About Fat Tire Foundation
The Fat Tire Foundation concentrates on large, impact-oriented gifts primarily in health and medical research while also supporting community youth programs, cultural institutions, and environmental science. They favor a mix of major multi-year commitments to research and treatment (notably UCSF and diabetes work) alongside one-time $200k grants to mission-driven nonprofits addressing community, culture, and global health.
Focus Areas
Medical research and treatment funding (academic medical centers) — e.g., UCSFType 1 diabetes research and support (JDRF-related initiatives)Global medical relief and reproductive health access (Doctors Without Borders, Abortion Care Network)Youth development and community services on the Peninsula (Boys & Girls Clubs, PeacePlayers)Environmental science and applied conservation research (Adventure Scientists)Japanese American cultural preservation and museums
Who They Fund
students and learners (K-12 and informal education)
About Fat Tire Foundation
The Fat Tire Foundation’s recent giving is shaped by one large university commitment and a clear mix of health, education, community, and environmental grants. At the center of that pattern is a $1,000,000 grant in 2025 to University of California San Francisco, alongside repeated support for Type 1 diabetes work through Jdrf T1d Fund LLC at $250,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation also funds community-serving organizations such as Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula and Peaceplayers International, plus cultural preservation through the Japanese American National Museum. Environmental science and conservation appear as another recurring thread, with grants to Adventure Scientists, Conservation International, and other environmental groups. The portfolio shows a funder willing to make both very large grants and smaller strategic awards, with mission areas that include curing Type 1 diabetes, reducing inequality in the San Francisco Bay Area, expanding educational opportunity, and protecting the natural environment. Across the recent record, the foundation gives to universities, health nonprofits, youth programs, and conservation groups rather than concentrating on a single type of institution.
What Fat Tire Foundation Funds
Medical research and treatment are a major theme. The Fat Tire Foundation gave $1,000,000 to University of California San Francisco for educational resources and $167,667 in 2023 plus $166,667 in 2024 to Leland Stanford Junior University, also for educational resources. Type 1 diabetes appears as a separate priority, with $250,000 grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025 to Jdrf T1d Fund LLC. Community and youth support is also visible in the record. The foundation awarded $200,000 to Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula in 2025 and $100,000 to the same organization in 2024. It also gave $200,000 to Peaceplayers International in 2023, pointing to an interest in youth programming and community-based services. Environmental grantmaking includes both conservation and research. The foundation gave $200,000 to Adventure Scientists in 2025 and $100,000 in 2024, then supported Conservation International with $100,000 in 2025. These grants align with its natural-world protection focus.
How Fat Tire Foundation Gives
Grant sizes range from a p25 of $1,000 to a median of $10,000 and a p75 of $30,000, but the recent grant record also includes repeated six-figure awards and a $1,000,000 grant. The pattern combines one-off support with recurring commitments: Jdrf T1d Fund LLC appears in three consecutive years, as does University of California San Francisco. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a donor-advised fund, and it does not fund individuals. Its published program language says grants are by invitation only, and unsolicited proposals are not accepted.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.1M
Total Assets
$86.6M
Total Revenue
$32.6M
Total Expenses
$4.3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $1K and $30K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$30K
Geographic Reach
Regional16 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where Fat Tire Foundation Funds
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Fat Tire Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 136 | $6.6M | 99.3% |
| 2 | Ecuador | 1 |
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