The Aven Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) grantmaking foundation based in Medina, Washington. Established in 1999, the foundation operates as a family foundation focused on philanthropic giving in education, youth development, and human services.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$74.5M
+1.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$9.0M
+113.3% YoY
Grant Count
48
-14.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$188K
+148.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary giving focuses on:
- Education — Support across K-12 through higher education levels
- Youth Development — Programs serving children and youth, including mentoring and youth-oriented services
- Human Services — Social services and community support organizations
- Federated Giving Programs
The foundation prioritizes initiatives that serve children and youth as its primary concern, with education representing the most significant funding priority.
Grantmaking
The foundation accepts unsolicited letters of inquiry via mail. The foundation lacks a website and operates with limited public transparency regarding its grantmaking strategies and priority areas.
Grant Range
$5,000 to $1,400,000
Average Grant
amount: $75,562
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Aven Foundation's giving is concentrated in the Pacific Northwest, with the vast majority of grants supporting organizations in Washington State, particularly in the Seattle and Puget Sound region.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $73,264,012 to $74,528,387
- Total Revenue: $2,089,836
- Total Expenses: $4,806,559
- Annual Giving: $4,231,445 to $9,024,361
- Total Liabilities: $0
Tax-Exempt Status: Tax-exempt since January 2001 (EIN: 91-2009458)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $74,528,387 | $73,264,012 | $75,980,735 |
| Revenue | $11,096,372 | $2,089,836 | $1,208,124 |
| Expenses | $9,909,851 | $4,806,559 | $6,512,335 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $9,029,120 | $4,235,505 | $5,805,635 |
| Net Investment Income | $7,037,802 | $1,936,744 | $1,610,199 |
| Distributable Amount | $5,164,129 | $4,636,813 | $4,720,877 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
201 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation was established by wireless technology executives:
John W. Stanton — Co-founder; holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Whitman College and an MBA from Harvard University. During the 1980s, he served as COO and vice chairman of McCaw Cellular, chairman and CEO of Western Wireless Corp and VoiceStream Wireless (acquired by Deutsche Telekom and renamed T-Mobile USA). He is a majority owner of the Seattle Mariners MLB team and co-founded Trilogy Equity Partners.
Theresa E. Gillespie — Co-founder; holds a BBA with a concentration in accounting from the University of Washington. She worked in accounting and wireless executive roles, serving as executive vice president and CFO of Western Wireless Corp.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOHN W STANTON | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
| THERESA E GILLESPIE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Contact Information
- Address: P.O. Box 465, Medina, WA 98039-0465
- Phone: (425) 586-8011
- Website: None maintained
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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