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Breyer Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$4.4M
Grant Range
$5K - $1.5M
00

Breyer Family Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $4.38 million (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $1,500,000
  • Geographic Focus: National (U.S.), with emphasis on institutions in California and Massachusetts
  • Total Assets: $103.9 million (2024)

Contact Details

Address: 314 Lytton Avenue, Suite 200, Palo Alto, CA 94301

Phone: (650) 804-7100

Website: Not available

Email: Not publicly available

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and does not provide a clear avenue for public contact.

Overview

The Breyer Family Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 2015 by venture capitalist James W. Breyer and the late Angela Chao. Based in Palo Alto, California, the foundation has grown substantially from $14.1 million in net assets at its inception to $103.9 million by 2024. In 2024, the foundation distributed $4.38 million in charitable grants, maintaining a consistent annual giving pattern of $2-5 million over the past decade. The foundation's mission centers on supporting educational institutions, arts and cultural organizations, and social enterprises, with a particular focus on institutions with personal connections to the family. Jim Breyer, founder and CEO of Breyer Capital and former managing partner at Accel Partners (known for his early investment in Facebook), guides the foundation's strategic direction alongside trustees Daniel Breyer and Tom Van Loben Sels.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through discretionary grantmaking determined by the trustees. Recent grants demonstrate a clear preference for established institutions:

  • Major Institutional Support: $250,000 - $1,500,000 (donor-advised funds, university programs, major museums)
  • Educational Institutions: $50,000 - $500,000 (universities, educational nonprofits)
  • Arts & Culture: $25,000 - $925,000 (museums, performing arts, film institutes)
  • Social Impact: $10,000 - $500,000 (employment programs, legal aid, community organizations)

Application Method: Invitation only - no public application process

Priority Areas

Based on 2023 grant distributions, the foundation actively funds:

Education

  • Elite universities (Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Brown) with family connections
  • Educational innovation and entrepreneurship programs at universities
  • Teaching and educational access organizations (Teach for America)
  • International education programs (Stanford's Breyer Center for Overseas Studies in Florence)

Arts & Culture

  • Major museums (Metropolitan Museum of Art, SFMOMA)
  • Performing arts (Metropolitan Opera)
  • Film and media (American Film Institute)
  • Digital initiatives in cultural institutions

Social Enterprise & Innovation

  • Venture philanthropy supporting employment programs (REDF)
  • Legal services for underserved populations (Upsolve)
  • University-based venture funds and entrepreneurship centers

Community Organizations

  • Organizations in Palo Alto and Silicon Valley area
  • International initiatives aligned with family interests

What They Don't Fund

The foundation explicitly states it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Based on grant patterns, they do not typically fund:

  • Organizations without established institutional credentials
  • First-time applicants without personal connections to the family
  • Small grassroots organizations
  • Religious organizations (no evidence in recent grants)
  • Individual scholarships or fellowships (they fund institutions that provide these)
  • Environmental or climate-focused organizations
  • Healthcare organizations

Governance and Leadership

Leadership Team (all serve without compensation):

  • James W. Breyer - President and Director: Founder and CEO of Breyer Capital, former managing partner at Accel Partners, and early Facebook investor. He serves on the Harvard Corporation, is a trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and SFMOMA, and sits on numerous university advisory boards including Stanford School of Engineering and Harvard's Global Advisory Council.

  • Daniel Breyer - Treasurer: Family member involved in foundation operations.

  • Tom Van Loben Sels - Secretary: Longtime associate supporting foundation administration.

Key Quotes and Guidance:

Jim Breyer has publicly stated his investment and philanthropic focus "since 2016 has centered on collaborating with many of the world's leading universities in the United States, including Stanford, Harvard, MIT, UCSF, and the University of Texas at Austin." This institutional focus is reflected consistently in the foundation's grant patterns.

The foundation's approach aligns with Breyer's broader philosophy described in his professional work: providing "capital to help catalyze high impact social and for-profit entrepreneurs" through Breyer Capital, with the foundation extending this to nonprofit institutions.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

The Breyer Family Foundation explicitly states: "Only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

All grants are made at the discretion of the trustees to organizations with which they have established relationships or personal connections. The foundation primarily supports:

  • Educational institutions where family members studied or serve in governance roles (Harvard, Stanford)
  • Cultural institutions where trustees serve on boards (Metropolitan Museum of Art, SFMOMA)
  • Organizations aligned with the family's professional network in venture capital and technology
  • Schools and community organizations in areas where the family has resided (Palo Alto, Silicon Valley)

Getting on Their Radar

ONLY include this section if you have SPECIFIC, FUNDER-UNIQUE information about THIS funder.

Based on available information, the Breyer Family Foundation's grants flow primarily through:

  • Board Connections: Jim Breyer serves as a trustee at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, SFMOMA, and the American Film Institute - all recent major grant recipients. Board service appears to be a primary pathway.

  • University Advisory Roles: Breyer is a Fellow Emeritus of Harvard Corporation and founding member of Harvard's Global Advisory Council, plus serves on Stanford School of Engineering's Dean's Advisory Board. Both universities receive regular support.

  • Professional Network: Organizations connected to the venture capital and technology ecosystem, particularly those supporting entrepreneurship at universities, have received grants.

  • Geographic Presence: Organizations with operations or programs in Palo Alto and Silicon Valley have better visibility with the foundation.

The foundation does not attend conferences or host informational sessions for prospective grantees. Personal introductions through existing trustees, board members, or grant recipients would be the most viable pathway, though success remains highly unlikely without direct family connections.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation makes discretionary grants on a rolling basis throughout the year based on trustee decisions. There are no published application deadlines or decision timelines.

Success Rates

Not applicable for external applicants. The foundation operates on an invitation-only model where trustees identify and approach organizations for funding rather than reviewing submitted applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications or unsolicited requests. Organizations that have received grants in the past may receive continued support based on trustee discretion and ongoing relationships.

Application Success Factors

This section focuses on understanding the foundation's documented preferences:

Institutional Prestige and Established Relationships The grant list reveals a clear pattern: 100% of documented grants go to well-established, nationally recognized institutions or organizations with direct connections to family members. Top 2023 recipients included American Endowment Foundation ($1.5M), Silicon Valley Community Foundation ($1M), Metropolitan Museum of Art ($925K), Teach for America ($500K), and Stanford University ($440K).

Educational Excellence and Innovation Multiple grants support entrepreneurship and innovation programs at universities. The foundation funded Stanford Engineering Venture Fund, Harvard Business School initiatives, and university-based programs that blend education with practical application - reflecting Jim Breyer's venture capital background.

Arts and Digital Innovation The Metropolitan Museum of Art received $925K specifically for "digital initiatives and exhibitions," suggesting the foundation values cultural institutions that embrace technology and innovation rather than traditional preservation alone.

Donor-Advised Funds Significant contributions to American Endowment Foundation ($1.5M) and Silicon Valley Community Foundation ($1M) suggest the family also channels giving through donor-advised funds, potentially for strategic tax planning or to support causes that may not align perfectly with the foundation's formal priorities.

Personal Geography Organizations based in or serving Palo Alto, Silicon Valley, and the broader Bay Area appear regularly (Stanford, SFMOMA, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Woodside School Foundation), as do Boston-area institutions connected to Harvard.

Venture Philanthropy Approach The foundation's support for REDF (described as "venture philanthropy that invests exclusively in social enterprises that employ and empower people overcoming barriers to work") demonstrates alignment with organizations that apply business principles to social problems.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Access: This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and exclusively funds preselected organizations. Unless you have direct personal connections to the Breyer family or serve on boards alongside Jim Breyer, pursuing this foundation is not a viable strategy.

  • Relationship-Driven: All documented grants flow through existing relationships - university alma maters, museum boards where Breyer serves as trustee, or organizations in the family's immediate geographic and professional network.

  • Institutional Focus: The foundation supports established, prestigious institutions rather than emerging nonprofits. Grant recipients include Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Brown, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Teach for America.

  • Innovation Preference: Within traditional institutions, the foundation favors programs focused on entrepreneurship, digital innovation, and venture philanthropy approaches that apply business thinking to social problems.

  • Major Gift Capacity: Grants range from $5,000 to $1.5 million, with numerous six-figure commitments, indicating the foundation can make substantial investments in aligned causes.

  • Geographic Concentration: Strong preference for Bay Area organizations (particularly around Palo Alto/Stanford) and Boston-area institutions (particularly Harvard-connected), reflecting where family members have lived and studied.

  • Arts Support Through Technology Lens: Cultural institution grants emphasize digital initiatives and innovation rather than traditional preservation, aligning with Breyer's technology investment background.

References

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