Priem Family Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $28,987,743 (2023)
Total Assets: $142,268,350 (2024)
Geographic Focus: San Francisco Bay Area and Troy, NY
Application Method: Invitation only - does not accept unsolicited proposals
Foundation Lifespan: Spending down by 2031

Contact Details

Website: www.priem.org
Address: Burlingame, CA
EIN: 94-3340371

Overview

Founded in 1999 by Curtis R. Priem, NVIDIA co-founder and inventor holding nearly 200 patents, the Priem Family Foundation operates with approximately $142 million in assets and plans to fully spend down and dissolve by 2031. The foundation made $28.9 million in grants in 2023 across 14 awards. Led by Curtis and his wife Cindi Priem, the foundation's mission centers on "the reduction of non-human induced suffering" through three key areas: creativity (arts education and creative expression), education (learning opportunities and innovation), and support for people with disabilities. The foundation explicitly does not fund efforts to alleviate "human-induced suffering," instead preferring to empower change through education, arts, science, and technology. Curtis Priem has directed over $350 million in total philanthropic giving, with the foundation concentrating grants in the San Francisco Bay Area and Troy, NY.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Priem Family Foundation operates through trustee-directed grantmaking rather than formal grant programs. Notable grants include:

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: $75 million (2023) to deploy IBM Quantum System One computer; $12 million for quantum research center; over $100 million total directed to RPI
Conservation: $1.73 million to expand Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park (1,476 acres)
Arts Education: Support to Josh Groban's Find Your Light Foundation (arts education for underserved and special needs students)
Bay Area Organizations: Alameda County Deputy Sheriff's Activities League, Avenidas (Palo Alto senior services)

The foundation concentrates significant resources on education and innovation projects, particularly at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where Curtis Priem serves as vice chair of the Board of Trustees. The foundation also supports the Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center at RPI, which represents the overlap of the foundation's arts and higher education priorities.

Priority Areas

Creativity: Arts education, creative expression, performing arts, experimental media
Education: Higher education innovation, science and technology advancement, learning opportunities
People with Disabilities: Support and resources for individuals with disabilities, arts education for special needs students
Nature Conservation: Land preservation, open space conservation, environmental protection (particularly Bay Area focus)

What They Don't Fund

Efforts to alleviate human-induced suffering
Organizations outside their geographic focus areas (San Francisco Bay Area and Troy, NY)
Unsolicited proposals from organizations not already identified by the foundation

Governance and Leadership

Curtis R. Priem - Director, President, and CEO Curtis Priem is a visionary inventor and co-founder of NVIDIA Corporation, where he served as Chief Technical Officer from 1993 to 2003. He holds nearly 200 patents from his work at NVIDIA, Sun Microsystems, and IBM. He serves as vice chair of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Board of Trustees. Priem has stated he was driven by discomfort with "excessive" wealth, channeling post-IPO proceeds into the foundation shortly after 1999 to prioritize philanthropy over personal accumulation.

Cindi Priem - Co-leads the foundation with Curtis

Edward Miles - Director and Vice President

Fred B. Weil - Assistant Secretary

None of the key personnel receive compensation for their roles with the foundation.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Priem Family Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. The foundation explicitly states on its website that it "proactively identifies the organizations we support," meaning they directly approach organizations rather than accepting applications from the public.

Grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees to pre-selected charitable organizations aligned with the foundation's mission and priorities.

Getting on Their Radar

The Priem Family Foundation's approach is highly selective and relationship-driven:

RPI Connection: The foundation has a particularly strong relationship with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where Curtis Priem serves as vice chair of the Board of Trustees. This represents the foundation's largest ongoing commitment.
Bay Area and Troy, NY Focus: Organizations should be located in or serving the San Francisco Bay Area or Troy, NY, as these are the foundation's explicit geographic priorities.
Nature Conservancy Networks: The foundation has worked with established conservation organizations like The Nature Conservancy and regional park districts. Organizations engaged in land preservation and conservation work in the Bay Area may come to the foundation's attention through these networks.
Arts and Disability Services Intersection: Given the foundation's support of Josh Groban's Find Your Light Foundation, organizations working at the intersection of arts education and disability services may align with foundation interests.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Given the invitation-only model, decision timelines are likely determined on a case-by-case basis as the foundation identifies and evaluates potential grantees.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications.

Application Success Factors

While the Priem Family Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, analysis of their grantmaking patterns reveals key alignment factors:

Strong Connection to Curtis Priem's Biography: The foundation's largest recipient, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, is Curtis Priem's alma mater where he serves as a trustee. Organizations with existing relationships to the Priem family or NVIDIA networks may have better visibility.

Education and Technology Innovation: The foundation's $75 million grant to deploy IBM's first university-based quantum computer demonstrates prioritization of cutting-edge educational technology. Projects that combine education with emerging technology align with the foundation's mission to "empower change through education and the arts, science, and technology."

Bay Area Conservation: The foundation's $1.73 million support for Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park expansion shows commitment to land preservation and open space in the Bay Area. Conservation projects that prevent development and preserve natural areas appear to be priorities.

Arts Education for Special Populations: Support for Josh Groban's Find Your Light Foundation, which serves underserved and special needs students, demonstrates the foundation's commitment to making arts education accessible to people with disabilities.

Non-Human Suffering Focus: The foundation's stated purpose is "the reduction of non-human induced suffering" and explicitly does not fund efforts to address human-induced suffering. This unique positioning suggests environmental and conservation work may be favored.

Spend-Down Timeline: With the foundation planning to fully dissolve by 2031, trustees may be increasingly strategic about concentrating resources on high-impact initiatives aligned with core priorities rather than distributing smaller grants widely.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No Public Application Process: This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant applications - they identify and select all grantees proactively
Relationship-Driven: The foundation's largest commitments go to organizations with direct connections to Curtis Priem (RPI) or established conservation organizations (Nature Conservancy, regional park districts)
Geographic Specificity: Must serve San Francisco Bay Area or Troy, NY - no exceptions evident in grantmaking patterns
Scale of Giving: The foundation makes relatively few grants (14 in 2023) but individual grants can be substantial ($75 million to RPI)
Spend-Down Strategy: Foundation will dissolve by 2031, suggesting increasingly focused grantmaking in remaining years
Technology + Education Focus: Strongest alignment appears to be educational innovation involving emerging technology, particularly in higher education
Unique Mission: The focus on "non-human induced suffering" distinguishes this from typical foundations and suggests environmental/conservation work may receive priority

References

Accessed: December 22, 2025