Foundations & Grantmakers in Washington
3,441 grantmakers in Washington reported grants on their latest 990s. The 1,273 that made at least 5 grants gave $9.6B. The largest by giving are Gates Foundation, Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation and Seattle Foundation. The list below ranks grantmakers with at least 5 grants by annual giving, and each funder links to a profile with its grant history and financials.
Looking for open funding opportunities instead? Browse Washington grants
Foundation giving in Washington at a glance
Active grantmakers
3,441
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$9.6B
from the 1,273 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$23K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$88K
per grantmaker
Top 10 foundations in Washington by annual giving
| # | Funder | City | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gates Foundation | Seattle | $6.3B | 4,974 |
| 2 | Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation | Redmond | $484.7M | 132 |
| 3 | Seattle Foundation | Seattle | $177.9M | 5,379 |
| 4 | World Vision Inc | Federal Way | $157.4M | 410 |
| 5 | Greater Good Charities | Seattle | $123.4M | 357 |
| 6 | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center | Seattle | $122.1M | 299 |
| 7 | M J Murdock Charitable Trust | Vancouver | $116.6M | 797 |
| 8 | The Aldarra Foundation | Seattle | $100.0M | 14 |
| 9 | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center | Seatle | $88.2M | 139 |
| 10 | Breakthrough Energy Foundation | Kirkland | $71.9M | 149 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 6 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Most common focus areas
- Education 196 · 23%
- Human Services 113 · 13%
- Health 91 · 10%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 68 · 8%
- Environment & Animals 65 · 7%
- Community Improvement & Capacity Building 57 · 7%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (46% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Community foundations in Washington
- Greater Tacoma Community Foundation $18.3M · 189 grants
- Community Foundation of NCW $17.0M · 200 grants
- Community Foundation of Snohomish County $9.7M · 134 grants
- Whatcom Community Foundation $5.9M · 106 grants
- Blue Mountain Community Foundation $5.5M · 121 grants
- Orcas Island Community Foundation $4.5M · 61 grants
- Bainbridge Community Foundation $4.2M · 135 grants
- The Community Foundation of South Puget Sound $4.1M · 121 grants
Showing the largest 8 of 19 with at least 10 grants.
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2024).
Most open to new grantees in Washington
Foundations based in Washington whose latest grant list had the largest share of organizations they had not funded in any earlier year on file.
| # | Funder | First-time grantees | Grantees | Avg first grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Creag Foundation | 95% (36) | 38 in 2025 | $2K |
| 2 | Workforce Development Council Seattle-Ki | 86% (90) | 105 in 2025 | $120K |
| 3 | Na'ah Illahee Fund | 84% (27) | 32 in 2024 | $19K |
| 4 | The Richard and Maude Ferry Foundation | 79% (23) | 29 in 2024 | $14K |
| 5 | Gesa Community Foundation | 79% (22) | 28 in 2024 | $14K |
| 6 | Jack and Shirley McIntyre Foundation | 73% (16) | 22 in 2025 | $43K |
| 7 | Hagan Foundation | 71% (24) | 34 in 2025 | $12K |
| 8 | United Way of Clallam County | 65% (17) | 26 in 2024 | $26K |
| 9 | 4 US | 65% (13) | 20 in 2024 | $31K |
| 10 | Bernier McCaw Foundation | 62% (16) | 26 in 2025 | $119K |
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990 and 990-PF grant lists. Only foundations with at least 20 grants in each of the last three years (and 20 distinct grantees in the latest), a filing from the last 2 years, and first grants averaging at least $1K are ranked; grants to individuals are left out, and recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed grantee can look new. How we calculate this.
Showing 1,273 grantmakers in Washington with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
Gates Foundation
Seattle, WA
Assets
$78.7B
Grants
4,974
Total Given
$6.3B
Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation
Redmond, WA
Assets
$7.4B
Grants
132
Total Given
$484.7M
Seattle Foundation
Seattle, WA
Assets
$1.4B
Grants
5,379
Total Given
$177.9M
World Vision Inc
Federal Way, WA
Assets
$515.3M
Grants
410
Total Given
$157.4M
Greater Good Charities
Seattle, WA
Assets
$24.4M
Grants
357
Total Given
$123.4M
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Seattle, WA
Assets
—
Grants
299
Total Given
$122.1M
M J Murdock Charitable Trust
Vancouver, WA
Assets
$2.0B
Grants
797
Total Given
$116.6M
The Aldarra Foundation
Seattle, WA
Assets
$946K
Grants
14
Total Given
$100.0M
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Seatle, WA
Assets
$3.6B
Grants
139
Total Given
$88.2M
Breakthrough Energy Foundation
Kirkland, WA
Assets
$75.2M
Grants
149
Total Given
$71.9M
The Roots and Wings Foundation Inc
Seattle, WA
Assets
$611.8M
Grants
518
Total Given
$66.6M
The Holocene Foundation
Seattle, WA
Assets
—
Grants
28
Total Given
$60.2M
Allen Family Philanthropies
Seattle, WA
Assets
$1.4B
Grants
112
Total Given
$58.0M
The Norcliffe Foundation
Seattle, WA
Assets
$1.0B
Grants
454
Total Given
$56.5M
The Satterberg Foundation Inc
Seattle, WA
Assets
$425.6M
Grants
286
Total Given
$42.6M
Marguerite Casey Foundation
Seattle, WA
Assets
$876.6M
Grants
208
Total Given
$33.0M
Northwest Harvest Emm
Seattle, WA
Assets
$90.5M
Grants
256
Total Given
$28.0M
Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia
Seattle, WA
Assets
$95.5M
Grants
66
Total Given
$27.5M
United Way of King County
Seattle, WA
Assets
$54.9M
Grants
196
Total Given
$24.7M
Scholar Fund
Seattle, WA
Assets
$5.2M
Grants
535
Total Given
$23.1M
Kaphan Foundation
Seattle, WA
Assets
$141.4M
Grants
86
Total Given
$22.9M
Path
Seattle, WA
Assets
$416.1M
Grants
43
Total Given
$22.8M
Workforce Development Council Seattle-Ki
Seattle, WA
Assets
$6.1M
Grants
105
Total Given
$21.4M
Panorama Global
Seattle, WA
Assets
$67.5M
Grants
109
Total Given
$19.5M
Here's the math on clicking through this list.
You, clicking into all 24 funders
~2.8 hrs
at ~7 min per funder profile
Your agents, the same 24
~1 min
every profile evaluated and scored, with reasoning
Questions about foundations in Washington
What are the largest foundations in Washington?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are Gates Foundation ($6.3B across 4,974 grants), Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation ($484.7M) and Seattle Foundation ($177.9M). Together the top 10 account for 81% of the $9.6B given by the 1,273 grantmakers in Washington that made at least 5 grants. Organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants, usually a single transfer to an affiliated charity, are left out of the ranking.
How big is a typical foundation grant in Washington?
The typical grant is about $23K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $88K in total in their latest filing year, so many are small foundations that give to a few organizations they already know. The largest funders make many more grants, but also get the most requests.
Are there community foundations in Washington?
Yes. We found 19 community foundations in Washington with grant activity. The largest by giving are Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, Community Foundation of NCW and Community Foundation of Snohomish County. Community foundations pool gifts from many local donors and usually run open grant rounds for nonprofits in their area, which makes them a good first stop for local funding.
How do I find Washington foundations that accept unsolicited proposals?
Most private foundations don't run an open application. Their 990-PF says whether they only give to preselected charities, and their past grants show who they actually fund. Start with the funders above whose grant counts and typical grant size fit your budget, then check each profile's grant history for organizations like yours before you reach out. Read the grant prospecting guide.
Related guides
- Grant prospecting: how to find funders that fit
How to shortlist foundations in Washington from their 990s and giving history.
- AI grant writing: draft proposals in your voice
Turn a shortlist into LOIs and proposals drafted from your own materials.