The Thiel Foundation
The Thiel Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation created by tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and early investor in Facebook. Established in 2005 and tax-exempt since May 2006, the foundation is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with additional offices in Los Angeles. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) private foundation focused on supporting science, technology, and long-term thinking about the future.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$45.2M
+1.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.0M
-76.6% YoY
Grant Count
12
-79.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$84K
+14.8% YoY
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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Thiel Foundation defends and promotes freedom in all its dimensions—political, personal, and economic. The foundation accomplishes this mission through three primary approaches:
- Supporting innovative scientific research and new technologies that empower people to improve their lives
- Championing organizations and individuals who expose human rights abuses and authoritarianism
- Encouraging exploration of new ideas and new spaces where people can be less reliant on government and where freedom can flourish
The foundation's grantmaking focuses on science and technology, new inventions, and mimetic theory across social sciences. Primary funding areas include education, philanthropy and voluntarism, and human services.
Grantmaking
The Thiel Foundation operates through three core initiatives:
Grant Range
$2,500 to $1,370,000 for organizational grants
Average Grant
amount varies by program
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Thiel Foundation primarily funds organizations and individuals in the United States, with some international grantmaking activity. Recent funding has been concentrated in Illinois, California, and Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2023-2024):
- Total assets: $44.4 million to $45.2 million
- Annual revenue: $8.24 million to $10 million
- Total giving (2024): $3,012,338
- Total expenses (2023): $3.32 million
- Total liabilities (2023): $1.04 million
The foundation maintains a substantial asset base relative to its annual grantmaking, indicating a long-term funding capacity.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $45,244,823 | $44,447,969 | $28,591,177 |
| Revenue | $454,852 | $8,240,688 | $5,743,115 |
| Expenses | $3,922,878 | $3,316,210 | $7,433,736 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,420,251 | $4,949,888 | $5,056,776 |
| Net Investment Income | — | $2,727,422 | — |
| Distributable Amount | $2,347,887 | $3,522,320 | $2,579,381 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
197 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Donorstrust ($426,775), James Alison ($95,000), Association Recherches Mimetiques ($80,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| DONORSTRUST ALEXANDRIA, VA | GENERAL FOUNDATION GRANT | $426,775 |
| JAMES ALISON | IMITATIO GRANT | $95,000 |
| ASSOCIATION RECHERCHES MIMETIQUES | IMITATIO GRANT | $80,000 |
| BENOIT CHANTRE | IMITATIO GRANT | $80,000 |
| CYNTHIA HAVEN STANFORD, CA | IMITATIO GRANT | $65,000 |
| MARK ANSPACH | IMITATIO GRANT | $65,000 |
| LUMEN CHRISTI INSTITUTE CHICAGO, IL | IMITATIO GRANT | $63,000 |
| GLASS DARKLY FILMS INC BOURBONNAIS, IL | IMITATIO GRANT | $53,313 |
| SAMUEL SORICH BOURBONNAIS, IL | IMITATIO GRANT | $50,000 |
| ADEODATUS PASADENA, CA | GENERAL FOUNDATION GRANT | $15,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Based on the most recent IRS filings, the foundation's leadership includes:
- Peter Thiel - Chairman of the Board
- David Wheelock - President
- Blake Masters - Director
- Jason Camm - Director
- Sonia Arrison - Director
- Ajay Royan - Director
- Matthew Alexander - Treasurer/Secretary
- Steve Friendlander - Program Manager
- Trevor Merrill - Program Manager
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| PETER THIEL | CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD | 2 | — |
| BLAKE MASTERS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JASON CAMM | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DAVID WHEELOCK | PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| MATTHEW ALEXANDER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Thiel Foundation announced its 2025 class of Thiel Fellows, continuing its flagship fellowship program that identifies and supports young entrepreneurs pursuing unconventional paths outside traditional higher education.
Thiel Foundation Announces 2025 Class of Thiel FellowsSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Thiel Foundation fund?
The Thiel Foundation defends and promotes freedom in all its dimensions—political, personal, and economic. The foundation accomplishes this mission through three primary approaches: • Supporting innovative scientific research and new technologies that empower people to improve their lives • Championing organizations and individuals who expose human rights abuses and authoritarianism • Encouraging exploration of new ideas and new spaces where people can be less reliant on government and where fr…
How do I apply for a grant from The Thiel Foundation?
The Thiel Foundation operates through three core initiatives: **Thiel Fellowship** - The foundation's flagship program for young entrepreneurs, offering $200,000 awards on a rolling basis with a success rate of approximately 0.1%. **Imitatio** - A dedicated program supporting research in mimetic theory. **Strategic Grants** - General organizational grants to support freedom and cutting-edge science initiatives. **Grant Characteristics:** • Grant range: $2,500 to $1,370,000 for organizational gr…
Where does The Thiel Foundation make grants?
The Thiel Foundation primarily funds organizations and individuals in the United States, with some international grantmaking activity. Recent funding has been concentrated in Illinois, California, and Virginia.
What size grants does The Thiel Foundation award?
In 2024, The Thiel Foundation awarded 12 grants totaling $1.0M — an average of about $84K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Thiel Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Thiel Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.3M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
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.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Thiel Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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