Paul E. Singer Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $122,864,500 (2023); $188,800,000 charitable disbursements (2024)
Total Assets: $172.4 million (2024)
Grant Range: $720 - $110,000,000
Number of Awards: 44 grants (2023)
Geographic Focus: Primarily New York City, with grants also to Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Israel
Application Status: Does not accept unsolicited proposals

Contact Details

Website: thepesfoundation.org
Address: 40 West 57th Street, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10019
General Inquiries: Contact form available on foundation website

Overview

The Paul E. Singer Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 2010 by hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer, founder and co-CEO of Elliott Investment Management. Paul Singer is a signatory of The Giving Pledge, committing to donate more than half of his wealth to philanthropy.

The foundation's stated mission is "to support and create innovative and effective organizations and initiatives that strengthen American democracy, the future of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, and Jewish continuity." The foundation employs a targeted, results-oriented approach to philanthropy, seeking measurable outcomes in the medium to long term. It prioritizes leveraging its philanthropic investments by partnering with proven nonprofits and like-minded donors.

In 2018, Paul Singer was recognized with the William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership, acknowledging his strategic approach to giving and his role in nurturing innovative ideas across multiple sectors.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation focuses on several key areas:

Jewish Causes (Largest giving area)

Jewish organizations in the U.S. and Israel
Education, culture, history, and religion
Examples: UJA Federation of New York ($755,000), Jewish Agency for Israel ($550,000), Birthright Israel Foundation ($918,750)

Policy Research & Free-Market Economics

Think tanks and policy organizations
Manhattan Institute for Policy Research ($1.635 million in 2021)
American Enterprise Institute

Health & Medical Research

Disease research and care, primarily in New York
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Lupus Research Alliance, Crohn's and Colitis Foundation

Education

K-12 education for underserved communities
Charter schools and tutoring programs
Harlem Children's Zone, Prep for Prep, Success Academies, Children's Museum of Manhattan

LGBTQ Equality

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
American Unity PAC (founded by Singer with $1 million seed funding)

U.S. National Security & Israel

Friends of Israel Defense Forces
Start-Up Nation Central (co-founded by Singer)
Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Intellectual Diversity on Campuses

Heterodox Academy
Organizations promoting viewpoint diversity in higher education

Priority Areas

Free-market and pro-growth economic policies
Rule of law and transparency
U.S. national security
Individual freedom
Healthcare delivery innovation
The future of Israel and Jewish continuity
LGBT equality

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not publicly list explicit exclusions
They do not accept unsolicited proposals
Progressive organizations outside of LGBTQ or K-12 education sectors have lower success rates given the funder's libertarian-conservative orientation

Governance and Leadership

Founder & President: Paul E. Singer

Founder, President, and Co-CEO of Elliott Investment Management
Chairman Emeritus of the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research
Co-founder of Start-Up Nation Central
Giving Pledge signatory

Executive Director: Daniel Bonner ($688,572 compensation, 2024)

Director & Head of Strategy: Harry Z. Cohen ($597,843 compensation, 2024)

Senior Director: Aaron MacLean

Also Senior Fellow at Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Board member of Philanthropy Roundtable

Board Secretary: Myron Kaplan (Founder, Kleinberg Kaplan law firm)

Board Member: Anne G. Dickerson

Key Advisors:

Daniel Senor (Chief Public Affairs Officer at Elliott Investment Management, former advisor to Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, author of "Start-Up Nation" and "The Genius of Israel")
Terry Kassell (Head of Strategic HR at Elliott Investment Management)

Founder's Philanthropic Philosophy

From Paul Singer's Giving Pledge letter (2013):

"In the private world, philanthropists can help to nurture and spread good-but-neglected ideas until those in government can no longer ignore them. And when these ideas concern how best to meet urgent material needs, the power of private giving can be multiplied far beyond what is achieved by the direct provision of resources."

"The Giving Pledge uniquely combines the direct provision of resources with the power of an idea—the idea that fostering discussions about the purpose of philanthropy may improve our philosophies of giving and lead to better results for those in need."

On his approach to philanthropy (2018 William E. Simon Prize interview):

"I think the way that all philanthropists start is by writing out a check. The path I took from there led me to expand beyond writing out checks to identifying a gap, and if a group addressing that gap doesn't currently exist, then constructing something new."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The foundation has explicitly stated that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds." The foundation team proactively identifies potential grantees and focuses on direct identification of organizations aligned with their priorities.

General inquiries can be submitted through the contact page on thepesfoundation.org, but this is not an application process.

Getting on Their Radar

The following strategies are specific to the Paul E. Singer Foundation's ecosystem:

Manhattan Institute Connection: Singer serves as Chairman Emeritus of the Manhattan Institute's Board of Trustees. Organizations whose work aligns with Manhattan Institute research areas or that have relationships with the Institute may be more visible to the foundation.
Start-Up Nation Central: For Israel-focused organizations, Singer co-founded Start-Up Nation Central, which connects Israel's innovation ecosystem with global partners. Engagement with this organization could provide visibility.
Elliott Investment Management Network: Several key foundation staff hold dual roles at Elliott Investment Management. The foundation's strategic approach often draws on these professional networks.
Heterodox Academy: For higher education organizations focused on intellectual diversity, connection to Heterodox Academy (which Singer has supported) may create visibility.
Foundation for Defense of Democracies: Senior Director Aaron MacLean is a Senior Fellow at FDD, making this network relevant for national security-focused organizations.
Philanthropy Roundtable: Aaron MacLean sits on the board of Philanthropy Roundtable, which convenes donors interested in strategic philanthropy.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed
The foundation operates on a proactive identification model rather than responding to applications

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable as the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications

Application Success Factors

Given the foundation's invitation-only model, success factors relate to organizational alignment rather than application quality:

Organizational Characteristics the Foundation Values:

Proven track record of accomplishment
Measurable, results-oriented approach
Alignment with free-market principles, U.S. national security, Jewish causes, or LGBTQ equality
Potential for leveraged impact through partnership with other donors
Medium to long-term outcome orientation

From Inside Philanthropy analysis:

Singer's libertarian-conservative political views are reflected in grantmaking
Progressive organizations have better chances in the LGBTQ or K-12 education sectors
The funder seeks organizations demonstrating proven accomplishment records
Networking is described as "the most viable approach for potential applicants"

Robert Nicholson (Founder, Philos Project) on Singer's approach:

"I think that if you are a philanthropist and you want to know the current trends that you should be paying attention to, then you should be talking to Paul Singer. He is a philanthropist with a long view, he sees things other people don't see, and he's willing to take bets."

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No public application process: The foundation explicitly does not accept unsolicited proposals. All grantmaking is through proactive identification of aligned organizations.
Jewish causes dominate: This is the foundation's largest giving area, spanning U.S. and Israel-focused organizations across education, culture, religion, and community services.
Political orientation matters: The foundation reflects Singer's libertarian-conservative views. LGBTQ equality and K-12 education are sectors where progressive organizations may find alignment.
Relationship-driven model: Building visibility through Singer's network (Manhattan Institute, Start-Up Nation Central, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Heterodox Academy) offers the most viable path.
Significant giving capacity: With $122+ million in annual grants and individual awards ranging up to $110 million, the foundation has substantial capacity for organizations it chooses to support.
Results-orientation: The foundation seeks "measurable outcomes in the medium to long term" and partnerships that leverage philanthropic impact.
New York focus: Much of the grantmaking occurs in New York City, particularly for health, education, and Jewish community organizations.

References

Information compiled December 2025