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Aphorism Foundation

Annual Giving
$55.1M
Grant Range
$100K - $14.5M

Aphorism Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $55,144,755 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $1,051,825,346
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation-only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $100,000 - $14,500,000 (typical: $1 million)
  • Geographic Focus: United States (primarily California, Massachusetts, New York)

Contact Details

Address: 220 Jackson St Fl 2, San Francisco, CA 94111-1831

Phone: 415-362-5990

Website: None

Note: The foundation does not have a website or public contact for grant applications. Does not accept unsolicited proposals.

Overview

The Aphorism Foundation was established in 2014 by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and his wife Michelle Yee as their primary charitable giving vehicle. The foundation employs a venture philanthropy approach to community development, democracy, science research, and education. With over $1 billion in assets, Aphorism contributed $55.1 million in grants in 2023 through 33 awards. The majority of funding goes to think tanks and research centers seeking innovative solutions to social problems, rather than to nonprofits providing direct services. Hoffman and Yee are signatories of the Giving Pledge. The foundation operates with zero grantmaking staff, with Hoffman directly involved in all funding decisions. The foundation prioritizes backing strong leaders and entrepreneurial approaches to long-standing social issues through network-driven recommendations rather than traditional application processes.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs but makes strategic investments across four primary areas:

  • Community Development & Economic Opportunity: $100,000 - $15,000,000 (e.g., Opportunity@Work received $15 million total)
  • Science Research & Disease Prevention: $1,000,000 - $14,500,000 (e.g., Chan Zuckerberg Biohub received $14 million total)
  • Education: Varies by institution (supports select higher education institutions and initiatives like QuestBridge)
  • Democracy Initiatives: $250,000 - $3,250,000 (e.g., New America Foundation received $3.25 million, Democracy Works received $250,000)

Application Method: Invitation only / Network referrals / Participation in foundation-sponsored challenges

Priority Areas

  • Think tanks and nonprofit research organizations seeking innovative, entrepreneurial approaches to social issues
  • Workforce development programs, particularly those helping people without degrees enter the workforce (especially tech industry)
  • Mental health and crisis intervention services
  • Higher education access for underserved populations
  • Democracy strengthening initiatives
  • Impact investing and venture philanthropy approaches
  • Scientific research and biohub initiatives
  • Organizations with strong, visionary founders and leadership

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations through unsolicited applications
  • Direct service nonprofits (with some exceptions)
  • Projects outside the United States (generally)
  • Organizations without connection to their network or intermediary partners

Governance and Leadership

Reid Hoffman - President, Treasurer, and Director

  • Co-founder of LinkedIn
  • Venture capitalist with background in technology entrepreneurship
  • Directly involved in all funding decisions despite foundation's billion-dollar asset base
  • Approach: "Basically, who is a great founder or founders? Do they have a good pattern for how to think about how they might make a big difference in the world?"

Michelle Yee - Co-founder

  • Hoffman's wife and philanthropic partner
  • Giving Pledge co-signatory

Frank F. Huang - Secretary

Aria Finger - Chief of Staff to Reid Hoffman

  • Manages operations; confirms Hoffman has "zero" grantmaking staff

Key Philosophy from Leadership:

Reid Hoffman frames all philanthropic work around the question: "How do we elevate the human condition?" emphasizing scale through "number of people and depth of impact over time."

On his selection process: "It's never by application. That's not the way we operate." Instead, his network drives recommendations, particularly from those familiar with his priorities and areas of expertise.

On unrestricted funding: "When you invest in a company, you put in money in general funds and then have the organization choose." He applies this principle to nonprofits, trusting strong leaders as capital allocators.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Aphorism Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and explicitly does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Grant decisions are made through:

  • Network referrals from individuals familiar with Hoffman's priorities
  • Partnerships with intermediary organizations like Lever for Change
  • Foundation-sponsored "challenges" (calls for proposals)
  • Direct outreach by Hoffman to leaders and organizations he identifies

As Hoffman states: "It's never by application. That's not the way we operate."

Getting on Their Radar

Note: This section includes only specific, documented information about this funder.

Network-Based Connections:

  • Research current and past grantees and establish relationships with them. Hoffman explicitly relies on previous recipients for recommendations.
  • Connect with intermediary organizations the foundation works with, particularly Lever for Change, which manages prize competitions and challenges sponsored by Aphorism.

Participation in Foundation-Sponsored Challenges:

  • Monitor for "challenges" (calls for proposals) that Aphorism supports through partners like Lever for Change. These are among the few ways the foundation solicits proposals.

Key Network Figure:

  • Aria Finger serves as Hoffman's Chief of Staff and manages operational aspects of the foundation.

What Hoffman Looks For: According to his public statements, Hoffman targets opportunities where he has "differential edge or advantage in helping"—whether through assets, knowledge, decision-making, or risk assessment. He prioritizes projects with a "higher risk coefficient" where he can meaningfully contribute, and focuses on strong founders with visionary leadership.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed and vary by project. Given that Hoffman is personally involved in all funding decisions and the foundation has no grantmaking staff, timing depends on his availability and engagement.

Success Rates

Not applicable. The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, so traditional success rates cannot be calculated.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable due to invitation-only model.

Application Success Factors

Since this funder operates on an invitation-only basis, these factors reflect what Hoffman has stated he looks for:

Founder/Leadership Quality: Hoffman employs a venture capital methodology: "Basically, who is a great founder or founders? Do they have a good pattern for how to think about how they might make a big difference in the world?" Strong, visionary leadership is paramount.

High-Risk, High-Impact Potential: Hoffman prioritizes projects with a "higher risk coefficient" where he can meaningfully contribute his expertise, knowledge, or risk assessment capabilities.

Innovative, Entrepreneurial Approaches: The foundation seeks "innovative, entrepreneurial approaches to long-standing social issues" rather than traditional service delivery models. Think tanks and research organizations developing new solutions are preferred over direct service providers.

Community Connection: Per Hoffman's Giving Pledge letter, the "most important" aspect involves "directly affected" community members in philanthropic partnerships, though this is evaluated through founder and project connections to communities rather than formal polling.

Network Validation: Organizations that come recommended through Hoffman's network—particularly from previous grantees or trusted advisors—have significantly better prospects than those attempting cold outreach.

Scale and Systemic Impact: Hoffman frames all work around "How do we elevate the human condition?" with emphasis on "number of people and depth of impact over time." Projects must demonstrate potential for broad, systemic change.

Examples of Funded Organizations:

  • Opportunity@Work ($15 million total): Workforce development helping people without degrees enter the tech industry - aligns with economic opportunity and innovative approach to employment barriers
  • Crisis Text Line ($15 million, 2016-2018): Mental health crisis intervention using technology - demonstrates innovation in service delivery
  • Obama Foundation (~$17 million over the years): Leadership development and civic engagement - reflects democracy focus
  • Chan Zuckerberg Biohub ($14 million total): Scientific research collaboration - exemplifies high-risk, high-impact science investment

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No traditional application pathway exists - this funder cannot be accessed through proposal submission. Success requires network connections to previous grantees or participation in foundation-sponsored challenges.

  • Focus on relationship building with current grantees - since Hoffman relies on network referrals, establishing credibility with organizations he already funds is the most viable pathway.

  • Think like a venture capitalist - Hoffman applies startup investment criteria to philanthropy. Organizations must demonstrate strong leadership, innovative approaches, potential for scale, and tolerance for risk.

  • Monitor Lever for Change partnerships - the foundation's participation in prize competitions and challenges through intermediaries represents one of the few public pathways to funding consideration.

  • Prioritize unrestricted funding requests if contact is made - Hoffman believes in giving organizations flexibility to allocate resources as they see fit, trusting strong leaders as capital allocators.

  • Emphasize thought leadership and research - the foundation strongly prefers think tanks and research organizations developing new solutions over traditional direct service providers.

  • Geographic concentration matters - while nominally US-focused, grants concentrate heavily in San Francisco, New York City, and Massachusetts where Hoffman has strongest networks.

References

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