The Quetzal Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $21-22 million
• Success Rate: Not publicly available (invitation only)
• Decision Time: Not disclosed
• Grant Range: $100,000 - $96+ million (primarily through DAF)
• Geographic Focus: National (US)

Contact Details

• Phone: 516-333-6881
• Mailing Address: PO Box 39337, Washington, DC 20016
• Website: None publicly accessible
• Email: Not available

Overview

The Quetzal Trust, established in 2000, is a private grantmaking foundation with assets ranging from $372 to $460 million. The foundation distributes approximately $21-22 million annually through both direct grants and donor-advised funds. The Trust strives to increase knowledge and promote education and health through grants to 501(c)(3) organizations, taking particular interest in long-term initiatives rather than short-term solutions. Notably, 98% of the foundation's giving from 2010-2018 ($96.2 million) was directed through their donor-advised fund at Fidelity Charitable, making ultimate recipients difficult to track. The foundation is led by Peter F. Brown, CEO of Renaissance Technologies, and Margaret A. Hamburg, former FDA Commissioner.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through two primary channels:

• Direct Grants: $100,000 - $500,000 to preselected organizations
• Donor-Advised Fund: Large distributions through Fidelity Charitable (majority of giving)

Priority Areas

• Higher education (particularly Harvard, Yale, Carnegie Mellon)
• STEM education and mathematics
• Public health and medical research
• Science advancement and research
• Public broadcasting
• Environmental conservation
• Reproductive health
• Museums and cultural institutions
• Relief for the poor, distressed, and underprivileged

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the foundation does not fund:

• Organizations without 501(c)(3) status
• Unsolicited applications from organizations outside their network
• Short-term or emergency funding requests

Governance and Leadership

Trustees (all serve without compensation):

• Peter F. Brown - CEO of Renaissance Technologies hedge fund, holds a Harvard B.A. in mathematics and Ph.D. in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University
• Margaret A. Hamburg, MD - Chair of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, former FDA Commissioner (2009-2015), former Rockefeller Foundation trustee
• Rachel A. H. Brown - Daughter of Peter Brown, trustee

The trustees bring deep connections to mathematics, science, public health, and elite educational institutions, which is reflected in the foundation's giving patterns.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Quetzal Trust explicitly states it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations." While they indicate that solicitations from 501(c)(3) organizations may be sent to their PO Box address, the foundation operates primarily through invitation and pre-existing relationships with organizations.

Getting on Their Radar

Based on the foundation's giving patterns and trustee backgrounds, organizations most likely to receive consideration share these characteristics:

• Strong connections to trustee alma maters (Harvard, Carnegie Mellon)
• Leadership in mathematics, computer science, or STEM education
• Public health initiatives with national impact
• Organizations where trustees serve in advisory or board capacities
• Institutions connected to the Renaissance Technologies or FDA networks

The foundation's heavy reliance on donor-advised fund distributions (98% of giving) suggests most funding decisions are made privately without public disclosure.

Decision Timeline

Not disclosed; decisions appear to be made at trustee discretion without public timeline

Success Rates

Not available due to invitation-only nature of funding

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable as the foundation does not accept public applications

Application Success Factors

Given the foundation's closed application process, success factors are based on observed giving patterns:

• Existing relationships are critical: Nearly all identified recipients have clear connections to trustee backgrounds or professional networks
• Alignment with trustee expertise: Organizations in mathematics, computer science, public health, and elite education receive priority
• Institutional credibility: Recipients include Harvard, Yale, Carnegie Mellon, National Academy of Engineering, and Doctors Without Borders
• Long-term impact focus: The foundation explicitly favors "long-term initiatives rather than short-term solutions"
• National or international scope: Most funded organizations operate at scale rather than locally

Organizations without existing connections to the trustees or their institutions face extremely limited prospects for funding.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• The Quetzal Trust is effectively inaccessible to organizations without existing relationships with the trustees
• 98% of giving flows through a donor-advised fund, making funding decisions opaque
• Direct grants have historically gone to elite educational institutions and nationally recognized nonprofits
• The foundation's interests align closely with trustee backgrounds: mathematics, computer science, public health, and STEM education
• While solicitations can be sent to their PO Box, the stated policy of only funding "preselected organizations" makes cold outreach inadvisable
• Organizations seeking funding should focus on building relationships with trustees through their affiliated institutions or professional networks
• The lack of transparency and public application process makes this an unrealistic target for most grant seekers

References

• Charity Navigator. "The Quetzal Trust." Accessed February 2024. https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/527140888
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. "The Quetzal Trust Form 990-PF." Accessed February 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/527140888
• Cause IQ. "Quetzal Trust Profile." Accessed February 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/quetzal-trust,527140888/
• Inside Philanthropy. "Peter Brown: Wall Street Donor Profile." Accessed February 2024. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/wall-street-donors/peter-brown.html
• Grantmakers.io. "The Quetzal Trust Funding Profile." Accessed February 2024. https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/527140888-the-quetzal-trust/
• Grant Bay. "The Quetzal Trust Form 990 Analysis." Accessed February 2024. https://grantbay.org/form-990/527140888