It appears to me that Thiel just tries to sponsor some fringe charities. I guess I would do that as well, if I was as rich as him (maybe after finally reading all of LW I'd just sponsor the SIAI though ;-). I'm simply a bit disappointed that he didn't invite more charities and projects that are more focused on a single task. But maybe it isn't his fault, they just didn't apply.
“These innovative, big-thinking nonprofits are woefully underfunded compared to the potential benefit they can bring to humanity,” said Patri Friedman, opening speaker and executive director of The Seasteading Institute. “We need more visionary philanthropists like Peter Thiel who look to the long-term and invest in breakthrough technologies."
A week ago I made a pitch for the Singularity Institute to a crowd of interested potential donors, along with a number of leaders of other non-profit organizations with relatively radical and innovative goals. The videos are here, and should be a good introduction to a significant part of the noosphere for people not yet familiar with it.