Ordinary People Foundation
Ordinary People Foundation is a private foundation based in Bellevue, Washington. In filing year 2024, it reported 14 grants totaling $224,500 to charitable organizations, including recipients working on environmental protection, clean energy, rural community building, democracy, and voter education.
Ordinary People Foundation at a glance
In short: Ordinary People Foundation gave $225K across 14 grants in 2024 (avg $16K), top state Washington. 36% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $224,500
- +59.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 14
- +16.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $16,036
- +37.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $2,102,827
- -5.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (5 of 14, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Washington (48% 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 Ordinary People Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 37, Bellevue, WA 98009
Phone: (425) 822-5535
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ordinary People Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Sightline Institute ($30K). Together the top 10 received $220K.
Grant Size Distribution
58 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 58 grants of 58 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars were distributed among recipients in Washington (48%), New York (20%), Maryland (11%), Massachusetts (11%), and the District of Columbia (9%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Ordinary People Foundation open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 14 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $18K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 64% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 57% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 185% 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 $137K (2022) to $225K (2024). In 2024 it made 14 grants totaling $225K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sightline Institute Seattle, WA | Environmental Protection | $30,000 |
| Clean Energy Transition Institute Seattle, WA | Reducing Fossil Fuel Emissions | $30,000 |
| ACLU Foundation New York, NY | Law Enforcement | $30,000 |
| Heartland Fund Baltimore, MD | Rural Community Building | $25,000 |
| Represent Us Education Fund Boston, MA | Democracy Building | $25,000 |
| Conservation Northwest Seattle, WA | Forest Preservation | $20,000 |
| Fuse Innovation Fund Seattle, WA | Communications Infrastructure | $20,000 |
| Hopewell Fund Washington, DC | Voter Education | $20,000 |
| Sustainable Markets Foundations New York, NY | Addressing Global Warming | $15,000 |
| The Urbanist Fund Seattle, WA | Education the public about the benefits of urbanism | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Ordinary People Foundation?
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 | $2,102,827 | $98,811 | $226,570 | $224,500 | 14 | $224,500 | $97,058 | $121,437 |
| 2023 | $2,230,586 | $55,126 | $141,545 | $140,500 | 12 | $140,500 | $54,146 | $118,745 |
| 2022 | $2,307,005 | $59,128 | $137,195 | $137,000 | 10 | $137,000 | $59,128 | $117,892 |
| 2021 | $2,385,072 | $-55,776 | $142,856 | $143,000 | 11 | $143,000 | — | $125,605 |
| 2020 | $2,583,704 | $-72,488 | $149,943 | $145,000 | 11 | — | — | $135,333 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ordinary People Foundation reported a distributable amount of $121K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 filing lists grant purposes including environmental protection, reducing fossil fuel emissions, forest preservation, rural community building, democracy building, voter education, and public education about urbanism and voting methods.
The grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the kinds of organizations supported. Sightline Institute describes its work as independent, nonpartisan research and policy solutions for strong communities, a green economy, and a healthy environment. The Clean Energy Transition Institute says it works to accelerate an equitable clean energy transition in the Northwest. Fuse Innovation Fund describes its work as developing programs to educate and engage activists about critical issues in Washington State; FairVote Washington Foundation says it conducts research and public education on voting methods and electoral reform.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation gave $224,500 through 14 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $30,000, with a median of $20,000. Notable grants included $30,000 each to Sightline Institute, Clean Energy Transition Institute, and ACLU Foundation; $25,000 each to Heartland Fund and Represent Us Education Fund; and $20,000 each to Conservation Northwest, Fuse Innovation Fund, and Hopewell Fund.
Other reported 2024 grants included $15,000 to Sustainable Markets Foundations, $5,000 to The Urbanist Fund, $2,000 to FairVote Washington Foundation, and $1,000 each to Fannie and John Hertz Foundation and 350 Seattle. Cascade Bicycle Club received $500. The filing lists the grant purposes for several recipients, including environmental protection for Sightline Institute, reducing fossil fuel emissions for Clean Energy Transition Institute, and voter education for Hopewell Fund.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Daniel Weise as President and Laura Yedwab as Vice President.
Ordinary People Foundation is led by Daniel W Weise, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Daniel W Weise
President
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Laura Yedwab
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Ordinary People Foundation
How much does Ordinary People Foundation give each year?
Ordinary People Foundation gave $225K across 14 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $141K across 12 grants.
What is Ordinary People Foundation's typical grant size?
Ordinary People Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $20,000, and its average grant was $16,036, across 14 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ordinary People Foundation that year got $13K on average.
Where does Ordinary People Foundation give grants?
Ordinary People Foundation's top state is Washington, with 48% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (20%) and Maryland (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (7 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Ordinary People Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on Ordinary People Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Ordinary People Foundation's largest grantees?
Ordinary People Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Sightline Institute ($30,000), Clean Energy Transition Institute ($30,000) and ACLU Foundation ($30,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Ordinary People Foundation?
Ordinary People Foundation reported $2.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $225K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $121K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Ordinary People Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 filing lists grant purposes including environmental protection, reducing fossil fuel emissions, forest preservation, rural community building, democracy building, voter education, and public education about urbanism and voting methods. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ordinary People Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Ordinary People Foundation's EIN?
Ordinary People Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-2014376. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Ordinary People Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ordinary People Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 7, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ordinary-people-foundation-morg_a05a1658e5b54dd88975e21aea75b426
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_912014376_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ordinary People Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ordinary-people-foundation-morg_a05a1658e5b54dd88975e21aea75b426},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-07. 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 Ordinary People 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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