Gilead Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The foundation's stated priority is the Bay Area, so a nonprofit working in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin or the other California counties it names should lead with that local link, and its work centres on science and innovation, access and health equity, people and culture, and education equity.
- About 8 in 10 of its grants fall between $25,000 and $920,000, and half of its grants to organisations are $125,000 or less, so a request near $125,000 is a realistic size, though that band describes typical grants rather than a limit, since its largest grant was $8,250,000.
- The first step is a Letter of Interest, and applications are accepted on a rolling basis, so timing is flexible.
- In its most recent filing, 87% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in one of its two earlier filings, so a new applicant should expect most of the money to go to existing grantees and should build a clear case rather than rely on a cold approach.
- Any grant comes with obligations, as recipients must complete a post-program budget reconciliation, provide data required for state or federal reporting and provide program outcomes, so a group should be ready for that before it applies.
Overview
Gilead Foundation is a US private foundation based in Foster City, CA.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Gilead Foundation works to create a thriving health ecosystem with health prosperity for all. It takes a holistic approach to mitigating the root causes of inequities and creating systems of support. Through Building Community Donations, it supports equitable K–12+ STEM education and safety-net organisations providing food, shelter, healthcare and other social services. Its giving also supports regional public-private partnerships, economic and environmental sustainability, and youth leadership. The Creating Possible Fund is its signature initiative, focused on education equity and supporting underserved students through social connections, positive learning environments and systems of support. Building Community Donations is anchored in science and innovation, access and health equity, and people and culture.
Themes
- Science and innovation
- Access and health equity
- People and culture
- Education equity
Geographic Focus
Priority: Bay Area: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and 6 more counties in California. From its grants, not stated by the foundation: California; Delaware; United Kingdom; Canada; Germany.
How to apply
The first step is to complete a Letter of Interest (LOI).
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 87% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 166 grants to organisations were $125,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- For the Biotech Pathways Initiative, it prioritizes programs that build students’ foundational knowledge, applied and industry-relevant skills, and real-world learning experiences.
- Recipients must complete post-program budget reconciliation, provide data required for state or federal reporting, and provide program outcomes.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 5%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 4%
- The largest single recipient received 35% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 87% of grant dollars went to organisations Gilead Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- <1% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Canada).
- 38% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 46 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $125k (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- America Online Giving Foundation · 2024 Gilead Giving Together Donation$6,000,0002024 tax year
- University Corporation San Francisco State · STEM Pathways and the Science, Engineering and Innovation Center$1,500,0002024 tax year
- Yellow Work · YELLOW - Growth & Scaling$1,000,0002024 tax year
- Oakland Fund for Public Innovation · Healing Violence in our Community and Schools.$1,000,0002024 tax year
- Xavier University of Louisiana · Disrupting Obstacles to Education: The Gilead-Xavier University of Louisiana Student Promise for Louisiana$1,000,0002024 tax year
- Pulse of Perseverance · Pulse of Perseverance Mentoring App$916,5252024 tax year
- Life Science Cares · Life Science Cares Partnership$500,0002024 tax year
- Morehouse College · Strengthening a Sense of Belonging to Improve Health and Educational Outcomes for Black Males$500,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Merdad Parsey — Director
- Jyoti Mehra — Director
- Andy Dickinson — Director
- Anu Osinusi — Director
- Carmen Villar — Director
- Cyndi Fukushima — Treasurer
- Keeley Cain Wettan — Secretary
- Joydeep Ganguly — Board Chair
- Kate Wilson — President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $20,269,031 | $19,731,232 | $164,823,663 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $25,178,789 | $23,843,719 | $162,540,742 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $20,368,449 | $18,993,025 | $161,936,520 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to Gilead Foundation?
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Applying to Gilead Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required