Laird Norton Family Foundation
The Laird Norton Family Foundation (LNFF) is a private family foundation established in 1940 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington. The foundation serves as a vehicle for the Laird Norton family's philanthropic activities, with a focus on engaging the eighth-generation family's 500+ living members worldwide in grantmaking and charitable work.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$45.8M
+10.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.7M
+23.0% YoY
Grant Count
126
+34.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$13K
-8.2% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Laird Norton Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.6M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to honor and reflect the family's shared values through giving and engage the Laird Norton family in philanthropy as a platform for strengthening family connections.
The foundation supports the following primary funding areas:
- Watershed Stewardship: Environmental conservation focused on watershed protection and stewardship
- Climate Change: Funding efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change
- Human Services: Supporting initiatives that improve human services and social welfare
- Arts in Education: Supporting arts integration and education initiatives
- Youth Grantmaking: The Sapling Fund engages younger family members in grantmaking
Grantmaking
The foundation operates through Fund Advisory Committees comprised of family members, with professional staff supporting grantmaking efforts and maintaining community relationships.
Grant Range
$250-$45,000
Grant Types
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily focuses on the Seattle and Pacific Northwest region, though grants have been awarded to organizations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and California.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
- Total Assets: $38.3-$41.3 million (as of 2023)
- Annual Revenue: $868,000 (2023)
- Annual Giving: $2.3-2.4 million (2023-2024)
- Total Expenses: $1.72 million (2023)
- Total Liabilities: $345,000 (2023)
Historical Giving Trends:
- 2023: $1.5 million in grants across 145 awards
- 2022: $1.6 million in grants across 156 awards
- 2021: $1.8 million in grants across 180 awards
- 2020: $1.4 million in grants across 137 awards
- 2019: $1.3 million in grants across 133 awards
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $45,757,510 | $41,347,583 | $38,327,528 |
| Revenue | $4,961,899 | $867,878 | $2,840,374 |
| Expenses | $3,438,453 | $1,716,677 | $3,020,671 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,511,113 | $2,430,976 | $2,118,546 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,841,085 | $640,447 | $2,529,705 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,610,365 | $2,255,410 | $1,891,902 |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Laird Norton Family Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Arts Impact ($40,000), Bonneville Environmental Foundation ($35,000), Choose180 ($35,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AFFILIATED TRIBES OF NW INDIANS PORTLAND, OR | GEN'L SUPPORT, CLIMATE CHANGE PROGRAMS | $10,000 |
| AFFILIATED TRIBES OF NW INDIANS PORTLAND, OR | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT, CLIMATE CHANGE | $10,000 |
| AHSHAY (FISCAL SPONSOR TUBMAN CENTER FOR HEALTH & FREEDOM) SEATTLE, WA | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT, FS TUBMAN CENTER | $10,000 |
| ALL HANDS & HEARTS MATTAPOISETT, MA | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $9,000 |
| AMERICAN CONSERVATORY THEATER SAN FRANCISCO, CA | SUPPORT FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING | $25,000 |
| ARTS CORPS SEATTLE, WA | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $25,000 |
| ARTS CORPS SEATTLE, WA | EDUCATION SUPPORT | $1,500 |
| ARTS FOR LEARNING NW PORTLAND, OR | CENTRAL OREGON PROGRAMMING, GEN'L SUPPORT | $10,000 |
| ARTS IMPACT FEDERAL WAY, WA | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $40,000 |
| ARTS IMPACT FEDERAL WAY, WA | EDUCATION SUPPORT | $1,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Katie Briggs: Managing Director (40 hours/week, $171,000 compensation)
- David Kane: Chair
- Maryalice Parks: Vice Chair
- Adam Kuhlmann: Treasurer
- Andreas Ueland: Secretary
- Jill Gardner: Director
- Pamela Tanase: Director
- Chris Taylor: Director
- Cadence Miller: Program Officer (30 hours/week, $83,000 compensation)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KATIE BRIGGS | MANAGING DIRECTOR | 40 | $174,488 |
| DAVID KANE | CHAIR (THRU 6/24) | 2 | — |
| LINDSAY HALL | CHAIR (FROM 7/24) | 5 | — |
| CHRIS TAYLOR | DIR (THRU 6/24), V. CHAIR (FROM 7/24) | 1 | — |
| ADAM KUHLMANN | TREASURER | 2 | — |
| ANDREAS UELAND | SECRETARY (THRU 6/24) | 1 | — |
| PIPER LUCAS | SECRETARY (FROM 7/24) | 1 | — |
| MARYALICE PARKS | V. CHAIR (THRU 6/24), DIR (FROM 7/24) | 1 | — |
| JILL GARDNER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| NICOLE STEINWEDELL | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| PAMELA TANASE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JUAN DAVID MICKLE | ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| INGRID LANGSTON | ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Laird Norton Family Foundation fund?
The foundation's mission is to honor and reflect the family's shared values through giving and engage the Laird Norton family in philanthropy as a platform for strengthening family connections. The foundation supports the following primary funding areas: • **Watershed Stewardship**: Environmental conservation focused on watershed protection and stewardship • **Climate Change**: Funding efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change • **Human Services**: Supporting initiatives that improve huma…
How do I apply for a grant from Laird Norton Family Foundation?
The foundation operates through Fund Advisory Committees comprised of family members, with professional staff supporting grantmaking efforts and maintaining community relationships. **Grant Activity:** • Annual giving: $2.3-2.4 million (2023-2024) • Number of grants: Approximately 94-180 grants annually • Grant range: $250-$45,000 • Median grant size: $2,500-$13,000 • Grant types: General operating support and program-specific support **Application Process:** The foundation does not accept unso…
Where does Laird Norton Family Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily focuses on the Seattle and Pacific Northwest region, though grants have been awarded to organizations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and California.
What size grants does Laird Norton Family Foundation award?
In 2024, Laird Norton Family Foundation awarded 126 grants totaling $1.7M — an average of about $13K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Laird Norton Family Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Laird Norton Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.6M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Laird Norton Family Foundation's EIN?
Laird Norton Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-6339917. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Laird Norton Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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