Allen Family Philanthropies
Allen Family Philanthropies is a private foundation based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1988 by Jody Allen and the late Paul G. Allen, it invests in communities across the Pacific Northwest and beyond, with core programs in arts and culture, youth, and the environment.
Allen Family Philanthropies at a glance
In short: Allen Family Philanthropies gave $58.0M across 112 grants in 2024 (avg $517K), top state Washington. 32% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $57,950,248
- +21.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 112
- -18.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $517,413
- +50.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $300,000
- Total assets
- $1,380,464,618
- +7.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (30 of 94, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Washington (39% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Allen Family Philanthropies
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for grant funding. It says that, when appropriate, information about new RFPs will be posted on its website and in its newsletter. Funding is considered case by case in line with program priorities.
- Contact
Mailing address: 505 Fifth Avenue South 900, Seattle, WA 98104
Phone: (206) 342-2000
Website: https://allenphilanthropies.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from Allen Family Philanthropies
Allen Family Philanthropies Community Accelerator Grant
Allen Family Philanthropies
Amount
Unrestricted grants; $10M program pool in 2026
Deadline
Deadline not published
Mobilizing Young Leaders Across Washington State
Allen Family Philanthropies
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
RFP- Supporting Natural Climate Solutions in the Pacific Northwest
Allen Family Philanthropies
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Allen Family Philanthropies funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Artsfund ($10.4M). Together the top 10 received $31.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
552 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 158 grants of 552 (29%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says it funds work aligned with its program priorities across the Pacific Northwest, the United States, and internationally. Its website describes a particular emphasis on investing in Pacific Northwest communities. In 2024, Washington recipients received 39% of grant dollars, followed by New York at 12%, California at 10%, and Massachusetts at 6%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 112 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Allen Family Philanthropies open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 30 of 94 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $371K; repeat grants $732K. How we count
Medians: $288K first-time, $340K repeat.
- 66% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 22% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 90% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $47.6M (2021) to $63.2M (2020). In 2024 it made 112 grants totaling $58.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Artsfund Seattle, WA | To support the community accelerator grant renewal for the second year of program administration. | $10,422,623 |
| Childrens Hospital Corporation Boston, MA | To support the allen discovery center for human brain evolution at boston children's hospital and harvard medical school | $2,500,000 |
| Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY | To support the allen discovery center for neuroimmune interactions | $2,500,000 |
| Regents of the University of California at San Diego La Jolla, CA | To support the allen discovery center for neurobiology in changing environments | $2,500,000 |
| University of Washington Foundation Seattle, WA | To support allen discovery center for cell lineage tracing phase 2 | $2,500,000 |
| National Geographic Society Washington, DC | To Support the Slingshot Challenge | $1,763,533 |
| Friends of Seattle Waterfront Seattle, WA | To Support Cultural Programming at Waterfront Park | $1,518,612 |
| Florida International University Foundation Inc Miami, FL | To Support a Project Titled "Operation Pangolin" | $1,435,763 |
| The Earthshot Prize | To support the renewal for the earthshot prize founding partnership | $1,276,100 |
| American Heart Association Inc Seattle, WA | To support bioscience research in relation to advancing our understanding of brain health and cognitive impairment | $1,250,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Allen Family Philanthropies?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,380,464,618 | $180,688,400 | $72,202,296 | $57,950,248 | 112 | $62,560,157 | $171,735,268 | $69,198,979 |
| 2023 | $1,286,324,323 | $115,479,539 | $63,956,084 | $47,615,054 | 138 | $51,856,973 | $106,059,889 | $59,429,561 |
| 2022 | $1,081,476,929 | $18,339,364 | $55,372,911 | $48,712,939 | 100 | $50,191,155 | $13,919,971 | $58,069,343 |
| 2021 | $1,314,723,399 | $17,923,882 | $49,523,892 | $47,569,554 | 119 | $48,643,868 | $17,057,584 | $61,215,882 |
| 2020 | $1,165,461,201 | $45,218,114 | $63,919,556 | $63,153,244 | 83 | — | $43,737,660 | $54,875,681 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Allen Family Philanthropies reported a distributable amount of $69.2M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s three core program areas are Arts & Culture, Youth, and Environment. Its website presents community-centeredness as a unifying principle across its investments. Its arts and culture work includes supporting artists and culture bearers, strengthening organizational capacity and infrastructure, and building public commitment to the arts. Its youth work supports young people’s leadership and engagement, while its environment work supports community-driven approaches to protecting wildlife and habitats.
The 2024 filing illustrates the range of organizations and projects it supports. ArtsFund, whose mission is to strengthen the community by supporting the arts through leadership, advocacy, and grantmaking, received a grant for a community accelerator program. Friends of Seattle Waterfront, which describes its mission as bringing people and resources together to help Waterfront Park thrive, received support for cultural programming at the park. Environmental grants included support for Operation Pangolin and for decoding mycorrhizal networks. The filing also lists grants to research institutions for Allen Discovery Centers focused on brain evolution, neuroimmune interactions, changing environments, and cell lineage tracing.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 112 grants totaling $57,950,248. Grant amounts ranged from $2,922 to $10,422,623, with a median of $300,000. In 2023, it reported 138 grants totaling $47,615,054. Its 2024 filing, the latest on this page, reports 112 grants totaling $58 million.
The largest listed 2024 grant was $10,422,623 to ArtsFund for the second year of administration of the Community Accelerator grant. Other major grants included $2.5 million each to Children’s Hospital Corporation for an Allen Discovery Center at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai for an Allen Discovery Center for Neuroimmune Interactions; the Regents of the University of California at San Diego for an Allen Discovery Center for Neurobiology in Changing Environments; and the University of Washington Foundation for phase two of an Allen Discovery Center for Cell Lineage Tracing. The filing also lists $1,763,533 to National Geographic Society for the Slingshot Challenge and $1,518,612 to Friends of Seattle Waterfront for cultural programming at Waterfront Park.
The foundation’s website describes a Creative Youth Development RFP for eligible community-serving nonprofits and Tribal entities. It supports existing out-of-school-time programs for Washington youth ages 13–26, with awards of up to $500,000 over three years and $5 million available for 10–12 organizations. The website describes eligibility requirements that include at least three years of continuous program operation in Washington and gives priority to projects serving youth with limited access to quality arts and cultural experiences.
The website also describes initiatives for natural climate solutions in the Pacific Northwest and youth leadership in Washington State, each with up to $5 million in planned investment. The natural climate solutions initiative seeks rigorous, place-based, inclusive projects with biodiversity and human well-being co-benefits, particularly community-driven collaborations. The youth initiative supports new and existing Washington programs involving leadership training, civic engagement, and/or youth organizing.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jo Lynn Allen as chair/director and president; Danielle Harper as vice president; Alison Ivey as vice president and secretary; Joyce Lee as vice president and treasurer; and Marilyn Valentine and Thomas Daniel as directors. The foundation’s website identifies Jody Allen as co-founder, board chair, and president.
Allen Family Philanthropies is led by Jo Lynn Allen, Chair, Director & President on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jo Lynn Allen
Chair, Director & President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marilyn Valentine
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas Daniel
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alison Ivey
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Danielle Harper
Vice President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joyce Lee
Vice President & Treasurer
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Allen D. Israel (2020–2023) — Assistant Secretary · Filing note: Ended 472023
- Former: Susan Drake (2020–2023) — Vice President · Filing note: Ended 472023
- Former: Joyce Lee Start (2023) — Vice President & Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Allen Family Philanthropies
How much does Allen Family Philanthropies give each year?
Allen Family Philanthropies gave $58.0M across 112 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $47.6M across 138 grants.
What is Allen Family Philanthropies's typical grant size?
Allen Family Philanthropies's median grant in 2024 was $300,000, and its average grant was $517,413, across 112 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Allen Family Philanthropies that year got $371K on average.
Where does Allen Family Philanthropies give grants?
Allen Family Philanthropies's top state is Washington, with 39% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (12%) and California (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (28 grants), New York, NY (8 grants), Chicago, IL (4 grants) and Sarasota, FL (4 grants).
Does Allen Family Philanthropies give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 112 grants with a stated purpose on Allen Family Philanthropies's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Support the Spirit of 12 Program (2023 Season)" (22 grants).
Who are Allen Family Philanthropies's largest grantees?
Allen Family Philanthropies's largest 2024 grantees include Artsfund ($10,422,623), University of Washington Foundation ($3,769,139 across 4 grants) and Regents of the University of California at San Diego ($3,499,802 across 3 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Allen Family Philanthropies?
Allen Family Philanthropies reported $1.4B in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $62.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $69.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Allen Family Philanthropies fund?
The foundation’s three core program areas are Arts & Culture, Youth, and Environment. Its website presents community-centeredness as a unifying principle across its investments. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Allen Family Philanthropies?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for grant funding. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Allen Family Philanthropies's EIN?
Allen Family Philanthropies's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3082532. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Allen Family Philanthropies accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Allen Family Philanthropies funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Allen Family Philanthropies's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
Saint Louis, MO
The Enterprise Holdings Foundation supports charitable and educational nonprofits in communities where Enterprise Mobility operates, focusing on health, education, arts, and disaster relief; applicants must be actively supported by an Enterprise Mobility team member, spouse, or domestic partner. Giving varies widely: it reported 9,499 grants in 2024, but its 2025 filing showed one grant of $101.4 million, so that amount is not a typical award. Applications are accepted at any time through eligible Enterprise-affiliated applicants; the Foundation does not limit giving to preselected organizations.
Assets
$594.3M
Grants
1
Total Given
$101.4M
Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Inc
Princeton, NJ
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation supports health access and stronger health systems, with a focus on adult and pediatric cancers, blood disorders, brain health, and clinical-trial participation in the United States, Brazil, India, and ten Sub-Saharan African countries. In 2024, its median grant was about $134,000, though awards varied widely; it does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests, and advises prospective applicants to contact the Foundation about its process.
Assets
$83.3M
Grants
144
Total Given
$67.7M
The Pew Charitable Trusts
Washington, DC
The Pew Charitable Trusts funds nonpartisan policy research and initiatives, civic participation, and—especially in Philadelphia—arts and culture and services for people in need. Its 2025 grants had a median of $75,000, though amounts varied widely; funding is national, with substantial support in Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. The profile does not state whether Pew accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.5B
Grants
535
Total Given
$140.6M
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Los Altos, CA
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation funds charitable organizations working on just societies, healthy families and communities, and a healthy natural world, including climate solutions, ocean conservation, and science. Its 2024 grants had a median of $150,000, and half of grant dollars went to California recipients. It accepts unsolicited requests, but less than 1% of its grants come from them.
Assets
$8.5B
Grants
1,029
Total Given
$350.0M
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Mountain View, CA
Silicon Valley Community Foundation funds work in areas such as housing, economic security, education, health, the environment, arts and culture, and civic engagement, with Community Action Grants supporting local, community-led organizations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Its 2024 grants had a median of $51,716, though amounts varied widely; applications depend on the program, and SVCF states that it does not accept unsolicited proposals for advised funds.
Assets
$12.3B
Grants
3,576
Total Given
$3.2B
Seattle Foundation
Seattle, WA
Seattle Foundation supports community-led solutions, racial and economic equity, policy and systems change, and a broad range of community needs through donor-recommended and foundation-directed grants. Its 2024 median grant was $6,000, and its giving primarily serves Greater Seattle and Washington, with some grants made nationally and internationally.
Assets
$1.4B
Grants
5,379
Total Given
$177.9M
More similar funders
More Funders in Washington
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Allen Family Philanthropies funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/allen-family-philanthropies-morg_ae2825cf34ee4056a3423356ef411c86
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_943082532_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Allen Family Philanthropies funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/allen-family-philanthropies-morg_ae2825cf34ee4056a3423356ef411c86},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Allen Family Philanthropies's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Allen Family Philanthropies down — hundreds of funders to go?