The Narrowing of Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan’s Philanthropy

In February, during a retreat held in Silicon Valley for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), staff members sought clarity from Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan on how the organization planned to handle matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the future. The moment was especially charged, given the growing debate around DEI programs across corporate and nonprofit sectors in the United States.

Dr. Priscilla Chan, a pediatrician and co-founder of CZI, addressed the issue first. According to four individuals who were present at the confidential gathering and later spoke anonymously, Dr. Chan explained that while the explicit language of DEI might no longer be emphasized internally, the organization’s foundational values would remain unchanged. Her remarks were extensive, emphasizing continued commitment without necessarily using the same terminology.

Following Dr. Chan’s comments, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, delivered a more direct message. He stated plainly that CZI would be focusing on hiring the most qualified candidates for each role, regardless of diversity metrics.

Not long after this meeting, a noticeable shift occurred. The Initiative discontinued diversity-based recruitment practices and either let go of or reassigned staff who had overseen DEI initiatives. Simultaneously, its website was cleansed of language and content referencing such efforts. In the following months, a tuition-free school for underserved students—an institution founded by Dr. Chan—announced its closure. Additionally, the organization ended its work in housing advocacy, one of its most progressive areas of engagement.

These changes marked a significant departure from the vision originally laid out when the couple launched CZI in 2015. At the time, Mr. Zuckerberg and Dr. Chan had envisioned an expansive, left-leaning philanthropic effort fueled by their vast wealth from the social media giant Facebook. Their mission included ambitious goals: reforming American education, influencing public policy, and eradicating all disease.

In an open letter to their newborn daughter, Max, the couple had written that their efforts would center around two key ideals: advancing human potential and promoting equality. They also explicitly stated their intention to engage in policy and advocacy to influence social discourse. Interestingly, references to these statements were quietly removed from CZI’s website in later years. When asked about the change, the organization said the omissions were accidental and subsequently restored the content after media inquiries.

Ten years after its founding, CZI’s original commitment of $256 billion has been dramatically refocused, with the majority of its efforts now dedicated to scientific research. This transition began around 2017 and gained momentum following Donald Trump’s rise to the presidency. In 2023, CZI issued $336 million in grants—far below its average annual funding of $846 million since 2018. Moreover, 69% of these funds were directed toward scientific initiatives, up significantly from 29% in 2019. Conversely, education grants fell from 33% of total disbursements in 2019 to just 12% in 2023. The organization now brands itself as a “science-first philanthropy.”

While it is not unusual for philanthropists to revise their strategies over time, the sheer scale and speed of CZI’s reorientation have been unsettling to many of its long-time partners and beneficiaries. Catherine Bracy, CEO of the progressive advocacy group TechEquity, which received over $2 million from CZI across eight years, said the shift had been foreseeable. She described a pattern of narrowing ambitions and shifting priorities, a process she characterized as “death by a thousand cuts.”

Interviews with more than two dozen individuals familiar with the couple’s thinking—including current and former employees and close associates—suggest the couple came to believe that their investments in science were achieving meaningful results, whereas their efforts in education and politics were falling short.

Mike Schroepfer, the former Chief Technology Officer at Meta and a long-time acquaintance of the couple, noted that science was always within their core expertise. “Science was important to them from the beginning,” he said, adding that the mission of curing all diseases was significant enough to merit being their singular focus.

Concurrently, the couple’s political leanings appear to have evolved. People close to them noted that the philanthropy had become a political target, especially for right-wing commentators, who criticized the initiative as a vehicle for liberal agendas. This perception turned the foundation into a liability. At Meta, Mr. Zuckerberg also scaled back DEI initiatives and appointed a known Trump supporter to the company’s board of directors.

Dr. Chan, who previously displayed deep emotional commitment to progressive causes—often moved to tears by stories on topics like immigration—has recently sought to engage more conservative audiences. Two individuals familiar with her thinking shared that she was disillusioned by campus protests against Israel and expressed discomfort with the increasingly polarized political environment.

Her decision to attend President Trump’s 2017 inauguration was met with confusion among some CZI employees, who said she seemed unaware of the negative implications. During a team meeting shortly afterward, she reportedly became emotional while reflecting on what she described as a “peaceful transition of power.”

In a recent newsletter, Dr. Chan acknowledged the philanthropic evolution. “We’ve learned a great deal about where we’re uniquely positioned to help — and where others might be better suited to lead,” she wrote. “That journey has led us to sharpen our focus on the intersection of biology and A.I., where we’re seeing transformative momentum, while still committing meaningful resources to education and our local community.”

From the outset, scientific exploration was central to CZI’s mission. In 2015 and 2016, Mr. Zuckerberg and Dr. Chan held approximately 80 strategy calls with scientists. In one email exchange, Zuckerberg invited Stanford biophysicist Stephen Quake to his home, where they developed the concept of a “Biohub”—a collaborative research center aimed at solving complex biological problems.

Over the years, CZI and its affiliated Biohubs grew to employ roughly 1,000 staff members. Employees were once greeted with informal team meetings where Mr. Zuckerberg would perform karaoke. At the same time, the organization invested heavily in public relations and policy advocacy, hiring David Plouffe, former campaign manager for President Obama, to guide its political engagement.

Alongside this, Dr. Chan pushed forward educational initiatives, launching The Primary School to serve low-income students in the Bay Area and championing digital learning tools for classrooms nationwide. The organization also channeled billions into medical research.

But by 2022, Dr. Chan began voicing concerns over the philanthropy’s rapid growth and high operating expenses. According to one account, she questioned the need for an employee to expense expensive headphones when unused ones were already available on site.

At a private meeting in their Palo Alto home, during a period when Meta’s stock value was suffering, Dr. Chan explained that budget constraints stemming from their business ventures necessitated organizational cutbacks.

Political tensions also seeped into CZI’s operations. Following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, internal discord erupted around Facebook’s policies on inflammatory speech. Some CZI employees openly called for Mr. Zuckerberg’s resignation. He, in turn, reportedly grew distant from staff who he felt were unfairly critical of him.

Around the same time, Zuckerberg directed CZI to donate $400 million toward nonpartisan election infrastructure amid concerns about voter turnout during the pandemic. While the effort was encouraged by philanthropic leaders like Larry Kramer of the Hewlett Foundation, it triggered widespread backlash from conservatives who labeled the funds “Zuckerbucks.” This response profoundly affected both Zuckerberg and Chan. According to insiders, the couple began to pull back from political causes entirely.

In early 2021, CZI began dismantling its political engagements. Midway through 2023, it laid off about 30% of its education team. Later that year, Dr. Chan stepped down from the boards of two criminal justice organizations—Reform Alliance and Just Trust—the latter of which she had helped fund with $350 million.

In 2024, after Zuckerberg met with Trump advisor Stephen Miller at Mar-a-Lago to discuss his ties to pro-immigration group FWD.US, changes accelerated. CZI’s Chief of Staff Jordan Fox resigned from FWD.US’s board, while David Plouffe also stepped down from his role at CZI.

In February, the Initiative announced that it would discontinue diversity-targeted science awards. University of Utah neuroscientist Jason Shepherd said the cuts had left many within the science team feeling demoralized.

April brought another shock: the closing of The Primary School. Families and supporters were stunned by the sudden decision, though the school committed $50 million to assist affected students. Insiders said Dr. Chan had become disheartened by the school’s slow progress.

Most recently, CZI revealed it would cease funding nearly all housing and homelessness nonprofits in the Bay Area. Lupe Arreola, head of one such grantee, Tenants Together, said the withdrawal would slash 15 to 20 percent of her group’s budget, describing the impact as deeply destabilizing.

As CZI retreats from many of its original objectives, it has left a trail of broken partnerships and unmet expectations. What began as a bold philanthropic experiment has now narrowed into a highly specialized—and far more cautious—scientific venture.two years.