Fortissimo

Public charity · Grantmaker Seattle, WA EIN: 91-0916534

The mission of cornish college of the arts is to provide students aspiring to become practicing artists with aneducational program of the highest possible quality, in an environment, that nurtures creativity and intellectualcuriosity, while preparing them to contribute to society as artists, citizens, and innovators.

Fortissimo at a glance

In short: Fortissimo gave $72.3M across 1 grant in 2025 (avg $72.3M), mostly in Washington. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.

Annual giving (2025)
$72,341,744
Grants made (2025)
1
Average grant
$72,341,744
Median grant
$72,341,744
Primary geography
Washington (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. Covers 16 months (fiscal year-end changed).

Who Fortissimo funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top recipient in 2025

Seattle University: $72.3MSeattle University$72.3M

The largest 2025 recipient was Seattle University ($72.3M).

Grant Size Distribution

1 grant across all recorded years

<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M1$5M+

The most common grant size was $5M or more: 1 grant of 1 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

1state

Share of the 2025 grant dollars on its one itemized grant.

States

Cities

Seattle

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$20M$40M$60M$80M0 grants2020 Total only2021 Total only2022 Total only2023 Total only2024 1 grant2025* Covers 16 months (fiscal year-end changed)

From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $42K (2021) to $72.3M (2025, 16 months). In 2025 it made 1 grant totaling $72.3M.

*2025: Covers 16 months (fiscal year-end changed).

Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

*2025: Covers 16 months (fiscal year-end changed).

RecipientPurposeAmount
Seattle University Seattle, WADissolution$72,341,744
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsNet Investment Income
2025*—$57,190,464$103,859,300$72,341,7441$4,686,208
2024$77,670,840$22,044,875$31,109,796$218,717Total only$749,047
2023$84,133,872$22,592,962$24,625,228$93,220Total only$417,842
2022$87,948,379$29,102,387$23,583,551$129,672Total only$2,524,353
2021$85,362,896$23,880,239$25,287,976$42,382Total only$314,831
2020$88,112,290$24,088,670$27,611,419——$877,635

*2025: Covers 16 months (fiscal year-end changed).

"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.

About Fortissimo

Based on IRS filings

Fortissimo is a public charity focused on Education, based in Seattle, WA. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. In 2025, it awarded 1 grant totaling $72.3M. Net investment income was $4.7M.

Focus Areas

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Fortissimo is led by Emily Parkhurst, Interim President since 2025 (on filings since 2021); 4 of 13 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Emily Parkhurst

    Interim President

    Vice Chair → Chair, 2023

    Chair → Interim President, 2025

    On filings since 2021

    40 hrs/week

    $266K (2025)

  • Linda Koa

    Chair

    Trustee → Chair, 2025

    On filings since 2024

    4 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Gary Fluhrer

    Trustee

    Treasurer → Trustee, 2021

    On filings since 2020

    1.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Lisa Scribante

    Trustee

    On filings since 2021

    1.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jeff Lehman

    Trustee

    On filings since 2024

    1.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Marge Levy

    Trustee

    On filings since 2024

    1.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Michael Bartley

    Trustee

    On filings since 2024

    1.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Brian Harlan

    Provost

    New on the 2025 filing

    40 hrs/week

    $109K (2025)

  • Cheryl Wynne

    Interim CFO

    New on the 2025 filing

    40 hrs/week

    $189K (2025)

  • Matt Carr

    Controller

    New on the 2025 filing

    40 hrs/week

    $109K (2025)

  • Marianne Sorich Francis

    Vice Chair

    Vice Chair → Trustee, 2021

    Trustee → Vice Chair, 2025

    On filings since 2020

    4 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Michael Fortin

    Treasurer

    Treasurer → Vice Chair, 2023

    Vice Chair → Treasurer, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    4 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Karl Moehring

    Secretary

    Trustee → Secretary, 2025

    On filings since 2022

    4 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (40)
  • Former: Jessica Thurlow (2020–2024) — Vice President Academic Affairs & Provost
  • Former: Raymond Tymas-Jones (2020–2024) — President
  • Former: Sherry Raisbeck (2020–2024) — Trustee
  • Former: Deborah Treen (2021–2024) — Vice President Finance, Budget & CFO
  • Former: James Falzone (2023–2024) — Academic Dean
  • Former: Joseph Rosa (2023–2024) — Secretary
  • Former: Brittany Henderson (2024) — Dean of Student Affairs
  • Former: Carie Antonelli (2024) — Trustee
  • Former: Ginny McCormick (2024) — Trustee
  • Former: Lori Noto (2024) — Trustee
  • Former: Michele Smith (2024) — Trustee
  • Former: Anne Derieux (2020–2023) — Vice President of Institutional Advancement
  • Former: Brandon Bird (2020–2023) — Vice President of Operations
  • Former: John Jordan (2020–2023) — Trustee
  • Former: L Robin Du Brin (2020–2023) — Trustee
  • Former: Lawrence Hard (2020–2023) — Trustee
  • Former: Joel Petersen (2021–2023) — Trustee
  • Former: Aggie Clark (2022–2023) — Treasurer
  • Former: Kathleen Le Coze (2022–2023) — Trustee
  • Former: Leslie Mays (2022–2023) — Trustee
  • Former: Tracy Raissis (2022–2023) — Secretary
  • Former: David Lofthouse (2023) — Dean of Enrollment Management
  • Former: Langdon Blakeney (2020–2022) — Trustee
  • Former: Sharon Cornish-Martin (2020–2022) — Chair
  • Former: William Seigh (2020–2022) — Provost & Vice President Academic Affairs
  • Former: Jeff Gelfuso (2021–2022) — Trustee
  • Former: Tiffany Davis-Brantley (2021–2022) — Chief Equity Officer & Title Ix
  • Former: Christene James (2020–2021) — Vice President Finance, Budget & Cio-Outgoing
  • Former: Jon Rosen (2020–2021) — Trustee
  • Former: Ryan O'Mealey (2020–2021) — Vice President Enrollment Services
  • Former: Suzanne Griffin (2020–2021) — Trustee
  • Former: Victoria Watts (2020–2021) — Dance Department Chair
  • Former: Glenn Ford (2021) — Trustee
  • Former: Julia Fryett McDaid (2021) — Trustee
  • Former: Anne Proffitt (2020) — Trustee
  • Former: Eleuthera Lisch (2020) — Trustee
  • Former: Jody Cunningham (2020) — Trustee
  • Former: Phyllis Turner-Brim (2020) — Secretary
  • Former: Star Rush (2020) — Provost & Vpaa
  • Former: Tina Chamberlain (2020) — Controller

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

Emily Parkhurst — Interim President: $266KEmily ParkhurstInterim President$266KCheryl Wynne — Interim CFO: $189KCheryl WynneInterim CFO$189KMatt Carr — Controller: $109KMatt CarrController$109KBrian Harlan — Provost (Thru 05/25): $109KBrian HarlanProvost (Thru 05/25)$109K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $266K, to Emily Parkhurst (Interim President). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Frequently asked questions about Fortissimo

How much does Fortissimo give each year?

Fortissimo gave $72.3M across 1 grant in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. The 2025 filing year covers 16 months because its fiscal year-end changed. In 2024 it reported $219K in grants paid.

What is Fortissimo?

Fortissimo is a public charity focused on Education, based in Seattle, WA.

Where does Fortissimo operate?

Fortissimo has awarded grants in Washington.

What is Fortissimo's EIN?

Fortissimo's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-0916534. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.

Data update history

(5)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 18, 2022)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 18, 2023)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 15, 2024)
  4. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 14, 2025)
  5. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 24, 2026)

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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from Fortissimo'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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