Tiny Blue Dot Inc
Preselected recipients only
Tiny Blue Dot Inc is a private foundation in West Hollywood, California. In tax year 2024 it gave $7.2 million in 24 grants; the typical grant was $241,287 and the largest $2.2 million. It only gives to organizations it selects itself and does not accept unsolicited applications.
From its IRS Form 990-PF for tax year 2024.
- Grants paid, 2024$7.2 million
- Number of grants24
- Typical grant$241,287
- Largest grant$2.2 million
- Assets$79.2 million
- New grantees58%
Giving in 2024 was up from $6.3 million the year before.
58% of its 2024 grantees had not received a grant from it the year before, a sign it is open to new organizations.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants paid | Number of grants | Assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $6.3 million | 14 | $75.8 million |
| 2024 | $7.2 million | 24 | $79.2 million |
How to apply
Tiny Blue Dot Inc says in its IRS filing that it only makes contributions to preselected organizations, so unsolicited applications are unlikely to be considered. Organizations it funds are usually invited.
Foundation website IRS filings on ProPublica
What Tiny Blue Dot Inc funds
Where it gives
Its US grants went to recipients in 9 states, the most to Wisconsin. It also paid $1.3 million in 7 grants to recipients outside the US.
| State | Grants | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 4 | $2.6 million |
| California | 5 | $866,538 |
| Rhode Island | 2 | $737,040 |
| Washington | 1 | $526,044 |
| Oregon | 1 | $299,996 |
| Massachusetts | 1 | $299,988 |
| Florida | 1 | $287,540 |
| New York | 1 | $276,602 |
| Arizona | 1 | $15,000 |
Grants paid in 2024
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Usona Institute Inc | Grant to support work advancing Phase 3 clinical trials of psilocybin for Major Depressive Disorder and the early investigation of 5-MeO-DMT's potential for therapeutic use. | $2.2 million |
| Allen Institute | Grant supports a Science of Perception Box study at The Allen Institute titled "Comprehensive Survey of Neuronal Cell Types Activated by Psychedelics in Mice." The project aims to map brain cell activity after exposure to psilocybin, helping to better understand how the drug works in the brain and to guide the development of new therapies. | $526,044 |
| Brown University | Grant supports a Science of Perception Box study at Brown University by Dr. Judson Brewer titled "Advancing our understanding and treatment of anxiety through bringing together facets of conscious experience and brain mechanisms: open/closed meets the default mode network." | $437,040 |
| Brown University | Grant supports a Science of Perception Box study at Brown University by Dr. Jeffery Proulx titled "Courageous Connection: Flint Police and Black Community Members Strategies of Mindful Awareness." | $300,000 |
| The Regents of the University of California | Grant supports a Science of Perception Box study at UCLA by Dr. Paul Macey titled "Does Breathing Resistance Training Relax the Body and Calm the Mind?." The project aims to investigate the effects of five minutes of daily Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT) on mental and physical states and determine if these changes are sustained over time. | $300,000 |
| University of Oregon | Grant supports a Science of Perception Box study being conducted by University of Oregon titled "Neural and Psychological Evidence to Shift Mindsets from "Me" to "We" Using a Scalable Decentering Curriculum." This project aims to develop an entry-level college course on positive psychology and neuroscience focused on transforming students' mindset from a self-centered perspective to one that emphasizes a collective and pro-social focus. | $299,996 |
| The Massachusetts General Hospital | Grant supports a Science of Perception Box study at Massachusetts General Hospital titled "Examining the Impact of Heated Yoga on Rumination and Mindfulness." The project aims to examine how doing yoga in a heated room can expand an individual's mindfulness and decrease rumination. | $299,988 |
| University of Haifa | Grant supports a Science of Perception Box study being conducted by University of Haifa titled "The Self, Unbound: Neurofeedback-Assisted Meditation for Eliciting Transformative Self-Dissolution Experiences." This study utilizes meditation and neuro-imaging, and seeks to better understand altered states of consciousness and the potential for promoting well-being. | $299,052 |
| University of Wisconsin - Madison | Grant supports a Science of Perception Box study being conducted by University of Wisconsin- Madison titled "Expanding the Perception Box Through Neuromodulation-Assisted Ego-Disengagement." Which will use meditation and noninvasive tools, to seek to help people open their minds and let go of their self-centered thoughts, allowing them to see things in a new and broader way. | $297,165 |
| Florida State University Research Foundation Inc | Grant supports a Science of Perception Box study at FSU titled "Pointing Beyond the Pain Perception Box: Treating Chronic Pain by Modulating Phenomenological and Psycho-Physiological Indices of Self-Transcendence." The project aims to determine if mindfulness training designed to encourage self-transcendence can lead to long-term pain relief. | $287,540 |
| Floresta Project Inc | Grant supports the construction of a retreat center aimed to be a hub for research and the exploration of consciousness expansion, quality of awareness, healing and reconciliation, self-transformation, and personal development. | $276,602 |
| National Central University | Grant supports a Science of Perception Box study at National Central University titled "Why Do We Feel That Way: Elucidating the Neural Mechanisms Underlying Emotion Perception and Enhancing a Noninvasive Brain Stimulation Intervention." The project aims to investigate the nature of emotion consciousness and develop potential methods to benefit individuals with conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and autism. | $252,764 |
| University of Zurich Psychiatric Hospital | Grant supports a Science of Perception Box study being conducted by University of Zurich titled "Do Psychedelics Increase Pro-social Behavior? - A Comparative Pharmacological Study in Humans." The aim of the proposed project is to test whether different pharmacological challenges have lasting effects on pro-sociality. | $229,810 |
| UC Santa Barbara | Grant supports a Science of Perception Box study being conducted by UCSB titled "Testing the conjecture that quantum processes are necessary to create conscious experience" in which aims to support the role of quantum processes in consciousness that challenge existing paradigms, opening new avenues of research in neuroscience, quantum physics, and beyond. | $225,000 |
| Ernst Strungmann Institut gGmbH | Grant supports a Science of Perception Box study at Ernst Strungmann Institute titled "Exhaling the Past: A Comprehensive Neuropsychological Test of Breathwork as a Tool for Trauma Processing and Mental Well-Being." The project aims to explore the potential of circular breathwork as a tool for therapeutic trauma processing. | $221,718 |
| University of California Riverside | Grant supports a Science of Perception Box study being conducted by University of California, Riverside titled "Effects of High-Quality Listening on Psychological and Biological Well-Being Through the Expansion of the Perception Box" which studies how attentive and supportive listening can improve well-being and health for both the speaker and listener, potentially even broadening their perspectives and creating a stronger sense of connection. | $149,872 |
| Universidad De Santiago | Grant supports a Science of Perception Box study being conducted by Universidad De Santiago titled "Testing the conjecture that quantum processes are necessary to create conscious experience." In this study researchers are using virtual reality to simulate near-death experiences in order to study their potential to reduce death anxiety and improve mental health in terminally ill patients and their loved ones. | $149,265 |
| The University of Melbourne | Grant supports a Science of Perception Box study being conducted by The University of Melbourne titled "A Computational Psychiatry Approach to Understanding the Brain Mechanism Underpinning Altered Perception in Psychosis" in which researchers will use brain scans and decision-making tasks to determine if people with psychosis have a different balance of prior beliefs and sensory information when forming perceptions, which could lead to new treatments. | $133,835 |
| The Regents of the University of California | Grant supports a Science of Perception Box studies at UCLA by Dr. Rebecca Gotlieb titled "Does Narrative Skill Training Increase Transcendent Thinking and Social-Emotional Wellbeing Among Minoritized Adolescents?" | $116,666 |
| UC Santa Barbara | Grant supports a Science of Perception Box study being conducted by UCSB titled "Numadelic VR Experiences for Improving Mental Health Outcomes in Patients Facing Life-Threatening Illness" in which aims to support the role of quantum processes in consciousness that challenge existing paradigms, opening new avenues of research in neuroscience, quantum physics, and beyond. | $75,000 |
| University of Wisconsin - Madison | Grant supports a Science of Perception Box study being conducted by University of Wisconsin- Madison titled "Activating Neuroplasticity to Enhance the Perception Box Expanding Effects of Psilocybin." This study will seek to link the effects experienced during the psychedelic state, such as mystical experiences, to long-term changes in Perception Box-related areas. | $74,983 |
| Universiteit Maastricht | Grant supports a Science of Perception Box study being conducted by Maastricht University titled "Breathe Hard to Breathe Easy: High-Intensity Online Breathwork-Assisted Psychotherapy for Social Anxiety" which examines if a new type of online therapy that combines high-intensity breathing exercises with traditional psychotherapy that can reduce social anxiety better than slow-paced breathing exercises. | $50,000 |
| The University of Arizona Foundation | Grant supports a Science of Consciousness Conference. The conference emphasizes broad and rigorous approaches to all aspects of the study and understanding of consciousness. Topical areas include neuroscience, philosophy, psychology, biology, quantum physics, cosmology, meditation and altered states, AI/machine consciousness, culture and experiential phenomenology. | $15,000 |
| University of Wisconsin - Madison | Grant supports the final payment of a Science of Perception Box study being conducted by University of Wisconsin-Madison titled "Identify the electrophysiological correlates of ego disengagement." The ultimate goal of this project was to facilitate the achievement of positive ego disengaged states to expand the limits of individual perception box and improve well-being in a large number of subjects with diverse socioeconomical and cultural backgrounds. | $9,000 |
Officers and trustees
- Christof Koch
- Elizabeth R Koch
- Lisa Gregorian
- Zach Goren
Questions people ask
Does Tiny Blue Dot Inc accept grant applications?
No. Its IRS filing says it only makes contributions to preselected organizations.
How much does Tiny Blue Dot Inc give?
$7.2 million in tax year 2024, across 24 grants, with a typical grant of $241,287.
Who runs Tiny Blue Dot Inc?
Its 2024 filing lists Christof Koch (Director/President/Chairman), Elizabeth R Koch (Director), Lisa Gregorian (Vice President) and Zach Goren (Treasurer/Secretary).
What does Tiny Blue Dot Inc fund?
Based on its grants, mainly science and research, education and health.