Thiel Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Imitatio Grant" (10 grants).
Who are The Thiel Foundation's largest grantees?
The Thiel Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Donorstrust ($426,775), Association Recherches Mimetiques ($80,000) and Lumen Christi Institute ($63,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 6 grants to individuals ($366,250), which are not listed by name. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Thiel Foundation?
The Thiel Foundation reported $45.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Thiel Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website does not state a mission. Its 2024 grants included support designated for Imitatio and general foundation grants. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Thiel Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Thiel Foundation's EIN?
The Thiel Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3846597. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Thiel Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Thiel Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in The Thiel Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Thiel Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-thiel-foundation-morg_b6aa138decf94a5ba303172f7b530f3c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203846597_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Thiel Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-thiel-foundation-morg_b6aa138decf94a5ba303172f7b530f3c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 The Thiel 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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