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Della Pietra Foundation

Annual Giving
$6.1M
Grant Range
$500K - $5.0M

Della Pietra Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $6.1 million (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available (invitation-only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: Varies significantly by program
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily U.S., with strong emphasis on New York/Long Island region
  • Total Assets: $64.5 million (2024)

Contact Details

Address: 100 Jericho Quadrangle, Suite 220, Jericho, NY 11753-2702

Leadership:

  • President: Barbara Amonson
  • Secretary: Vincent Della Pietra

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications. All grants are made to preselected charitable organizations.

Overview

The Della Pietra Foundation (EIN: 83-2596679) is a private independent foundation established in 2019 by Vincent Della Pietra and Barbara Amonson. With total assets of $64.5 million and annual giving of approximately $6.1 million, the foundation focuses on advancing STEM education, mathematical sciences, biomedical research, and scientific discovery. Vincent and his twin brother Stephen Della Pietra are physicists who earned degrees from Princeton and Harvard before working at IBM and later Renaissance Technologies, where they manage research groups. Their philanthropic approach reflects their scientific backgrounds and commitment to public education, particularly supporting programs that inspire the next generation of mathematicians, physicists, and scientists. The foundation has been a major supporter of Stony Brook University, with the Della Pietra family investing over $10 million across campus programs.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with published guidelines. Instead, grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees to organizations aligned with their interests. Notable funding areas include:

Higher Education - STEM Focus: Major multi-million dollar grants to universities for mathematics, physics, and geometry programs

  • Princeton University (listed as grantee)
  • Stony Brook University (multiple programs)

Youth STEM Education: Support for gifted student programs in mathematics and science

  • Applied mathematics programs for high school students
  • Saturday enrichment programs

Biomedical Research: Endowed chairs and research initiatives

  • Biomedical imaging research
  • Global health initiatives

Scientific Communication: Public lecture series and science outreach

  • Della Pietra Lecture Series at Simons Center for Geometry and Physics

Priority Areas

Based on documented grants, the foundation prioritizes:

  • Mathematics Education: Applied mathematics programs, particularly for gifted high school students
  • Theoretical Physics: Geometry and physics research centers
  • Biomedical Sciences: Medical imaging and pediatric health research
  • Public Science Education: Lecture series and outreach programs that make advanced science accessible to students and the public
  • Global Health: International health research initiatives
  • Arts and Culture: Limited support for university arts programs

What They Don't Fund

The foundation has not publicly listed exclusions, but their documented giving patterns show:

  • Focus exclusively on education, science, and research
  • No evidence of funding for social services, direct service programs, or operating support for community organizations
  • Grants appear concentrated on institutions rather than individual projects or grassroots organizations

Governance and Leadership

Vincent Della Pietra (Secretary): Twin brother of Stephen Della Pietra. Earned undergraduate degree in physics from Princeton and doctorate in physics from Harvard. Conducted postdoctoral research at the Institute for Advanced Study before working at IBM on statistical pattern recognition. Currently co-manages the General Research Group at Renaissance Technologies. String theorist with deep expertise in mathematical physics and statistical methods.

Barbara Amonson (President): Wife of Vincent Della Pietra. Active in philanthropic leadership alongside her husband, particularly in supporting STEM education and scientific research.

Philanthropic Philosophy

Vincent and Stephen Della Pietra have articulated clear values in their giving:

On Public Universities: Stephen stated, "We chose to create the program at Stony Brook because we believe in the power of the public university to reach more students and inspire the next generation of great mathematicians." This reflects their commitment to maximizing educational impact through public institutions.

On Stony Brook's Role: Stephen noted, "Stony Brook has proven to be the intellectual center of Long Island," explaining their sustained investment in the institution.

On Science Communication: The brothers started the Della Pietra Lecture Series "as means to bring greater awareness of recent and impactful discoveries in Physics and Mathematics to the Long Island community, in particular to high school, undergraduate and graduate students with an interest in the sciences."

Their giving is motivated by personal experience with mathematics education during their own high school years and concern about low STEM participation rates among college graduates.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Della Pietra Foundation makes contributions exclusively to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. This is characteristic of private family foundations where grants are awarded through trustee discretion rather than competitive application processes.

Grants appear to be initiated through:

  • Existing relationships with institutions (particularly Stony Brook University)
  • Direct trustee identification of organizations and programs aligned with foundation priorities
  • Networks within the scientific and academic communities

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation's giving is highly concentrated on institutions where the Della Pietra family has established relationships, particularly Stony Brook University and Princeton University. Their documented giving shows:

  • Long-term institutional relationships: Multiple grants over several years to the same institutions, particularly Stony Brook
  • Scientific community connections: Both Vincent and Stephen are active in mathematical and physics research communities through their work at Renaissance Technologies and relationships with institutions like the Institute for Advanced Study
  • Geographic concentration: Strong focus on Long Island institutions

Organizations seeking funding would likely need:

  • Established credibility in STEM education or research
  • Connection to individuals or institutions in the Della Pietra family's professional or philanthropic network
  • Programs aligned with mathematical sciences, physics, or biomedical research

Application Success Factors

Since the foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, their documented giving patterns reveal what attracts their support:

Alignment with Trustee Interests

Mathematics and Theoretical Physics: The foundation strongly favors programs in these fields, reflecting the trustees' professional backgrounds. The Simons Center for Geometry and Physics received $5 million, demonstrating their commitment to advancing these disciplines.

Youth STEM Development: The $500,000 gift for the Della Pietra Family Applied Mathematics Program shows prioritization of programs that identify and nurture mathematical talent in high school students. Programs offering advanced mathematical training to gifted students align with their concerns about low STEM participation rates.

Public Science Education: The establishment and ongoing support of the Della Pietra Lecture Series demonstrates their value for making advanced science accessible. Programs with three-tier approaches (technical, student-focused, and public) match their model.

Institutional Characteristics

Public Universities: Stephen's explicit statement about "the power of the public university to reach more students" indicates preference for public institutions over private ones, despite their own Ivy League backgrounds.

Research Excellence: Support for centers like the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics shows they fund institutions at the forefront of their fields.

Long Island Connection: Stony Brook's status as "the intellectual center of Long Island" matters to them, suggesting regional impact is a consideration.

Program Design Elements

Matching Grant Opportunities: Their $1.5 million biomedical imaging gift was matched by the Simons Foundation for $3 million total impact, suggesting they appreciate leverage opportunities.

Named Recognition: Multiple named programs and spaces (Della Pietra Chair, Della Pietra Lecture Series, Della Pietra Family Auditorium, Della Pietra Family Applied Mathematics Program) indicate they value recognition.

Multi-Level Impact: Programs serving multiple audiences (high school students, undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, public) align with their documented interests.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation-only model: This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant applications; focus on building relationships within scientific and academic networks where trustees are active
  • STEM focus is absolute: 100% of documented grants support mathematics, physics, biomedical science, or STEM education—no evidence of funding outside these areas
  • Public university preference: Despite Ivy League backgrounds, trustees explicitly value public universities' ability to "reach more students"
  • Long-term partnership approach: Pattern shows sustained multi-year support to same institutions (especially Stony Brook) rather than one-off grants to many organizations
  • Youth development priority: Significant investment in programs for gifted high school students in mathematics, reflecting concern about STEM pipeline
  • Leverage opportunities valued: Willingness to participate in matching grants that multiply impact
  • Geographic concentration: Heavy focus on Long Island institutions, particularly Stony Brook University, where family has invested over $10 million

References

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