Aven Foundation
Aven Foundation is a private foundation based in Medina, Washington. In 2024, it reported 48 grants totaling $9,024,361 to charitable organizations, including organizations working in cancer research, education, youth services, and community support.
Aven Foundation at a glance
In short: Aven Foundation gave $9.0M across 48 grants in 2024 (avg $188K), mostly in Washington. 38% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $9,024,361
- +113.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 48
- -14.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $188,008
- +148.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $74,528,387
- +1.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (18 of 48, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Washington (100% 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 Aven Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing states that there is no particular form and that the foundation pre-selects charitable organizations but also accepts petitions from other charitable organizations.
- Review Cycle
- No deadlines.
- Deadline
- No deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: Aven Foundation
Mailing address: PO Box 465, Medina, WA 98039
Phone: (425) 586-8011
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Aven Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Fred Hutch Cancer Research Ctr ($3.2M). Together the top 10 received $8.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
223 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 153 grants of 223 (69%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports that 100% of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 48 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Aven Foundation open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 18 of 48 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $228K; repeat grants $164K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $30K repeat.
- 40% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 107% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 175% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $3.4M (2020) to $9.0M (2024). In 2024 it made 48 grants totaling $9.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fred Hutch Cancer Research Ctr Seattle, WA | Fred hutch unites innovative research and compassionate care to prevent and eliminate cancer and infectious disease. | $3,249,282 |
| Whitman College Walla Walla, WA | Whitman college is a top-tier liberal arts school with accomplished and friendly faculty and passionate and curious students. | $3,000,000 |
| Cristo Rey Jesuit Seattle, WA | College and career preparatory schools exclusively serving the most marginalized population of students from secondary educational options; those in the lowest income quartile. | $500,000 |
| Ryther Child Center Seattle, WA | Where kids find healing and hope through inpatient and outpatient programs, therapy and family services. | $500,000 |
| Bellevue Schools Foundation Bellevue, WA | Partnering to transform education and support every bellevue school district student. | $245,079 |
| Year up Seattle, WA | Provides urban young adults with opportunity to develop skills and provide paid internships. | $200,000 |
| Farestart Seattle, WA | In support of training homeless and disadvantaged individuals in food service industry jobs. | $100,000 |
| Partnership for Learning Seattle, WA | Partnership for learning brings together business leaders and the education community in support of policies that drive better education outcomes for all washington students. | $100,000 |
| Washington Women in Need Puyallup, WA | Provides scholarships and supports to help washington women facing barriers to opportunity succeed in college and careers so they, their families and our communities can thrive. | $100,000 |
| Akin Seattle, WA | Their mission is to develop healthy children, create strong families, build engaged communities, and speak and advocate for children. | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Aven Foundation?
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 | $74,528,387 | $11,096,372 | $9,909,851 | $9,024,361 | 48 | $9,029,120 | $7,037,802 | $5,164,129 |
| 2023 | $73,264,012 | $2,089,836 | $4,806,559 | $4,231,445 | 56 | $4,235,505 | $1,936,744 | $4,636,813 |
| 2022 | $75,980,735 | $1,208,124 | $6,512,335 | $5,802,100 | 66 | $5,805,635 | $1,610,199 | $4,720,877 |
| 2021 | $81,365,285 | $11,239,405 | $5,058,312 | $4,367,260 | 33 | $4,380,148 | $10,594,256 | $5,324,410 |
| 2020 | $75,103,853 | $4,019,339 | $3,903,890 | $3,435,000 | 20 | — | $3,580,590 | $4,419,874 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Aven Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5.2M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center describes its work as combining innovative research and compassionate care to prevent and eliminate cancer and infectious disease. Whitman College describes itself as a liberal arts school, while an individual recipient Jesuit says it serves students from low-income backgrounds through college and career preparation.
Other 2024 recipients describe work in education and community services. Bellevue Schools Foundation’s mission is to promote and fund learning opportunities for Bellevue public school students. FareStart says it transforms lives and nourishes communities through food, life-skills, and job training. Hopelink says it equips people to exit poverty through services, partnerships, and advocacy.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 48 grants totaling $9,024,361. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $3,249,282, with a median of $25,000. The largest grants included $3,249,282 to Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center and $3,000,000 to Whitman College. Other notable grants were $500,000 each to an individual recipient Jesuit and Ryther Child Center, and $245,079 to Bellevue Schools Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists John W. Stanton and Theresa E. Gillespie as directors.
Aven Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
John W. Stanton
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Theresa E. Gillespie
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 Aven Foundation
How much does Aven Foundation give each year?
Aven Foundation gave $9.0M across 48 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $4.2M across 56 grants.
What is Aven Foundation's typical grant size?
Aven Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $188,008, across 48 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Aven Foundation that year got $228K on average.
Where does Aven Foundation give grants?
Aven Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (27 grants), Bellevue, WA (9 grants) and Renton, WA (2 grants).
Does Aven Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 48 grants with a stated purpose on Aven Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Aven Foundation's largest grantees?
Aven Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Fred Hutch Cancer Research Ctr ($3,249,282), Whitman College ($3,000,000) and Cristo Rey Jesuit ($500,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 75% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Aven Foundation?
Aven Foundation reported $74.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $9.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Aven Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center describes its work as combining innovative research and compassionate care to prevent and eliminate cancer and infectious disease. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Aven Foundation?
The filing states that there is no particular form and that the foundation pre-selects charitable organizations but also accepts petitions from other charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Aven Foundation's EIN?
Aven Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-2009458. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Aven Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Aven Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/aven-foundation-morg_486921a344c84cb4beaa573d379a21c2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_912009458_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Aven Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/aven-foundation-morg_486921a344c84cb4beaa573d379a21c2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Aven Foundation'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.
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