Ellison Foundation
Ellison Foundation is a Form 990-PF private foundation based in Bellevue, Washington. In 2024, it reported 103 grants totaling $2,593,481, supporting organizations whose work included homelessness services, healthcare, education, human services, and hunger relief.
Ellison Foundation at a glance
In short: Ellison Foundation gave $2.6M across 103 grants in 2024 (avg $25K), mostly in Washington. 50% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,593,481
- -2.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 103
- +13.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $25,179
- -13.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $45,927,607
- +7.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (52 of 103, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Washington (89% 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 Ellison Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Contact Bob Hurlbut; request application forms and materials from the foundation. The filing lists no deadlines or restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Bob Hurlbut
Mailing address: 400 112Th Ave Ne Ste 230, Bellevue, WA 98004
Phone: (425) 460-4380
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ellison Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Mary's Place ($252K). Together the top 10 received $1.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
450 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 370 grants of 450 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 89% of grant dollars went to Washington recipients and 8% to Idaho recipients. New York, Vermont, and Oregon each accounted for 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 103 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Ellison Foundation open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 52 of 103 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $38K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 40% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+1%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 129% 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 $2.6M (2021) to $3.2M (2020). In 2024 it made 103 grants totaling $2.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mary's Place Seattle, WA | Homeless Needs | $252,000 |
| Overlake Medical Center Foundation Bellevue, WA | Healthcare | $200,000 |
| University of Washington Foundation Seattle, WA | Education-Brotherhood Initiative | $200,000 |
| Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Seattle, WA | Cancer Research | $150,000 |
| Brothers for Life Seattle, WA | Human Services | $100,000 |
| Seattle Children's Foundation Seattle, WA | Homelessness Prevention | $100,000 |
| United Way of King County Seattle, WA | Safety Net Fund | $100,000 |
| Vine Maple Place Maple Valley, WA | Homelessness | $100,000 |
| Sun Valley Tour De Force Ketchum, ID | HUNGER | $100,000 |
| Camp Korey Mount Vernon, WA | Youth Services | $50,000 |
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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 | $45,927,607 | $4,749,184 | $2,964,484 | $2,593,481 | 103 | $2,790,176 | $4,651,639 | $2,156,860 |
| 2023 | $42,677,087 | $2,007,697 | $2,933,067 | $2,647,304 | 91 | $2,835,136 | $1,925,034 | $2,004,184 |
| 2022 | $40,377,478 | $1,146,812 | $2,981,863 | $2,705,615 | 88 | $2,882,504 | $1,063,664 | $2,043,878 |
| 2021 | $46,870,043 | $2,052,010 | $2,856,511 | $2,561,799 | 82 | $2,729,195 | $1,959,694 | $2,209,408 |
| 2020 | $44,721,222 | $2,467,280 | $3,462,635 | $3,156,379 | 86 | — | $2,359,839 | $2,060,508 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ellison Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.2M 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
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for homelessness and homelessness prevention, healthcare and cancer research, education, human services, youth services, and hunger relief.
The grantees describe a range of work. Vine Maple Place says it works to stop family homelessness by helping single parents and children build stability and self-sufficiency. Brothers for Life says it supports Jewish and Israeli heroism through education, mentoring, social services, and financial aid, including support for injured combat veterans. Northwest Education Access says it supports low-income young people ages 16–29 in King and Pierce counties in pursuing higher education and beyond. KidVantage says it provides children with essentials such as diapers, formula, car seats, and clothing through a network of service providers.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 103 grants totaling $2,593,481. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $252,000, with a median of $10,000. Its largest listed awards included $252,000 to Mary’s Place for homeless needs; $200,000 each to Overlake Medical Center Foundation for healthcare and the University of Washington Foundation for the Brotherhood Initiative; and $150,000 to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research for cancer research. Other listed awards included $100,000 each to Brothers for Life, Seattle Children’s Foundation, United Way of King County, Vine Maple Place, and Sun Valley Tour de Force.
The foundation’s filing states that giving is not restricted to preselected organizations. It lists Bob Hurlbut as the contact for applications, with application forms and materials available from the foundation. The filing lists no deadlines or restrictions on awards.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Thomas Ellison as president, Maureen Sue Ellison as vice president, and Robert Hurlbut as foundation director.
Ellison Foundation is led by Maureen Sue Ellison, V. President on every filing since 2020; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Maureen Sue Ellison
V. President
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas Ellison
President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Hurlbut
Foundation Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$137K (2020) → $152K (2024)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $152K, to Robert Hurlbut (Foundation Director).
Frequently asked questions about Ellison Foundation
How much does Ellison Foundation give each year?
Ellison Foundation gave $2.6M across 103 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.6M across 91 grants.
What is Ellison Foundation's typical grant size?
Ellison Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $25,179, across 103 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ellison Foundation that year got $13K on average.
Where does Ellison Foundation give grants?
Ellison Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Idaho (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (30 grants), Bellevue, WA (6 grants), Ketchum, ID (4 grants) and Tukwila, WA (4 grants).
Does Ellison Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 1% of Ellison Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 103) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Education" (23 grants), "Human Services" (15 grants) and "Homelessness" (5 grants).
Who are Ellison Foundation's largest grantees?
Ellison Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Mary's Place ($252,000), Overlake Medical Center Foundation ($200,000) and University of Washington Foundation ($200,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Ellison Foundation?
Ellison Foundation reported $45.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Ellison Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for homelessness and homelessness prevention, healthcare and cancer research, education, human services, youth services, and hunger relief. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ellison Foundation?
Contact Bob Hurlbut; request application forms and materials from the foundation. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Ellison Foundation's EIN?
Ellison Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-6557865. 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 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
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Ellison Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ellison Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ellison-foundation-morg_93d91a32365c4cc6af55413e7419c706
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_916557865_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ellison Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ellison-foundation-morg_93d91a32365c4cc6af55413e7419c706},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Ellison 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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