Rasmuson Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Anchorage, Alaska. Established in 1955 by Jenny Rasmuson to honor her late husband, E.A. Rasmuson, the foundation has grown into Alaska's largest private funder. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation dedicated to improving the lives of Alaskans through grant programs and philanthropic initiatives.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$845.4M
+11.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$17.7M
-39.8% YoY
Grant Count
300
-57.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$59K
+41.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to empower Alaskans to help each other. The organization describes itself as a catalyst to promote a better life for Alaskans, supporting initiatives that improve life in Alaska and bring together people with special knowledge and insights to address challenges.
The foundation supports a diverse range of programs and projects, including:
- Capital projects and infrastructure
- Community development initiatives
- Technology upgrades
- Educational programs
- Arts and culture
- Sabbatical programs for nonprofit and tribal leaders
- Collection management in cultural institutions
Grantmaking
Rasmuson Foundation operates multiple grant programs:
Review Cycle
**Community Support Grants**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily focuses on Alaska but extends funding to other parts of the United States, including Washington, New York, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (as of 2023)
- Total Assets: $760.8–$845.4 million
- Annual Revenue: $48.1 million
- Annual Expenses: $38.4 million
- Investments: $696.3 million
- Total Liabilities: $23.3 million
Staffing
- Approximately 24 employees
Historical Context The foundation's significant growth followed the 1999 sale of the family-owned Bank of Alaska. When Elmer Rasmuson died in December 2000 at age 91, he left his personal fortune of more than $400 million to charity, much of it to the family foundation. Additional funds were received following the death of Mary Louise Rasmuson in 2012.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $845,447,369 | $760,803,239 | $730,166,438 |
| Revenue | $69,322,125 | $48,146,136 | $33,697,600 |
| Expenses | $35,448,161 | $38,384,353 | $51,456,121 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $27,799,669 | $42,383,831 | $45,120,577 |
| Net Investment Income | $48,962,080 | $45,640,087 | $9,125,892 |
| Distributable Amount | $41,247,635 | $35,098,385 | $38,987,883 |
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
10 open opportunities from Rasmuson Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Adam Gibbons – Chair (grandson of Elmer Rasmuson and great-grandson of Jenny Olson Rasmuson)
- Natasha Von Imhof – Vice Chair
- Gretchen Guess – President & CEO
- Leeann Garrick – Chief Operating Officer
- Tasha Pineda – Chief Program Officer
- Ryan Krause – IT Director
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADAM GIBBONS | CHAIR | 10 | — |
| NATASHA VON IMHOF | VICE CHAIR | 5 | — |
| JAY GIBBONS | SECRETARY/TREASURER | 5 | — |
| CATHRYN RASMUSON | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| LILE R GIBBONS | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| JUDY RASMUSON | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| TOGI LETULIGASENOA | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| MIKE NAVARRE | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| MARILYN ROMANO | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| CURTIS MCQUEEN | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| ANGELA SALAZAR | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| KATHY HURLBURT | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| GRETCHEN GUESS | PRESIDENT/CEO | 40 | $520,000 |
| CHRISTOPHER PEREZ | VP PROGRAMS | 40 | $282,757 |
| NATASHA PINEDA | VP STRATEGY | 40 | $268,125 |
| ROBERT DOEHL | VP OPERATIONS | 40 | $234,583 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation announced the 2025 Individual Artist Awardees and sabbatical recipients. The foundation continues to actively accept applications for its various grant programs, with rolling deadlines for Tier 1 Grants and upcoming deadlines for Community Support Grants and other initiatives.
Rasmuson Foundation announces the 2025 Individual Artist AwardeesSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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